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The differences between pilot captains and captains can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a pilot captain, becoming a captain takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a pilot captain has an average salary of $68,096, which is higher than the $52,161 average annual salary of a captain.
The top three skills for a pilot captain include PIC, FAA and IFR. The most important skills for a captain are customer service, safety standards, and food preparation.
| Pilot Captain | Captain | |
| Yearly salary | $68,096 | $52,161 |
| Hourly rate | $32.74 | $25.08 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 1% |
| Number of jobs | 5,093 | 4,430 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 44 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A pilot captain is an experienced pilot who is primarily responsible for the flight, passengers, and crew. As the pilot with the highest authority in an aircraft, they are in charge of ensuring that all necessary procedures and safety checks are carried out before, during, and after flights. It is also their duty to conduct weather and flight plan checks, coordinate with air-traffic controllers and airport personnel while working together with co-pilots, and addressing issues and concerns, resolving them promptly and efficiently.
Captains oversee the entire operations of a sea vessel, usually ships. Their main responsibility is to ensure that the vessel safely travels from point A to point B. They are expert navigators who manage the course of the vessel. Captains should also be familiar with the different equipment aboard the ship and should be able to use them effectively. They should know how to properly maintain the equipment on board and should also know how to do repairs. Captains also manage their ship's crew and oversee the crews' overall performance. They also manage the finances and other operations-related activities during the course of their travel. Captains should have good communication skills, quick decision-making skills, and expert navigation skills.
Pilot captains and captains have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Pilot Captain | Captain | |
| Average salary | $68,096 | $52,161 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $81,000 | Between $31,000 And $85,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, NJ | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | Wiggins Airways | |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a pilot captain and a captain in terms of educational background:
| Pilot Captain | Captain | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Aviation | Business |
| Most common college | SUNY Farmingdale | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between pilot captains' and captains' demographics:
| Pilot Captain | Captain | |
| Average age | 44 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% | Male, 65.4% Female, 34.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 2.7% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.2% Asian, 2.8% White, 81.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | Black or African American, 6.7% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.7% Asian, 3.1% White, 75.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 11% |