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The differences between plane captains and helicopter 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 a helicopter pilot. Additionally, a helicopter pilot has an average salary of $89,418, 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 a helicopter pilot are FAA, PIC, and pilot-in-command.
| Plane Captain | Helicopter Pilot | |
| Yearly salary | $51,391 | $89,418 |
| Hourly rate | $24.71 | $42.99 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 2,555 | 4,054 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Plane captains and helicopter pilots have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Plane Captain | Helicopter Pilot | |
| Average salary | $51,391 | $89,418 |
| Salary range | Between $33,000 And $78,000 | Between $62,000 And $128,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Santa Rosa, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Brainerd Chemical Co |
| Best paying industry | - | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a plane captain and a helicopter pilot in terms of educational background:
| Plane Captain | Helicopter Pilot | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 40% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Aviation | Aviation |
| Most common college | SUNY Farmingdale | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |
Here are the differences between plane captains' and helicopter pilots' demographics:
| Plane Captain | Helicopter Pilot | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.6% Female, 12.4% | Male, 94.5% Female, 5.5% |
| 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, 6.8% Asian, 2.7% White, 82.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |