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Accountants and Auditors vs. Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers: Who Earns More?

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss out-earn Accountants and Auditorss by $145K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2024. Accountants and Auditorss land at $81,680 and Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss at $226,600. The education gap is real: accountants and auditor programs typically require bachelor's degree, while airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineer programs require no formal educational credential. Top-paying state for Accountants and Auditorss is District of Columbia ($103,030); for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss it's Kentucky ($413,070).

Accountants and Auditors
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
Median salary
$81,680
$226,600
Hourly rate
$39.27/hr
$null/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$52,780
$98,560
Senior level (90th %)
$141,420
$0
Education required
Bachelor's degree
No formal educational credential
U.S. employment
1,448,290
99,300
Job growth (10-year)
4.6%
N/A
Category
Business & Finance
Transportation
Top-paying state
District of Columbia
Kentucky

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Accountants and Auditors median pay.

State
Accountants and Auditors
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
New York
$101,780
$290,170
California
$96,360
$321,460
Washington
$96,180
$382,350
Connecticut
$89,630
$189,630
Virginia
$84,190
$279,820
Alaska
$81,950
$226,490
Oregon
$81,130
$214,520
Georgia
$80,100
$357,390
Texas
$80,000
$214,670
Illinois
$79,300
$296,570
Arizona
$78,620
$198,800
Florida
$78,470
$220,350
Michigan
$77,720
$307,070
Ohio
$77,640
$277,580
Kentucky
$72,220
$413,070

Source: BLS OEWS May 2024. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Accountants and Auditorss or Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss?

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss earn more nationally. The median is $81,680 for Accountants and Auditorss versus $226,600 for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss, a difference of $145K. Per BLS OEWS May 2024.

Which has better job growth, Accountants and Auditors or Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers?

BLS Employment Projections data is not available for one or both occupations. Check the individual career pages for current outlook figures.

Which requires more education, Accountants and Auditors or Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers?

Accountants and Auditors typically requires bachelor's degree. Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers requires no formal educational credential. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Accountants and Auditorss get paid the most?

District of Columbia is the top-paying state for Accountants and Auditorss at $103,030/year, per BLS OEWS May 2024. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Accountants and Auditors vs. Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In New York, Accountants and Auditorss earn $101,780 vs. $290,170 for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Accountants and Auditors salary breakdownView →Full Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers salary breakdownView →Best cities for Accountants and Auditorss by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss by take-home payExplore →How to become a accountants and auditorsGuide →How to become a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineersGuide →