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The differences between vessel captains and airline pilots can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a vessel captain, becoming an airline pilot takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an airline pilot has an average salary of $85,534, which is higher than the $57,545 average annual salary of a vessel captain.
The top three skills for a vessel captain include USCG, research vessels and vessel maintenance. The most important skills for an airline pilot are aircraft systems, FAA, and PIC.
| Vessel Captain | Airline Pilot | |
| Yearly salary | $57,545 | $85,534 |
| Hourly rate | $27.67 | $41.12 |
| Growth rate | 1% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 2,545 | 2,851 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
Vessel captains and airline pilots have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Vessel Captain | Airline Pilot | |
| Average salary | $57,545 | $85,534 |
| Salary range | Between $34,000 And $96,000 | 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 |
There are a few differences between a vessel captain and an airline pilot in terms of educational background:
| Vessel Captain | Airline Pilot | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Business | Aviation |
| Most common college | Stanford University | SUNY Farmingdale |
Here are the differences between vessel captains' and airline pilots' demographics:
| Vessel Captain | Airline Pilot | |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 96.0% Female, 4.0% | Male, 92.4% Female, 7.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 3.2% White, 74.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1% | 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 | 11% | 9% |