Plane captain vs test pilot

The differences between plane captains and test 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 test pilot. Additionally, a test pilot has an average salary of $96,060, 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 test pilot are FAA, pilot-in-command, and aircraft maintenance.

Plane captain vs test pilot overview

	Plane Captain	Test Pilot
Yearly salary	$51,391	$96,060
Hourly rate	$24.71	$46.18
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	2,555	20,665
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Plane captain vs test pilot salary

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

	Plane Captain	Test Pilot
Average salary	$51,391	$96,060
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $78,000	Between $67,000 And $137,000
Highest paying City	-	Mountain View, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Learjet
Best paying industry	-	Transportation

Differences between plane captain and test pilot education

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

	Plane Captain	Test Pilot
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common major	Aviation	Aviation
Most common college	SUNY Farmingdale	Stanford University

Plane captain vs test pilot demographics

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

	Plane Captain	Test Pilot
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 87.6% Female, 12.4%	Male, 91.3% Female, 8.7%
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, 2.8% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.3% Asian, 2.8% White, 81.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between plane captain and test 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

Test pilot example responsibilities.

Serve as a professional pilot managing a flight crew and ensuring safe transportation of VIP's internationally.
Perform production/experimental flight tests of aircraft and systems to assure compliance with FAA.
Balance schedule maintenance activities with the mission demand to ensure combat asset availability.
React with expedite mission management and delegate to the aircrews for efficient no-notice helicopter launches.
Develop regulations and procedures for airlift management.

Plane captain vs test pilot skills

Common plane captain skills

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

Common test pilot skills

FAA, 26%
Pilot-In-Command, 12%
Aircraft Maintenance, 8%
Logistics, 6%
Flight Operations, 6%
Aircraft Systems, 5%