Line pilot vs commercial pilot

The differences between line pilots and commercial 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 line pilot and a commercial pilot. Additionally, a line pilot has an average salary of $96,403, which is higher than the $94,406 average annual salary of a commercial pilot.

The top three skills for a line pilot include EMS, helicopter and federal aviation. The most important skills for a commercial pilot are FAA, flight operations, and pilot-in-command.

Line pilot vs commercial pilot overview

	Line Pilot	Commercial Pilot
Yearly salary	$96,403	$94,406
Hourly rate	$46.35	$45.39
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	47,582	29,118
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Line pilot vs commercial pilot salary

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

	Line Pilot	Commercial Pilot
Average salary	$96,403	$94,406
Salary range	Between $67,000 And $137,000	Between $63,000 And $139,000
Highest paying City	-	Jackson, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Realty World California
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between line pilot and commercial pilot education

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

	Line Pilot	Commercial Pilot
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common major	Aviation	Aviation
Most common college	SUNY Farmingdale	SUNY Farmingdale

Line pilot vs commercial pilot demographics

Here are the differences between line pilots' and commercial pilots' demographics:

	Line Pilot	Commercial Pilot
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 89.3% Female, 10.7%	Male, 91.9% Female, 8.1%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 2.7% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.0% Asian, 2.8% White, 81.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between line pilot and commercial pilot 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.

Commercial pilot example responsibilities.

Serve as a professional pilot managing a flight crew and ensuring safe transportation of VIP's internationally.
Instruct pilots in recurrent flight training and grind school for aircraft systems, FAA regulations, company policies and procedures.
Grind school, IFR and advance simulator training.
Monitor and ensure compliance with establish policies, directives, and FAA operation specifications.
Assist with all aspects of administration, logistics and equipment inventory, ensuring successful financial execution.
Arm airborne helicopter escort and SAR operations.

Line pilot vs commercial pilot skills

Common line pilot skills

EMS, 43%
Helicopter, 26%
Federal Aviation, 23%
NVG, 5%
PIC, 1%
FAA, 1%

Common commercial pilot skills

FAA, 24%
Flight Operations, 12%
Pilot-In-Command, 11%
PIC, 11%
Flight Planning, 6%
Customer Service, 6%

Line Pilot vs. similar jobs

Line Pilot related careers

Line Pilot related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Transportation Industry
Line Pilot
Line Pilot vs Commercial Pilot

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse transportation jobs