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Salary comparison

Air Traffic Controllers vs. Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers: Who Earns More?

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss out-earn Air Traffic Controllerss by $82K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2024. Air Traffic Controllerss land at $144,580 and Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss at $226,600. The education gap is real: air traffic controller programs typically require no formal educational credential, while airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineer programs require no formal educational credential. Top-paying state for Air Traffic Controllerss is Virginia ($185,890); for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss it's Kentucky ($413,070).

Air Traffic Controllers
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
Median salary
$144,580
$226,600
Hourly rate
$69.51/hr
$null/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$76,090
$98,560
Senior level (90th %)
$210,410
$0
Education required
No formal educational credential
No formal educational credential
U.S. employment
22,400
99,300
Job growth (10-year)
N/A
N/A
Category
Transportation
Transportation
Top-paying state
Virginia
Kentucky

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Air Traffic Controllers median pay.

State
Air Traffic Controllers
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
Virginia
$185,890
$279,820
Minnesota
$176,030
$184,560
Illinois
$175,090
$296,570
Georgia
$174,600
$357,390
Texas
$167,710
$214,670
Washington
$164,070
$382,350
California
$152,010
$321,460
Florida
$144,710
$220,350
New York
$142,190
$290,170
Arizona
$130,960
$198,800
Kentucky
$126,550
$413,070
Connecticut
$121,910
$189,630
Alaska
$120,370
$226,490
Michigan
$113,650
$307,070
Oregon
$113,030
$214,520

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

Common questions

Who earns more, Air Traffic Controllerss or Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss?

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss earn more nationally. The median is $144,580 for Air Traffic Controllerss versus $226,600 for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss, a difference of $82K. Per BLS OEWS May 2024.

Which has better job growth, Air Traffic Controllers 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, Air Traffic Controllers or Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers?

Air Traffic Controllers typically requires no formal educational credential. Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers requires no formal educational credential. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Air Traffic Controllerss get paid the most?

Virginia is the top-paying state for Air Traffic Controllerss at $185,890/year, per BLS OEWS May 2024. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Air Traffic Controllers vs. Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In Virginia, Air Traffic Controllerss earn $185,890 vs. $279,820 for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Air Traffic Controllers salary breakdownView →Full Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers salary breakdownView →Best cities for Air Traffic Controllerss by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss by take-home payExplore →How to become a air traffic controllersGuide →How to become a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineersGuide →