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Salary comparison

Advertising Sales Agents vs. Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers: Who Earns More?

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers out-earn Advertising Sales Agents by $167K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Advertising Sales Agents land at $64,820 and Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers at $232,140. The education gap is real: advertising sales agent programs typically require high school diploma or equivalent, while airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineer programs require no formal educational credential. Top-paying state for Advertising Sales Agents is Washington ($101,320); for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers it's Georgia ($618,090).

Advertising Sales Agents
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
Median salary
$64,820
$232,140
Hourly rate
$31.16/hr
$null/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$35,240
$106,710
Senior level (90th %)
$146,010
$463,830
Education required
High school diploma or equivalent
No formal educational credential
U.S. employment
91,700
103,560
Job growth (10-year)
-6.4%
3.9%
Category
Sales
Transportation
Top-paying state
Washington
Georgia

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Advertising Sales Agents median pay.

State
Advertising Sales Agents
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
Washington
$101,320
$229,900
New York
$98,360
$255,240
California
$80,360
$353,900
Colorado
$73,420
$307,490
Illinois
$66,290
$293,490
Michigan
$64,800
$428,570
Minnesota
$62,660
$211,470
Arizona
$62,050
$227,870
Texas
$60,280
$215,150
Florida
$58,420
$225,020
Georgia
$58,140
$618,090
Idaho
$53,460
$507,640
Kentucky
$51,580
$350,950
Ohio
$50,410
$204,170
Alaska
$43,840
$232,140

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Advertising Sales Agents or Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers?

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers earn more nationally. The median is $64,820 for Advertising Sales Agents versus $232,140 for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers, a difference of $167K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Advertising Sales Agents or Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers?

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers has the better 10-year outlook at 3.9% projected growth, compared to -6.4% for the other field. Both are from BLS Employment Projections.

Which requires more education, Advertising Sales Agents or Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers?

Advertising Sales Agents typically requires high school diploma or equivalent. Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers requires no formal educational credential. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Advertising Sales Agents get paid the most?

Washington is the top-paying state for Advertising Sales Agents at $101,320/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Advertising Sales Agents vs. Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In Washington, Advertising Sales Agents earn $101,320 vs. $229,900 for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Advertising Sales Agents salary breakdownView →Full Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers salary breakdownView →Best cities for Advertising Sales Agents by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers by take-home payExplore →How to become a advertising sales agentsGuide →How to become a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineersGuide →