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The differences between flight engineers and air force 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 engineer and an air force pilot. Additionally, an air force pilot has an average salary of $98,196, which is higher than the $85,035 average annual salary of a flight engineer.
The top three skills for a flight engineer include FAA, flight operations and simulator. The most important skills for an air force pilot are FAA, flight operations, and USAF.
| Flight Engineer | Air Force Pilot | |
| Yearly salary | $85,035 | $98,196 |
| Hourly rate | $40.88 | $47.21 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 2,042 | 3,867 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
Primarily, an Air Force pilot flies aircraft such as bombers, transport planes, unmanned aerial vehicles, and tankers in the U.S. The pilots command their crews to complete training, combat, and other missions. They serve as military aviators who are trained to engage in air-to-ground and air-to-air combat. It is important that they master aviation skills, train, and lead flight crews, and perform flight operations. When not flying, they lead and manage the aircraft maintenance department crew.
Flight engineers and air force pilots have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Flight Engineer | Air Force Pilot | |
| Average salary | $85,035 | $98,196 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $129,000 | Between $74,000 And $130,000 |
| 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 engineer and an air force pilot in terms of educational background:
| Flight Engineer | Air Force Pilot | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 41% | Bachelor's Degree, 45% |
| Most common major | Aviation | Business |
| Most common college | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | SUNY Farmingdale |
Here are the differences between flight engineers' and air force pilots' demographics:
| Flight Engineer | Air Force Pilot | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.7% Female, 5.3% | Male, 80.0% Female, 20.0% |
| 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, 2.6% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 6.8% Asian, 2.7% White, 82.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |