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Salary comparison

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

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers out-earn Air Traffic Controllers by $84K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Air Traffic Controllers land at $148,080 and Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers at $232,140. 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 Controllers is Virginia ($191,820); for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers it's Georgia ($618,090).

Air Traffic Controllers
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
Median salary
$148,080
$232,140
Hourly rate
$71.19/hr
$null/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$78,420
$106,710
Senior level (90th %)
$215,610
$463,830
Education required
No formal educational credential
No formal educational credential
U.S. employment
22,510
103,560
Job growth (10-year)
1.2%
3.9%
Category
Transportation
Transportation
Top-paying state
Virginia
Georgia

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
Illinois
$181,560
$293,490
Georgia
$178,420
$618,090
Colorado
$177,380
$307,490
Minnesota
$176,840
$211,470
Texas
$170,080
$215,150
Washington
$162,570
$229,900
California
$160,080
$353,900
Florida
$147,530
$225,020
New York
$144,960
$255,240
Connecticut
$140,940
$199,870
Nevada
$140,920
$192,460
Arizona
$136,800
$227,870
Kentucky
$127,800
$350,950
Alaska
$123,950
$232,140
Michigan
$118,930
$428,570

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

Common questions

Who earns more, Air Traffic Controllers or Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers?

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers earn more nationally. The median is $148,080 for Air Traffic Controllers versus $232,140 for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers, a difference of $84K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Air Traffic Controllers 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 1.2% for the other field. Both are from BLS Employment Projections.

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 Controllers get paid the most?

Virginia is the top-paying state for Air Traffic Controllers at $191,820/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. 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 Illinois, Air Traffic Controllers earn $181,560 vs. $293,490 for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers. 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 Controllers by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers by take-home payExplore →How to become a air traffic controllersGuide →How to become a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineersGuide →