Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between pilots and air tour pilots can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a pilot and an air tour pilot. Additionally, an air tour pilot has an average salary of $101,440, which is higher than the $83,128 average annual salary of a pilot.
The top three skills for a pilot include PIC, pilot-in-command and flight operations. The most important skills for an air tour pilot are PIC, customer service, and UAV.
| Pilot | Air Tour Pilot | |
| Yearly salary | $83,128 | $101,440 |
| Hourly rate | $39.97 | $48.77 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 3,049 | 3,885 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
Air Tour Pilots fly and navigate helicopters, planes, or any other aircraft providing rides to tourists. The pilot's transport passengers between local destinations, answer queries regarding the areas they pass by, or explain sightseeing opportunities. They usually work for certain companies to transport cargo on their fixed schedules. They conduct safety audits for operations specifications to ensure that the aircraft operates within the safety margins. Also, they take part in station leadership teams representing flight operations.
Pilots and air tour pilots have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Pilot | Air Tour Pilot | |
| Average salary | $83,128 | $101,440 |
| Salary range | Between $58,000 And $118,000 | Between $78,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | California | - |
| Best paying company | HP | - |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | - |
There are a few differences between a pilot and an air tour pilot in terms of educational background:
| Pilot | Air Tour Pilot | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 59% | Bachelor's Degree, 55% |
| Most common major | Aviation | Aviation |
| Most common college | SUNY Farmingdale | SUNY Farmingdale |
Here are the differences between pilots' and air tour pilots' demographics:
| Pilot | Air Tour Pilot | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.7% Female, 29.3% | Male, 97.1% Female, 2.9% |
| Race ratio | 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% | Black or African American, 2.6% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 6.8% Asian, 2.7% White, 82.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |