Flight instructor vs college instructor

The differences between flight instructors and college instructors 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 instructor and a college instructor. Additionally, a flight instructor has an average salary of $51,324, which is higher than the $50,584 average annual salary of a college instructor.

The top three skills for a flight instructor include aircraft systems, syllabus and CFI. The most important skills for a college instructor are classroom management, mathematics, and syllabus.

Flight instructor vs college instructor overview

	Flight Instructor	College Instructor
Yearly salary	$51,324	$50,584
Hourly rate	$24.68	$24.32
Growth rate	2%	2%
Number of jobs	25,735	41,053
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age	46	46
Years of experience	4	4

What does a flight instructor do?

A Flight Instructor is responsible for teaching students how to fly aircrafts. They prepare lesson plans and evaluate and monitor students performance.

What does a college instructor do?

A certified veterinary technician is in charge of performing laboratory tests, participating in medical procedures, and performing clerical support tasks at veterinary clinics, zoos, and private laboratories. Their responsibilities often include collecting information from pet owners, studying patients' medical histories, gathering and analyzing samples from patients through various laboratory procedures, operating equipment and machines, and monitoring patients' conditions. Moreover, under the supervision of a veterinarian, they may also provide first-aid to animals and administer medication.

Flight instructor vs college instructor salary

Flight instructors and college instructors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Flight Instructor	College Instructor
Average salary	$51,324	$50,584
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $80,000	Between $34,000 And $73,000
Highest paying City	Atwater, CA	Cupertino, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Cirrus Aircraft	Marathon Oil
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Education

Differences between flight instructor and college instructor education

There are a few differences between a flight instructor and a college instructor in terms of educational background:

	Flight Instructor	College Instructor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Aviation	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	University of Pennsylvania

Flight instructor vs college instructor demographics

Here are the differences between flight instructors' and college instructors' demographics:

	Flight Instructor	College Instructor
Average age	46	46
Gender ratio	Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1%	Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.0% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 11.4% White, 66.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.1% Asian, 11.3% White, 66.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between flight instructor and college instructor duties and responsibilities

Flight instructor example responsibilities.

Manage the daily maintenance efforts for 9 P-3C aircraft to meet short and long range flight tasking.
Manage and monitor all flight systems and electrical in-flight avionics of various commercial aircraft equipment types.
Conduct training using, CBT, stand-up lectures, PowerPoint, Wicat 2D FMS, and FTD trainers.
Diagnose, troubleshoot malfunctions and perform extensive maintenance operational checks on all systems.
Create and maintain training records for USAF students.
Maintain relationships with both local DPE's and FBO managers.

College instructor example responsibilities.

Excel in achieving proficiency in teaching mathematics to students which is measured through tests ensuring accuracy of information teach.
Teach college composition and literature courses.
Provide ESL instruction to adult learners.
Serve on faculty committee to revise and restructure placement process for incoming ESL students.
Instruct graduate and undergraduate courses in leadership, management, ethics, organizational studies ,
Provide instruction to college students in the areas of sociology, psychology and addiction treatment.

Flight instructor vs college instructor skills

Common flight instructor skills

Aircraft Systems, 9%
Syllabus, 8%
CFI, 8%
Flight Operations, 6%
Training Programs, 5%
PowerPoint, 5%

Common college instructor skills

Classroom Management, 17%
Mathematics, 7%
Syllabus, 6%
Social Work, 5%
Course Curriculum, 5%
Student Learning, 5%

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Flight Instructor vs College Instructor

Updated January 8, 2025

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