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Salary comparison

Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors vs. Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers: Who Earns More?

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss out-earn Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisorss by $163K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2024. Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisorss land at $63,940 and Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss at $226,600. The education gap is real: aircraft cargo handling supervisor programs typically require no formal educational credential, while airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineer programs require no formal educational credential. Top-paying state for Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisorss is Virginia ($89,210); for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss it's Kentucky ($413,070).

Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
Median salary
$63,940
$226,600
Hourly rate
$30.74/hr
$null/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$38,010
$98,560
Senior level (90th %)
$96,300
$0
Education required
No formal educational credential
No formal educational credential
U.S. employment
10,160
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 Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors median pay.

State
Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
Virginia
$89,210
$279,820
Georgia
$79,400
$357,390
Ohio
$79,300
$277,580
Arizona
$74,230
$198,800
Connecticut
$71,760
$189,630
Michigan
$71,250
$307,070
Florida
$68,250
$220,350
California
$66,840
$321,460
Texas
$65,850
$214,670
New York
$63,770
$290,170
Alaska
$60,750
$226,490
Washington
$60,510
$382,350
Oregon
$58,470
$214,520
Illinois
$57,610
$296,570
Kentucky
$34,150
$413,070

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

Common questions

Who earns more, Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisorss or Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss?

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss earn more nationally. The median is $63,940 for Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisorss versus $226,600 for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss, a difference of $163K. Per BLS OEWS May 2024.

Which has better job growth, Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors 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, Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors or Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers?

Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors 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 Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisorss get paid the most?

Virginia is the top-paying state for Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisorss at $89,210/year, per BLS OEWS May 2024. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors vs. Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In Virginia, Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisorss earn $89,210 vs. $279,820 for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors salary breakdownView →Full Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers salary breakdownView →Best cities for Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisorss by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss by take-home payExplore →How to become a aircraft cargo handling supervisorsGuide →How to become a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineersGuide →