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Salary comparison

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

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss out-earn Aircraft Service Attendantss by $185K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2024. Aircraft Service Attendantss land at $41,540 and Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss at $226,600. 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 Attendantss is Tennessee ($55,690); for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss it's Kentucky ($413,070).

Aircraft Service Attendants
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
Median salary
$41,540
$226,600
Hourly rate
$19.97/hr
$null/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$34,320
$98,560
Senior level (90th %)
$55,950
$0
Education required
No formal educational credential
No formal educational credential
U.S. employment
27,310
99,300
Job growth (10-year)
N/A
N/A
Category
Transportation
Transportation
Top-paying state
Tennessee
Kentucky

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
$48,480
$382,350
Alaska
$45,610
$226,490
California
$45,290
$321,460
Oregon
$43,130
$214,520
New York
$41,820
$290,170
Georgia
$41,600
$357,390
Illinois
$40,860
$296,570
Arizona
$39,610
$198,800
Michigan
$39,440
$307,070
Florida
$39,160
$220,350
Ohio
$38,760
$277,580
Virginia
$38,330
$279,820
Kentucky
$37,960
$413,070
Connecticut
$37,850
$189,630
Texas
$37,120
$214,670

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

Common questions

Who earns more, Aircraft Service Attendantss or Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss?

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss earn more nationally. The median is $41,540 for Aircraft Service Attendantss versus $226,600 for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss, a difference of $185K. Per BLS OEWS May 2024.

Which has better job growth, Aircraft Service Attendants 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 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 Attendantss get paid the most?

Tennessee is the top-paying state for Aircraft Service Attendantss at $55,690/year, per BLS OEWS May 2024. 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 Attendantss earn $48,480 vs. $382,350 for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss. 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 Attendantss by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss by take-home payExplore →How to become a aircraft service attendantsGuide →How to become a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineersGuide →