Flight dispatcher vs pilot

The differences between flight dispatchers 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 $41,736 average annual salary of a flight dispatcher.

The top three skills for a flight dispatcher include FAA, crew scheduling and air traffic control. The most important skills for a pilot are PIC, pilot-in-command, and flight operations.

Flight dispatcher vs pilot overview

	Flight Dispatcher	Pilot
Yearly salary	$41,736	$83,128
Hourly rate	$20.07	$39.97
Growth rate	21%	6%
Number of jobs	8,168	3,049
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	49	44
Years of experience	-	4

Flight dispatcher vs pilot salary

Flight dispatchers and pilots have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Flight Dispatcher	Pilot
Average salary	$41,736	$83,128
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $69,000	Between $58,000 And $118,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	HP
Best paying industry	-	Transportation

Differences between flight dispatcher and pilot education

There are a few differences between a flight dispatcher and a pilot in terms of educational background:

	Flight Dispatcher	Pilot
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Aviation	Aviation
Most common college	SUNY Farmingdale	SUNY Farmingdale

Flight dispatcher vs pilot demographics

Here are the differences between flight dispatchers' and pilots' demographics:

	Flight Dispatcher	Pilot
Average age	49	44
Gender ratio	Male, 67.6% Female, 32.4%	Male, 70.7% Female, 29.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 7.2% Hispanic or Latino, 16.3% Asian, 8.7% White, 59.1% 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%

Differences between flight dispatcher and pilot duties and responsibilities

Flight dispatcher example responsibilities.

Schedule flight crews for assignments, mange corporate aircraft fleet, manage charter customer base, manage record keeping for FAA requirements
Originate and disseminate flight information to others in the company including stations and reservations.
Assist physically challenge passengers as appropriate; provide life-saving assistance to ill or incapacitate passengers, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation if require.

Pilot example responsibilities.

Pilot company Lear 35 and manage the department.
Manage the UAV payload on the ground and in the air to meet customer expectations.
Serve as a professional pilot managing a flight crew and ensuring safe transportation of VIP's internationally.
Supervise aircraft maintenance activity on P-3C patrol and UH-1N helicopter aircraft.
Transport people and parts to offshore facilities in VFR and IFR conditions
Serve as remote pic and visual observer on a team on various projects involving UAV applications.

Flight dispatcher vs pilot skills

Common flight dispatcher skills

FAA, 22%
Crew Scheduling, 11%
Air Traffic Control, 6%
NOTAMs, 5%
Federal Regulations, 5%
Governmental Regulations, 5%

Common pilot skills

PIC, 16%
Pilot-In-Command, 13%
Flight Operations, 8%
ATP, 7%
Helicopter, 5%
Federal Aviation, 5%