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Salary comparison

Aircraft Service Attendants vs. Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers: Who Earns More?

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers out-earn Aircraft Service Attendants by $192K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Aircraft Service Attendants land at $40,450 and Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers at $232,140. The education gap is real: aircraft service attendant 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 Service Attendants is Maryland ($71,740); for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers it's Georgia ($618,090).

Aircraft Service Attendants
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
Median salary
$40,450
$232,140
Hourly rate
$19.45/hr
$null/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$33,830
$106,710
Senior level (90th %)
$57,610
$463,830
Education required
No formal educational credential
No formal educational credential
U.S. employment
31,300
103,560
Job growth (10-year)
5.1%
3.9%
Category
Transportation
Transportation
Top-paying state
Maryland
Georgia

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Aircraft Service Attendants median pay.

State
Aircraft Service Attendants
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
Washington
$50,520
$229,900
Minnesota
$46,930
$211,470
California
$46,800
$353,900
Alaska
$46,760
$232,140
New York
$44,600
$255,240
Colorado
$44,500
$307,490
Arizona
$43,780
$227,870
Ohio
$43,310
$204,170
Georgia
$42,630
$618,090
Michigan
$41,360
$428,570
Idaho
$40,250
$507,640
Illinois
$39,070
$293,490
Kentucky
$38,850
$350,950
Texas
$38,720
$215,150
Florida
$38,400
$225,020

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

Common questions

Who earns more, Aircraft Service Attendants or Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers?

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers earn more nationally. The median is $40,450 for Aircraft Service Attendants versus $232,140 for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers, a difference of $192K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Aircraft Service Attendants or Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers?

Aircraft Service Attendants has the better 10-year outlook at 5.1% projected growth, compared to 3.9% for the other field. Both are from BLS Employment Projections.

Which requires more education, Aircraft Service Attendants or Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers?

Aircraft Service Attendants 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 Service Attendants get paid the most?

Maryland is the top-paying state for Aircraft Service Attendants at $71,740/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Aircraft Service Attendants vs. Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In Washington, Aircraft Service Attendants earn $50,520 vs. $229,900 for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Aircraft Service Attendants salary breakdownView →Full Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers salary breakdownView →Best cities for Aircraft Service Attendants by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers by take-home payExplore →How to become a aircraft service attendantsGuide →How to become a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineersGuide →