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What is a flight chief and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a flight chief. For example, did you know that they make an average of $35.53 an hour? That's $73,910 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 7,700 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreFlight ChiefUS Average
Salary
5.8

Avg. Salary $73,910

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
9.8

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.2
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.26%

Asian 2.78%

Black or African American 2.73%

Hispanic or Latino 7.19%

Unknown 5.57%

White 81.48%

Gender

female 12.36%

male 87.64%

Age - 44
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44
Stress level
9.8

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
9.4

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
4.4

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Flight chief career paths

Key steps to become a flight chief

  1. Explore flight chief education requirements

    Most common flight chief degrees

    Associate

    54.1 %

    Bachelor's

    33.5 %

    Master's

    7.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific flight chief skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Safety Program15.17%
    Emergency Situations9.07%
    Logistics6.01%
    Training Programs5.80%
    Combat5.01%
  3. Complete relevant flight chief training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New flight chiefs learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a flight chief based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real flight chief resumes.
  4. Research flight chief duties and responsibilities

    • Manage, lead and oversee all areas of evaluations / assessments for over 200 USAF aviators.
    • Manage the command and control of GPS satellite operations.
    • Lead initial training for over 600 staff annually through 736 syllabus hours and oversee evaluation of competency.
    • Provide leadership and knowledge of federal shipping and logistics regulations by managing adherence to all policies and procedures from higher headquarters.
  5. Prepare your flight chief resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your flight chief resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a flight chief resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable flight chief resume templates

    Build a professional flight chief resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your flight chief resume.
    Flight Chief Resume
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    Flight Chief Resume
  6. Apply for flight chief jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a flight chief job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first flight chief job

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Average flight chief salary

The average flight chief salary in the United States is $73,910 per year or $36 per hour. Flight chief salaries range between $50,000 and $109,000 per year.

Average flight chief salary
$73,910 Yearly
$35.53 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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