Fixed wing pilot vs charter pilot

The differences between fixed wing pilots and charter pilots can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a fixed wing pilot and a charter pilot. Additionally, a fixed wing pilot has an average salary of $102,889, which is higher than the $87,597 average annual salary of a charter pilot.

The top three skills for a fixed wing pilot include EMS, pilot-in-command and flight operations. The most important skills for a charter pilot are on-demand, pilot-in-command, and FAA.

Fixed wing pilot vs charter pilot overview

	Fixed Wing Pilot	Charter Pilot
Yearly salary	$102,889	$87,597
Hourly rate	$49.47	$42.11
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	2,989	2,711
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Fixed wing pilot vs charter pilot salary

Fixed wing pilots and charter pilots have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Fixed Wing Pilot	Charter Pilot
Average salary	$102,889	$87,597
Salary range	Between $78,000 And $134,000	Between $65,000 And $118,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between fixed wing pilot and charter pilot education

There are a few differences between a fixed wing pilot and a charter pilot in terms of educational background:

	Fixed Wing Pilot	Charter Pilot
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 68%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common major	Aviation	Aviation
Most common college	Stanford University	SUNY Farmingdale

Fixed wing pilot vs charter pilot demographics

Here are the differences between fixed wing pilots' and charter pilots' demographics:

	Fixed Wing Pilot	Charter Pilot
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 93.1% Female, 6.9%	Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.7% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.1% Asian, 2.8% White, 81.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 2.7% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.1% Asian, 2.8% White, 81.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between fixed wing pilot and charter pilot duties and responsibilities

Fixed wing pilot example responsibilities.

Project manage the initial fielding of the RQ-11 tactical UAV system.
Serve as a professional pilot managing a flight crew and ensuring safe transportation of VIP's internationally.
Spearhead UAS integration into the national airspace system by facilitating new FAA UAS corridors and tripling available UAS training ranges.
Perform extensive aircrew instruction and evaluation in actual aircraft, simulators and classroom to ensure the fighter wing's operational readiness.
Participate in ATOS, DOD, and IOSA audits
Perform all PIC duties on each trip.

Charter pilot example responsibilities.

Serve as a professional pilot managing a flight crew and ensuring safe transportation of VIP's internationally.
Develop and implement operational and administrative policies to align company policies and procedures with government (FAA) regulatory guidelines.
Conduct pilot proficiency and standardization evaluations in both A320 aircraft and simulator.

Fixed wing pilot vs charter pilot skills

Common fixed wing pilot skills

EMS, 93%
Pilot-In-Command, 4%
Flight Operations, 1%
Training Programs, 1%
Instructor Pilot, 0%
ATM, 0%

Common charter pilot skills

On-Demand, 32%
Pilot-In-Command, 21%
FAA, 20%
PIC, 19%
Flight Operations, 8%

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Transportation Industry
Fixed Wing Pilot
Fixed Wing Pilot vs Charter Pilot

Updated January 8, 2025

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