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Salary comparison

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers vs. Animal Caretakers: Who Earns More?

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss out-earn Animal Caretakerss by $193K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2024. Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss land at $226,600 and Animal Caretakerss at $33,470. The education gap is real: airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineer programs typically require no formal educational credential, while animal caretaker programs require high school diploma or equivalent. Top-paying state for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss is Kentucky ($413,070); for Animal Caretakerss it's Washington ($38,400).

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
Animal Caretakers
Median salary
$226,600
$33,470
Hourly rate
$null/hr
$16.09/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$98,560
$24,500
Senior level (90th %)
$0
$46,480
Education required
No formal educational credential
High school diploma or equivalent
U.S. employment
99,300
277,300
Job growth (10-year)
N/A
N/A
Category
Transportation
Personal Care
Top-paying state
Kentucky
Washington

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers median pay.

State
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
Animal Caretakers
Washington
$382,350
$38,400
California
$321,460
$37,200
Illinois
$296,570
$34,440
New York
$290,170
$36,500
Virginia
$279,820
$30,830
Alaska
$226,490
$35,570
Oregon
$214,520
$35,310
Arizona
$198,800
$35,170
Connecticut
$189,630
$36,330
Minnesota
$184,560
$33,790
Maine
$158,190
$36,310
New Mexico
$134,110
$30,720
Utah
$133,230
$31,550
New Hampshire
$96,970
$32,030
Montana
$49,800
$32,290

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

Common questions

Who earns more, Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss or Animal Caretakerss?

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss earn more nationally. The median is $226,600 for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss versus $33,470 for Animal Caretakerss, a difference of $193K. Per BLS OEWS May 2024.

Which has better job growth, Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers or Animal Caretakers?

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, Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers or Animal Caretakers?

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers typically requires no formal educational credential. Animal Caretakers requires high school diploma or equivalent. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss get paid the most?

Kentucky is the top-paying state for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss at $413,070/year, per BLS OEWS May 2024. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers vs. Animal Caretakers pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In Washington, Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss earn $382,350 vs. $38,400 for Animal Caretakerss. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers salary breakdownView →Full Animal Caretakers salary breakdownView →Best cities for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Animal Caretakerss by take-home payExplore →How to become a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineersGuide →How to become a animal caretakersGuide →