Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between flight commanders and flight engineers 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 a flight engineer. Additionally, a flight engineer has an average salary of $85,035, 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 a flight engineer are FAA, flight operations, and simulator.
| Flight Commander | Flight Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $70,672 | $85,035 |
| Hourly rate | $33.98 | $40.88 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 1,581 | 2,042 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Associate Degree, 41% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A Flight Commander is the leader of a constituent portion of an aerial squadron in aerial operations, often into combat. The position is traditionally held by a captain, naval lieutenant, or air force flight lieutenant.
A Flight Engineer monitors and controls various aircraft systems, such as airplanes and helicopters. They ensure that all components of the plane are in proper working order, as well as diagnose and rectify problems that may arise.
Flight commanders and flight engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Flight Commander | Flight Engineer | |
| Average salary | $70,672 | $85,035 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $101,000 | Between $55,000 And $129,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Gilbert, AZ |
| Highest paying state | - | Arizona |
| Best paying company | - | Learjet |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a flight commander and a flight engineer in terms of educational background:
| Flight Commander | Flight Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Associate Degree, 41% |
| Most common major | Business | Aviation |
| Most common college | SUNY Farmingdale | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |
Here are the differences between flight commanders' and flight engineers' demographics:
| Flight Commander | Flight Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.7% Female, 20.3% | Male, 94.7% Female, 5.3% |
| 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, 2.7% 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% |