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The differences between navigators and pilots can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a pilot has an average salary of $83,128, which is higher than the $39,719 average annual salary of a navigator.
The top three skills for a navigator include patients, social work and customer service. The most important skills for a pilot are PIC, pilot-in-command, and flight operations.
| Navigator | Pilot | |
| Yearly salary | $39,719 | $83,128 |
| Hourly rate | $19.10 | $39.97 |
| Growth rate | 12% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 4,866 | 3,049 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | - | 4 |
Navigators are responsible for a ship or aircraft's navigation requiring positional awareness. Their duties include mapping out for the journey, avoiding any hazards during travel, and advising the captain or commander on estimated time en route to the destination. Navigators are involved in maintaining the ship or aircraft's communication, nautical publications and charts, navigational equipment, and meteorological device. In the air force world, modern navigators are tasked with copilot duties and employing weapons systems.
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.
Navigators and pilots have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Navigator | Pilot | |
| Average salary | $39,719 | $83,128 |
| Salary range | Between $29,000 And $53,000 | Between $58,000 And $118,000 |
| Highest paying City | Rochester, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Alaska | California |
| Best paying company | Adobe | HP |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a navigator and a pilot in terms of educational background:
| Navigator | Pilot | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 57% | Bachelor's Degree, 59% |
| Most common major | Business | Aviation |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | SUNY Farmingdale |
Here are the differences between navigators' and pilots' demographics:
| Navigator | Pilot | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 38.7% Female, 61.3% | Male, 70.7% Female, 29.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 5.5% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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 | 5% | 9% |