Private pilot vs airline pilot

The differences between private pilots 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 private pilot and an airline pilot. Additionally, a private pilot has an average salary of $100,673, which is higher than the $85,534 average annual salary of an airline pilot.

The top three skills for a private pilot include FAA, pilot license and single engine. The most important skills for an airline pilot are aircraft systems, FAA, and PIC.

Private pilot vs airline pilot overview

	Private Pilot	Airline Pilot
Yearly salary	$100,673	$85,534
Hourly rate	$48.40	$41.12
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	5,013	2,851
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Private pilot vs airline pilot salary

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

	Private Pilot	Airline Pilot
Average salary	$100,673	$85,534
Salary range	Between $74,000 And $135,000	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 private pilot and airline pilot education

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

	Private Pilot	Airline Pilot
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	Aviation	Aviation
Most common college	Stanford University	SUNY Farmingdale

Private pilot vs airline pilot demographics

Here are the differences between private pilots' and airline pilots' demographics:

	Private Pilot	Airline Pilot
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 83.9% Female, 16.1%	Male, 92.4% Female, 7.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.7% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.0% Asian, 2.8% White, 81.7% 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 private pilot and airline pilot duties and responsibilities

Private pilot example responsibilities.

Serve as a professional pilot managing a flight crew and ensuring safe transportation of VIP's internationally.
Complete FAA certify private private pilot training.
Assist with all aspects of administration, logistics and equipment inventory, ensuring successful financial execution.
Ferry and sightseeing flights done at request of management in accordance with 14 CFR part 91.

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.

Private pilot vs airline pilot skills

Common private pilot skills

FAA, 59%
Pilot License, 31%
Single Engine, 10%

Common airline pilot skills

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