Flight commander vs airline transport pilot

The differences between flight commanders and airline transport 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 flight commander and an airline transport pilot. Additionally, an airline transport pilot has an average salary of $95,279, which is higher than the $70,672 average annual salary of a flight commander.

The top three skills for a flight commander include combat, logistics support and USAF. The most important skills for an airline transport pilot are PIC, FAA, and .

Flight commander vs airline transport pilot overview

	Flight Commander	Airline Transport Pilot
Yearly salary	$70,672	$95,279
Hourly rate	$33.98	$45.81
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	1,581	3,433
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Flight commander vs airline transport pilot salary

Flight commanders and airline transport pilots have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Flight Commander	Airline Transport Pilot
Average salary	$70,672	$95,279
Salary range	Between $49,000 And $101,000	Between $74,000 And $121,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between flight commander and airline transport pilot education

There are a few differences between a flight commander and an airline transport pilot in terms of educational background:

	Flight Commander	Airline Transport Pilot
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common major	Business	Aviation
Most common college	SUNY Farmingdale	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Flight commander vs airline transport pilot demographics

Here are the differences between flight commanders' and airline transport pilots' demographics:

	Flight Commander	Airline Transport Pilot
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 79.7% Female, 20.3%	Male, 98.3% Female, 1.7%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 2.8% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.3% Asian, 2.8% White, 81.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between flight commander and airline transport pilot duties and responsibilities

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.

Airline transport pilot example responsibilities.

Lead teams into combat situations as well as into austere and commercial locations in nearly every part of the world.
Fulfill FAA compliant record keeping, flight safety and organizational requirements.
Assist with all aspects of administration, logistics and equipment inventory, ensuring successful financial execution.
License in both single-engine and multi-engine airplanes.

Flight commander vs airline transport pilot skills

Common flight commander skills

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

Common airline transport pilot skills

PIC, 53%
FAA, 47%

Flight Commander vs. similar jobs

Flight Commander related careers

Flight Commander related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Transportation Industry
Flight Commander
Flight Commander vs Airline Transport Pilot

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse transportation jobs