Pilot captain demographics and statistics in the US
On this page
Pilot captain demographics by:
Pilot captain gender statistics
7.4% of pilot captains are women and 92.6% of pilot captains are men.
- Male, 92.6%
- Female, 7.4%
Pilot captain gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 92.6% |
| Female | 7.4% |
Pilot captain gender pay gap
Women earn 97¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$66,072
Female income
$64,004
Pilot captain gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in pilot captain positions over time. Currently, 7.4% of pilot captains are female.
Pilot captain gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 94.04% | 5.96% |
| 2011 | 96.17% | 3.83% |
| 2012 | 92.54% | 7.46% |
| 2013 | 94.93% | 5.07% |
| 2014 | 94.23% | 5.77% |
| 2015 | 94.90% | 5.10% |
| 2016 | 92.03% | 7.97% |
| 2017 | 92.60% | 7.40% |
| 2018 | 92.58% | 7.42% |
| 2019 | 93.83% | 6.17% |
| 2020 | 93.02% | 6.98% |
| 2021 | 92.61% | 7.39% |
Pilot captain related jobs gender ratio
We compared pilot captains with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, airline transport pilot and combat control have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Airline Flight Attendant | 16% | 84% |
| International Flight Attendant | 21% | 79% |
| Flight Attendant | 21% | 79% |
| Pilot Captain | 93% | 7% |
| Agricultural Aviation Pilot | 98% | 2% |
| Combat Control | 98% | 2% |
| Airline Transport Pilot | 98% | 2% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Pilot captain demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among pilot captains is White, which makes up 81.4% of all pilot captains. Comparatively, 7.2% of pilot captains are Hispanic or Latino and 5.6% of pilot captains are Unknown.
- White, 81.4%
- Hispanic or Latino, 7.2%
- Unknown, 5.6%
- Asian, 2.8%
- Black or African American, 2.7%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
Pilot captain race
| Pilot captain race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 81.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.2% |
| Unknown | 5.6% |
| Asian | 2.8% |
| Black or African American | 2.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.3% |
Pilot captain race and ethnicity over time
See how pilot captain racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Pilot captain race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 87.42% | 2.30% | 1.43% | 6.36% |
| 2011 | 88.69% | 2.25% | 1.06% | 5.83% |
| 2012 | 87.89% | 2.83% | 1.58% | 5.70% |
| 2013 | 87.03% | 2.28% | 1.84% | 6.22% |
| 2014 | 87.63% | 2.47% | 1.61% | 5.96% |
| 2015 | 87.03% | 2.14% | 1.77% | 6.55% |
| 2016 | 86.31% | 1.89% | 1.68% | 6.93% |
| 2017 | 86.94% | 2.98% | 1.91% | 6.02% |
| 2018 | 85.24% | 2.17% | 2.00% | 7.56% |
| 2019 | 86.16% | 1.69% | 2.22% | 7.17% |
| 2020 | 82.58% | 2.55% | 2.81% | 7.53% |
| 2021 | 81.40% | 2.74% | 2.78% | 7.24% |
Pilot captain wage gap by race
According to our data, unknown pilot captains have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Asian pilot captains have the lowest average salary at $62,046.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $68,604 |
| White | $67,811 |
| Black or African American | $66,603 |
| Asian | $62,046 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $65,500 |
Average pilot captain age
See how the average age of pilot captains varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Pilot captain age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 46 | |
| White | 44 | 40 |
| Black or African American | 46.5 | |
| Asian | 34 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 44 |
Pilot captain age breakdown
The average age of pilot captains is 40+ years years old, representing 61% of the pilot captain population.
Pilot captain age breakdown
| Pilot Captain Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 61% |
| 30-40 years | 27% |
| 20-30 years | 11% |
Pilot captain educational attainment
The most common degree for pilot captains is bachelor's degree, with 71% of pilot captains earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 11% and associate degree degree at 10%.
- Bachelor's, 71%
- Associate, 11%
- Master's, 10%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 5%
Pilot captains by degree level
| Pilot captain degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 71% |
| Associate | 11% |
| Master's | 10% |
| High School Diploma | 3% |
| Other Degrees | 5% |
Pilot captain jobs you might like
Pilot captain wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $69,703 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $68,540 |
Pilot captain employment statistics
Most pilot captains work for a private in the transportation industry.
Company size where pilot captains work
Below, you can see the size of companies where pilot captains work.
Pilot captain jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 5% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 18% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 21% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 10% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 29% |
| > 10,000 employees | 17% |
Pilot captain jobs by company type
Employees with the pilot captain job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most pilot captains prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Pilot captain jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 1% |
| Public | 29% |
| Private | 62% |
| Government | 8% |
Pilot captain jobs by industry
The most common industries for pilot captains are transportation, government and manufacturing.
Pilot captain industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Transportation | 43% |
| Fortune 500 | 10% |
| Government | 7% |
| Manufacturing | 7% |
| Finance | 5% |
| Energy | 5% |
| Technology | 5% |
| Non Profits | 3% |
| Professional | 3% |
| Utilities | 2% |
| Health Care | 2% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Education | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
Pilot captain turnover and employment statistics
Pilot captain unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for pilot captains between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Pilot captain unemployment rate by year
| Year | Pilot captain unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 3.56% |
| 2011 | 2.99% |
| 2012 | 2.30% |
| 2013 | 2.29% |
| 2014 | 2.11% |
| 2015 | 1.19% |
| 2016 | 0.95% |
| 2017 | 1.24% |
| 2018 | 0.65% |
| 2019 | 0.93% |
| 2020 | 1.69% |
| 2021 | 2.31% |
Average pilot captain tenure
The average pilot captain stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 237 pilot captains resumes in Zippia's database.
Pilot captain tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 8% |
| 1-2 years | 25% |
| 3-4 years | 17% |
| 5-7 years | 19% |
| 8-10 years | 8% |
| 11+ years | 22% |
Pilot captain LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of pilot captains that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Parking Attendant | 3.71% | 45,127 |
| Bagger | 4.53% | 3,411 |
| Car Porter | 4.91% | 15,056 |
| Pilot Captain | 8.59% | - |
| Combat Control | 13.04% | 30,959 |
| Ship Steward | 15.05% | 42,173 |
| International Flight Attendant | 31.52% | 46,599 |
Similar pilot captain jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Parking Attendant | 3.71% | 45,127 |
| Bagger | 4.53% | 3,411 |
| Car Porter | 4.91% | 15,056 |
| Combat Control | 13.04% | 30,959 |
| Ship Steward | 15.05% | 42,173 |
| International Flight Attendant | 31.52% | 46,599 |
Foreign languages spoken by pilot captains
The most common foreign language among pilot captains is Spanish at 60.0%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Russian at 20.0% and Carrier is the third-most popular at 20.0%.
- Spanish, 60.0%
- Russian, 20.0%
- Carrier, 20.0%
Pilot captain languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 60.0% |
| Russian | 20.0% |
| Carrier | 20.0% |
