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Salary comparison

Airfield Operations Specialists vs. Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers: Who Earns More?

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss out-earn Airfield Operations Specialistss by $170K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2024. Airfield Operations Specialistss land at $56,750 and Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss at $226,600. The education gap is real: airfield operations specialist programs typically require no formal educational credential, while airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineer programs require no formal educational credential. Top-paying state for Airfield Operations Specialistss is Washington ($82,540); for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss it's Kentucky ($413,070).

Airfield Operations Specialists
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
Median salary
$56,750
$226,600
Hourly rate
$27.28/hr
$null/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$35,200
$98,560
Senior level (90th %)
$111,030
$0
Education required
No formal educational credential
No formal educational credential
U.S. employment
16,640
99,300
Job growth (10-year)
N/A
N/A
Category
Transportation
Transportation
Top-paying state
Washington
Kentucky

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Airfield Operations Specialists median pay.

State
Airfield Operations Specialists
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
Washington
$82,540
$382,350
Arizona
$80,260
$198,800
Texas
$77,460
$214,670
Oregon
$75,710
$214,520
Alaska
$66,250
$226,490
Florida
$62,600
$220,350
California
$61,100
$321,460
Michigan
$60,990
$307,070
Nevada
$60,250
$180,600
Pennsylvania
$59,480
$172,710
Ohio
$56,750
$277,580
Georgia
$46,670
$357,390
Indiana
$43,420
$171,050
New York
$40,980
$290,170
Virginia
$39,860
$279,820

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

Common questions

Who earns more, Airfield Operations Specialistss or Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss?

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss earn more nationally. The median is $56,750 for Airfield Operations Specialistss versus $226,600 for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss, a difference of $170K. Per BLS OEWS May 2024.

Which has better job growth, Airfield Operations Specialists 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, Airfield Operations Specialists or Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers?

Airfield Operations Specialists 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 Airfield Operations Specialistss get paid the most?

Washington is the top-paying state for Airfield Operations Specialistss at $82,540/year, per BLS OEWS May 2024. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Airfield Operations Specialists vs. Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In Washington, Airfield Operations Specialistss earn $82,540 vs. $382,350 for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Airfield Operations Specialists salary breakdownView →Full Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers salary breakdownView →Best cities for Airfield Operations Specialistss by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss by take-home payExplore →How to become a airfield operations specialistsGuide →How to become a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineersGuide →