Flight engineer vs airline pilot

The differences between flight engineers and airline 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 airline pilot. Additionally, an airline pilot has an average salary of $85,534, 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 airline pilot are aircraft systems, FAA, and PIC.

Flight engineer vs airline pilot overview

	Flight Engineer	Airline Pilot
Yearly salary	$85,035	$85,534
Hourly rate	$40.88	$41.12
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	2,042	2,851
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Flight engineer vs airline pilot salary

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

	Flight Engineer	Airline Pilot
Average salary	$85,035	$85,534
Salary range	Between $55,000 And $129,000	Between $66,000 And $110,000
Highest paying City	Gilbert, AZ	Saint George, UT
Highest paying state	Arizona	Oregon
Best paying company	Learjet	Spirit Airlines
Best paying industry	Technology	Transportation

Differences between flight engineer and airline pilot education

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

	Flight Engineer	Airline Pilot
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	Aviation	Aviation
Most common college	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign	SUNY Farmingdale

Flight engineer vs airline pilot demographics

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

	Flight Engineer	Airline Pilot
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 94.7% Female, 5.3%	Male, 92.4% Female, 7.6%
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, 6.9% Asian, 2.7% White, 82.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between flight engineer and airline pilot duties and responsibilities

Flight engineer example responsibilities.

Manage and execute all aircraft grind servicing as well as security for USAF assets abroad.
Lead several Russian inspectors during a highly-visible reentry vehicle inspection on-site inspection - commend for superb leadership
Perform operational checks on helicopter systems and subsystems to isolate and facilitate troubleshooting of malfunctions.
Modify airframe for customer options.
Work are performed in compliance with applicable U.S. Government and DoD regulations, guidance, policies and procedures.
Develop flight dynamics math models in FORTRAN for the simulators of FAA approve business class aircraft using flight test data.

Airline pilot example responsibilities.

Serve as a professional pilot managing a flight crew and ensuring safe transportation of VIP's internationally.
Assist with all aspects of administration, logistics and equipment inventory, ensuring successful financial execution.
Conduct pilot proficiency and standardization evaluations in both A320 aircraft and simulator.

Flight engineer vs airline pilot skills

Common flight engineer skills

FAA, 10%
Flight Operations, 9%
Simulator, 8%
DOD, 7%
Combat, 5%
Technical Problems, 5%

Common airline pilot skills

Aircraft Systems, 35%
FAA, 13%
PIC, 12%
Flight Operations, 10%
Federal Aviation, 8%
Pilot-In-Command, 6%

Flight Engineer vs. similar jobs

Flight Engineer related careers

Flight Engineer related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Transportation Industry
Flight Engineer
Flight Engineer vs Airline Pilot

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse transportation jobs