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The differences between pilot captains and first officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a first officer has an average salary of $82,510, which is higher than the $68,096 average annual salary of a pilot captain.
The top three skills for a pilot captain include PIC, FAA and IFR. The most important skills for a first officer are FAA, CFR, and ATP.
| Pilot Captain | First Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $68,096 | $82,510 |
| Hourly rate | $32.74 | $39.67 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 3% |
| Number of jobs | 5,093 | 89,899 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | - |
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.
A First Officer is focused on operating the aircraft in a safe and economical manner. They also are responsible for maintaining a high personal standard of discipline.
Pilot captains and first officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Pilot Captain | First Officer | |
| Average salary | $68,096 | $82,510 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $81,000 | Between $56,000 And $119,000 |
| Highest paying City | Newark, NJ | Buffalo, NY |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New York |
| Best paying company | Wiggins Airways | Lynden |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Technology |
There are a few differences between a pilot captain and a first officer in terms of educational background:
| Pilot Captain | First Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Aviation | Aviation |
| Most common college | SUNY Farmingdale | SUNY Farmingdale |
Here are the differences between pilot captains' and first officers' demographics:
| Pilot Captain | First Officer | |
| Average age | 44 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 92.6% Female, 7.4% | Male, 87.9% Female, 12.1% |
| 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, 11.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.4% Asian, 3.5% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 7% |