Test pilot vs charter pilot

The differences between test pilots and charter 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 test pilot and a charter pilot. Additionally, a test pilot has an average salary of $96,060, which is higher than the $87,597 average annual salary of a charter pilot.

The top three skills for a test pilot include FAA, pilot-in-command and aircraft maintenance. The most important skills for a charter pilot are on-demand, pilot-in-command, and FAA.

Test pilot vs charter pilot overview

	Test Pilot	Charter Pilot
Yearly salary	$96,060	$87,597
Hourly rate	$46.18	$42.11
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	20,665	2,711
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

Test pilot vs charter pilot salary

Test pilots and charter pilots have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Test Pilot	Charter Pilot
Average salary	$96,060	$87,597
Salary range	Between $67,000 And $137,000	Between $65,000 And $118,000
Highest paying City	Mountain View, CA	-
Highest paying state	California	-
Best paying company	Learjet	-
Best paying industry	Transportation	-

Differences between test pilot and charter pilot education

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

	Test Pilot	Charter Pilot
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common major	Aviation	Aviation
Most common college	Stanford University	SUNY Farmingdale

Test pilot vs charter pilot demographics

Here are the differences between test pilots' and charter pilots' demographics:

	Test Pilot	Charter Pilot
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 91.3% Female, 8.7%	Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1%
Race ratio	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%	Black or African American, 2.7% Unknown, 5.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.1% Asian, 2.8% White, 81.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between test pilot and charter pilot duties and responsibilities

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.

Charter pilot example responsibilities.

Serve as a professional pilot managing a flight crew and ensuring safe transportation of VIP's internationally.
Develop and implement operational and administrative policies to align company policies and procedures with government (FAA) regulatory guidelines.
Conduct pilot proficiency and standardization evaluations in both A320 aircraft and simulator.

Test pilot vs charter pilot skills

Common test pilot skills

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

Common charter pilot skills

On-Demand, 32%
Pilot-In-Command, 21%
FAA, 20%
PIC, 19%
Flight Operations, 8%