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First officer vs pilot

The differences between first officers and pilots can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a pilot has an average salary of $83,128, which is higher than the $82,510 average annual salary of a first officer.

The top three skills for a first officer include FAA, CFR and ATP. The most important skills for a pilot are PIC, pilot-in-command, and flight operations.

First officer vs pilot overview

First OfficerPilot
Yearly salary$82,510$83,128
Hourly rate$39.67$39.97
Growth rate3%6%
Number of jobs89,8993,049
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age4044
Years of experience-4

What does a first officer do?

A First Officer is focused on operating the aircraft in a safe and economical manner. They also are responsible for maintaining a high personal standard of discipline.

What does a pilot do?

A pilot is an individual who works in the aviation industry to operate aircraft and transport passengers and cargos from one location to another. Pilots can fly and navigate different types of aircrafts such as helicopters, large commercial aircraft, or cargo planes. They must perform pre-flight inspections and check flight logs to secure safety for all crews and passengers who are on board. Pilots can also decide to work as flight instructors or establish an aviation school when they have gained enough experience in the aviation industry.

First officer vs pilot salary

First officers and pilots have different pay scales, as shown below.

First OfficerPilot
Average salary$82,510$83,128
Salary rangeBetween $56,000 And $119,000Between $58,000 And $118,000
Highest paying CityBuffalo, NYSan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNew YorkCalifornia
Best paying companyLyndenHP
Best paying industryTechnologyTransportation

Differences between first officer and pilot education

There are a few differences between a first officer and a pilot in terms of educational background:

First OfficerPilot
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 71%Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common majorAviationAviation
Most common collegeSUNY FarmingdaleSUNY Farmingdale

First officer vs pilot demographics

Here are the differences between first officers' and pilots' demographics:

First OfficerPilot
Average age4044
Gender ratioMale, 87.9% Female, 12.1%Male, 70.7% Female, 29.3%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 3.5% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%Black or African American, 2.7% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.2% Asian, 2.8% White, 81.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage7%9%

Differences between first officer and pilot duties and responsibilities

First officer example responsibilities.

  • Execute and monitor strategic merchandising plans to achieve revenue objectives and reduce expenditures while ensuring payroll remains within budget.
  • Experience with EFIS, FMS and RNAV.
  • Base on the Embraer [] fleet
  • Operate a Lear 35 and 60
  • Contact drone companies in the UK for possible collaboration.
  • Discover new construction trends in the UK via showrooms.
    • Show more

Pilot example responsibilities.

  • Pilot company Lear 35 and manage the department.
  • Manage the UAV payload on the ground and in the air to meet customer expectations.
  • Serve as a professional pilot managing a flight crew and ensuring safe transportation of VIP's internationally.
  • Supervise aircraft maintenance activity on P-3C patrol and UH-1N helicopter aircraft.
  • Transport people and parts to offshore facilities in VFR and IFR conditions
  • Serve as remote pic and visual observer on a team on various projects involving UAV applications.
    • Show more

First officer vs pilot skills

Common first officer skills
  • FAA, 32%
  • CFR, 27%
  • ATP, 24%
  • PIC, 5%
  • Pilot-In-Command, 4%
  • Flight Operations, 1%
Common pilot skills
  • PIC, 16%
  • Pilot-In-Command, 13%
  • Flight Operations, 8%
  • ATP, 7%
  • Helicopter, 5%
  • Federal Aviation, 5%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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