Post job

Line pilot vs check airman

The differences between line pilots and check airmen can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a line pilot and a check airman. Additionally, a line pilot has an average salary of $96,403, which is higher than the $82,530 average annual salary of a check airman.

The top three skills for a line pilot include EMS, helicopter and federal aviation. The most important skills for a check airman are flight training, PIC, and line checks.

Line pilot vs check airman overview

Line PilotCheck Airman
Yearly salary$96,403$82,530
Hourly rate$46.35$39.68
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs47,5821,042
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 63%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Average age4444
Years of experience44

Line pilot vs check airman salary

Line pilots and check airmen have different pay scales, as shown below.

Line PilotCheck Airman
Average salary$96,403$82,530
Salary rangeBetween $67,000 And $137,000Between $64,000 And $105,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between line pilot and check airman education

There are a few differences between a line pilot and a check airman in terms of educational background:

Line PilotCheck Airman
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 63%Bachelor's Degree, 68%
Most common majorAviationAviation
Most common collegeSUNY FarmingdaleSUNY Farmingdale

Line pilot vs check airman demographics

Here are the differences between line pilots' and check airmen' demographics:

Line PilotCheck Airman
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 89.3% Female, 10.7%Male, 93.5% Female, 6.5%
Race ratioBlack 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%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%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between line pilot and check airman duties and responsibilities

Line pilot example responsibilities.

  • Serve as a professional pilot managing a flight crew and ensuring safe transportation of VIP's internationally.
  • Charter pilot, piston twins, turbine twins, AC690B, BE90 PIC.
  • Ensure compliance with FAA regulations and safe operation of AS350 aircraft.
  • Update avionics electronic devices with the latest software upgrades and reprogram electronic GPS devices.
  • Plan and prepare for various training missions, learned syllabus requirements and weather information.
  • Provide primary jet training (aerial and grind) to USAF and international students.
  • Show more

Check airman example responsibilities.

  • Project manage the initial fielding of the RQ-11 tactical UAV system.
  • Train and educate selected personnel in the emergency reclamation of down aircraft and successfully conduct one combat reclamation of a helicopter.
  • Oversee flight crewmembers, including co-pilot and flight engineer.

Line pilot vs check airman skills

Common line pilot skills
  • EMS, 43%
  • Helicopter, 26%
  • Federal Aviation, 23%
  • NVG, 5%
  • PIC, 1%
  • FAA, 1%
Common check airman skills
  • Flight Training, 46%
  • PIC, 12%
  • Line Checks, 11%
  • Recurrent Training, 11%
  • Aircraft Systems, 9%
  • Airmen, 6%

Browse transportation jobs