Plane captain vs line pilot

The differences between plane captains and line 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 line pilot. Additionally, a line pilot has an average salary of $96,403, 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 line pilot are EMS, helicopter, and federal aviation.

Plane captain vs line pilot overview

	Plane Captain	Line Pilot
Yearly salary	$51,391	$96,403
Hourly rate	$24.71	$46.35
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	2,555	47,582
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Plane captain vs line pilot salary

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

	Plane Captain	Line Pilot
Average salary	$51,391	$96,403
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $78,000	Between $67,000 And $137,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between plane captain and line pilot education

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

	Plane Captain	Line Pilot
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	Aviation	Aviation
Most common college	SUNY Farmingdale	SUNY Farmingdale

Plane captain vs line pilot demographics

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

	Plane Captain	Line Pilot
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 87.6% Female, 12.4%	Male, 89.3% Female, 10.7%
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, 2.7% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.2% Asian, 2.8% White, 81.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between plane captain and line 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

Line pilot example responsibilities.

Serve as a professional pilot managing a flight crew and ensuring safe transportation of VIP's internationally.
Charter pilot, piston twins, turbine twins, AC690B, BE90 PIC.
Ensure compliance with FAA regulations and safe operation of AS350 aircraft.
Update avionics electronic devices with the latest software upgrades and reprogram electronic GPS devices.
Plan and prepare for various training missions, learned syllabus requirements and weather information.
Provide primary jet training (aerial and grind) to USAF and international students.

Plane captain vs line pilot skills

Common plane captain skills

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

Common line pilot skills

EMS, 43%
Helicopter, 26%
Federal Aviation, 23%
NVG, 5%
PIC, 1%
FAA, 1%