Flight chief vs flight commander

The differences between flight chiefs and flight commanders can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a flight chief and a flight commander. Additionally, a flight chief has an average salary of $73,910, which is higher than the $70,672 average annual salary of a flight commander.

The top three skills for a flight chief include safety program, emergency situations and logistics. The most important skills for a flight commander are combat, logistics support, and USAF.

Flight chief vs flight commander overview

	Flight Chief	Flight Commander
Yearly salary	$73,910	$70,672
Hourly rate	$35.53	$33.98
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	14,227	1,581
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Flight chief vs flight commander salary

Flight chiefs and flight commanders have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Flight Chief	Flight Commander
Average salary	$73,910	$70,672
Salary range	Between $50,000 And $109,000	Between $49,000 And $101,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between flight chief and flight commander education

There are a few differences between a flight chief and a flight commander in terms of educational background:

	Flight Chief	Flight Commander
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 54%	Bachelor's Degree, 71%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Business
Most common college	SUNY College of Technology at Alfred	SUNY Farmingdale

Flight chief vs flight commander demographics

Here are the differences between flight chiefs' and flight commanders' demographics:

	Flight Chief	Flight Commander
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 87.6% Female, 12.4%	Male, 79.7% Female, 20.3%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 2.7% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 6.9% Asian, 2.7% White, 81.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between flight chief and flight commander duties and responsibilities

Flight chief example 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.
Promote to in-flight supervisor position to train and supervise any given number in flight attendants.
Ensure compliance with DOD and USAF personnel management policies, directives, and procedures regarding military personnel issues and current programs.

Flight commander example responsibilities.

Develop and administer a continuity of operations plan which lead to fully survivable ISR network operations.
Lead several Russian inspectors during a highly-visible reentry vehicle inspection on-site inspection - commend for superb leadership
Provide quality maintain F-22A and F-15C/D fighter aircrafts on a worldwide basis.
Raise over $250K through special events and other fundraising activities for Eglin AFB.
Facilitate briefings to Slovenian general staff on the conduct of USAF airlift and mobility operations.
Instruct all phases of tactical fighter employment both on the ground and in the air.

Flight chief vs flight commander skills

Common flight chief skills

Safety Program, 15%
Emergency Situations, 9%
Logistics, 6%
Training Programs, 6%
Combat, 5%
DOD, 4%

Common flight commander skills

Combat, 13%
Logistics Support, 7%
USAF, 6%
AFB, 6%
Training Programs, 6%
ACC, 5%

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Flight Chief
Flight Chief vs Flight Commander

Updated January 8, 2025

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