Military pilot vs aviator

The differences between military pilots and aviators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a military pilot and an aviator. Additionally, a military pilot has an average salary of $100,754, which is higher than the $97,217 average annual salary of an aviator.

The top three skills for a military pilot include helicopter, logistics and safety. The most important skills for an aviator are aircraft systems, flight safety, and flight training.

Military pilot vs aviator overview

	Military Pilot	Aviator
Yearly salary	$100,754	$97,217
Hourly rate	$48.44	$46.74
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	5,217	3,482
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 86%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Military pilot vs aviator salary

Military pilots and aviators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Military Pilot	Aviator
Average salary	$100,754	$97,217
Salary range	Between $73,000 And $137,000	Between $76,000 And $122,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between military pilot and aviator education

There are a few differences between a military pilot and an aviator in terms of educational background:

	Military Pilot	Aviator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Bachelor's Degree, 86%
Most common major	Aviation	Aerospace Engineering
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Military pilot vs aviator demographics

Here are the differences between military pilots' and aviators' demographics:

	Military Pilot	Aviator
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 92.3% Female, 7.7%	Male, 94.7% Female, 5.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.7% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 6.9% Asian, 2.7% White, 82.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 2.7% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.0% Asian, 2.7% White, 81.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between military pilot and aviator duties and responsibilities

Military pilot example responsibilities.

Serve as a professional pilot managing a flight crew and ensuring safe transportation of VIP's internationally.
Assist with all aspects of administration, logistics and equipment inventory, ensuring successful financial execution.
Qualify in helicopters, multi-engine transports and various training aircraft.
Coordinate with AATD and USMA to assist with visits to the UK.

Aviator example responsibilities.

Lead first successful DoD disaster recovery program utilizing a commercial backup.
Assist in select flying operations during a USAF training team visit.
Land aircraft with critical malfunctions, preserving millions of dollars in ISR assets.
Project manager; organize & execute complex research projects for DoD & interagency customers.
Progress to PIC, follow by appointment as company check airman for the Westwind.
Experience with multiple specialty payload platforms expanding on the versatile nature of the UAS platform.

Military pilot vs aviator skills

Common military pilot skills

Helicopter, 73%
Logistics, 14%
Safety, 14%

Common aviator skills

Aircraft Systems, 36%
Flight Safety, 32%
Flight Training, 30%
Fixed Wing Aircraft, 0%
Emergency Procedures, 0%
Helicopter Training, 0%