Plane captain vs airline pilot

The differences between plane captains and airline 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 plane captain and an airline pilot. Additionally, an airline pilot has an average salary of $85,534, which is higher than the $51,391 average annual salary of a plane captain.

The top three skills for a plane captain include hand tools, cleanliness and maintenance manuals. The most important skills for an airline pilot are aircraft systems, FAA, and PIC.

Plane captain vs airline pilot overview

	Plane Captain	Airline Pilot
Yearly salary	$51,391	$85,534
Hourly rate	$24.71	$41.12
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	2,555	2,851
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Plane captain vs airline pilot salary

Plane captains and airline pilots have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Plane Captain	Airline Pilot
Average salary	$51,391	$85,534
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $78,000	Between $66,000 And $110,000
Highest paying City	-	Saint George, UT
Highest paying state	-	Oregon
Best paying company	-	Spirit Airlines
Best paying industry	-	Transportation

Differences between plane captain and airline pilot education

There are a few differences between a plane captain and an airline pilot in terms of educational background:

	Plane Captain	Airline Pilot
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	Aviation	Aviation
Most common college	SUNY Farmingdale	SUNY Farmingdale

Plane captain vs airline pilot demographics

Here are the differences between plane captains' and airline pilots' demographics:

	Plane Captain	Airline Pilot
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 87.6% Female, 12.4%	Male, 92.4% Female, 7.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.6% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 6.7% Asian, 2.7% White, 82.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	Black or African American, 2.6% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 6.9% Asian, 2.7% White, 82.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between plane captain and airline pilot duties and responsibilities

Plane captain example responsibilities.

Train, direct, and manage firefighting crews, fire-rescue teams, and damage-control parties.
Lead a platoon that earn numerous awards for jamming opposition force artillery nets and conducting counterattacks on opposition electronic warfare platoons.
Experience operation of FMS, HGS, EFIS & GPS.
Clean exterior or interior of aircraft, using portable platform ladders, brushes, rags, water hose, and vacuum.
Experience in HAZMAT handling and storage.
Conduct FOD inspections of assign aircraft and surrounding areas

Airline pilot example responsibilities.

Serve as a professional pilot managing a flight crew and ensuring safe transportation of VIP's internationally.
Assist with all aspects of administration, logistics and equipment inventory, ensuring successful financial execution.
Conduct pilot proficiency and standardization evaluations in both A320 aircraft and simulator.

Plane captain vs airline pilot skills

Common plane captain skills

Hand Tools, 19%
Cleanliness, 11%
Maintenance Manuals, 7%
FOD, 7%
Hydraulic Systems, 7%
Engine Oil, 6%

Common airline pilot skills

Aircraft Systems, 35%
FAA, 13%
PIC, 12%
Flight Operations, 10%
Federal Aviation, 8%
Pilot-In-Command, 6%