Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between flight attendants 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 $33,607 average annual salary of a flight attendant.
The top three skills for a flight attendant include passenger safety, customer service and emergency equipment. The most important skills for a pilot are PIC, pilot-in-command, and flight operations.
| Flight Attendant | Pilot | |
| Yearly salary | $33,607 | $83,128 |
| Hourly rate | $16.16 | $39.97 |
| Growth rate | 21% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 45,878 | 3,049 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 49 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
A flight attendant is known as a steward or stewardess, an air host or hostess, and works majority in airlines, some in private business jets, or a few other aircraft. Also commonly referred to as a cabin crew, flight attendants act as an ambassador between the airline they work with and the passengers by primarily taking charge of their safety and comfort during the entire flight. They do more than serving meals, refreshments, and drinks to passengers as they must also check the supplies and emergency equipment, secure sufficiency, and make sure everything is in order. They greet the travelers, help in their luggage being stowed properly, and ensure they are in their correct and assigned seats.
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.
Flight attendants and pilots have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Flight Attendant | Pilot | |
| Average salary | $33,607 | $83,128 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $43,000 | Between $58,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | Philadelphia, PA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Pennsylvania | California |
| Best paying company | Lockheed Martin | HP |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a flight attendant and a pilot in terms of educational background:
| Flight Attendant | Pilot | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Business | Aviation |
| Most common college | SUNY Farmingdale | SUNY Farmingdale |
Here are the differences between flight attendants' and pilots' demographics:
| Flight Attendant | Pilot | |
| Average age | 49 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 21.1% Female, 78.9% | Male, 70.7% Female, 29.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 7.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 7.6% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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 Percentage | 29% | 9% |