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Salary comparison

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

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers out-earn Airfield Operations Specialists by $175K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Airfield Operations Specialists land at $56,850 and Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers at $232,140. 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 Specialists is Kentucky ($123,290); for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers it's Georgia ($618,090).

Airfield Operations Specialists
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
Median salary
$56,850
$232,140
Hourly rate
$27.33/hr
$null/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$35,870
$106,710
Senior level (90th %)
$102,120
$463,830
Education required
No formal educational credential
No formal educational credential
U.S. employment
15,190
103,560
Job growth (10-year)
4.2%
3.9%
Category
Transportation
Transportation
Top-paying state
Kentucky
Georgia

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
Kentucky
$123,290
$350,950
Washington
$84,050
$229,900
Arizona
$77,570
$227,870
Colorado
$77,500
$307,490
Alaska
$71,510
$232,140
Georgia
$66,790
$618,090
California
$62,600
$353,900
Idaho
$62,510
$507,640
Michigan
$61,780
$428,570
Nevada
$61,350
$192,460
Texas
$60,910
$215,150
Utah
$59,780
$174,590
Florida
$57,650
$225,020
Ohio
$57,140
$204,170
New York
$42,000
$255,240

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

Common questions

Who earns more, Airfield Operations Specialists or Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers?

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers earn more nationally. The median is $56,850 for Airfield Operations Specialists versus $232,140 for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers, a difference of $175K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

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

Airfield Operations Specialists has the better 10-year outlook at 4.2% projected growth, compared to 3.9% for the other field. Both are from BLS Employment Projections.

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 Specialists get paid the most?

Kentucky is the top-paying state for Airfield Operations Specialists at $123,290/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. 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 Kentucky, Airfield Operations Specialists earn $123,290 vs. $350,950 for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers. 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 Specialists by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers by take-home payExplore →How to become a airfield operations specialistsGuide →How to become a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineersGuide →