Flight instructor vs instructor

The differences between flight instructors and instructors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, an instructor has an average salary of $53,426, which is higher than the $51,324 average annual salary of a flight instructor.

The top three skills for a flight instructor include aircraft systems, syllabus and CFI. The most important skills for an instructor are customer service, CPR, and course curriculum.

Flight instructor vs instructor overview

	Flight Instructor	Instructor
Yearly salary	$51,324	$53,426
Hourly rate	$24.68	$25.69
Growth rate	2%	12%
Number of jobs	25,735	39,273
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	46	42
Years of experience	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 an instructor do?

Instructors are responsible for imparting knowledge to students. They are well-versed in different topics related to their area of teaching. They prepare lessons, create presentation materials and other collaterals, and present these to the students. They manage the classroom and ensure that students are attentive. Instructors are also responsible for creating ways to check the students' knowledge retention through schoolwork and examinations. They also evaluate their teaching style as well to further improve their skills for the next batch of students. Instructors should be patient, creative, and well-versed in classroom management.

Flight instructor vs instructor salary

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

	Flight Instructor	Instructor
Average salary	$51,324	$53,426
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $80,000	Between $30,000 And $94,000
Highest paying City	Atwater, CA	New York, NY
Highest paying state	California	Connecticut
Best paying company	Cirrus Aircraft	Kern Community College District
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Government

Differences between flight instructor and instructor education

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

	Flight Instructor	Instructor
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Aviation	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	University of Pennsylvania

Flight instructor vs instructor demographics

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

	Flight Instructor	Instructor
Average age	46	42
Gender ratio	Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1%	Male, 51.2% Female, 48.8%
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, 10.9% Unknown, 5.9% Hispanic or Latino, 16.6% Asian, 9.5% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	16%	11%

Differences between flight instructor and 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.

Instructor example responsibilities.

Discipline kids when necessary, and manage lifeguarding duties during swimming portions of the camp.
Own and manage a small business as a CPR and first aid instructor and consultant for diverse clients.
Instruct all areas of massage therapy program including anatomy, physiology, pathology, contraindications and ethics.
Teach a broad range of ESL classes, such as pronunciation, grammar, and conversation classes.
Develop curricula for college-level philosophy and ethics courses with clear expectations and objectives in mind.
Plan and provide human anatomy and physiology course instruction and laboratory activities for students in the nursing program.

Flight instructor vs instructor skills

Common flight instructor skills

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

Common instructor skills

Customer Service, 11%
CPR, 11%
Course Curriculum, 8%
Professional Development, 7%
Classroom Management, 5%
Student Learning, 4%

Flight Instructor vs. similar jobs

Flight Instructor related careers

Flight Instructor related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Education, Training, and Library Industry
Flight Instructor
Flight Instructor vs Instructor

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse education, training, and library jobs