Flight instructor vs pilot

The differences between flight instructors and 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 instructor and a pilot. Additionally, a pilot has an average salary of $83,128, 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 a pilot are PIC, pilot-in-command, and flight operations.

Flight instructor vs pilot overview

	Flight Instructor	Pilot
Yearly salary	$51,324	$83,128
Hourly rate	$24.68	$39.97
Growth rate	2%	6%
Number of jobs	25,735	3,049
Job satisfaction	-	5
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	46	44
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 pilot do?

A pilot is an individual who works in the aviation industry to operate aircraft and transport passengers and cargos from one location to another. Pilots can fly and navigate different types of aircrafts such as helicopters, large commercial aircraft, or cargo planes. They must perform pre-flight inspections and check flight logs to secure safety for all crews and passengers who are on board. Pilots can also decide to work as flight instructors or establish an aviation school when they have gained enough experience in the aviation industry.

Flight instructor vs pilot salary

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

	Flight Instructor	Pilot
Average salary	$51,324	$83,128
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $80,000	Between $58,000 And $118,000
Highest paying City	Atwater, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Cirrus Aircraft	HP
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Transportation

Differences between flight instructor and pilot education

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

	Flight Instructor	Pilot
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Aviation	Aviation
Most common college	Stanford University	SUNY Farmingdale

Flight instructor vs pilot demographics

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

	Flight Instructor	Pilot
Average age	46	44
Gender ratio	Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1%	Male, 70.7% Female, 29.3%
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, 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	16%	9%

Differences between flight instructor and pilot 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.

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 instructor vs pilot skills

Common flight instructor skills

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

Common pilot skills

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

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Flight Instructor
Flight Instructor vs Pilot

Updated January 8, 2025

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