Air Traffic Controllers vs Commercial Pilots
Median pay is about $25k higher for Air Traffic Controllers. The usual entry education is associate's plus FAA academy for Air Traffic Controllers and high school plus license for Commercial Pilots.
marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.
| Measure | Air Traffic Controllers | Commercial Pilots |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $148,080, higher | $123,220 |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $104,520, higher | $84,540 |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $190,570, higher | $190,440 |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | +1.7% Growing | +5.2% Growing fast, higher |
| Openings a year | 2,100 | 5,200 |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | Associate's plus FAA academy | High school plus license |
| Difficulty modeled | 4 / 5 | 4 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | Low | Low |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 54th pct | 37th pct |
Skills
Both lean on the same top skills: active listening, speaking, critical thinking, monitoring, reading comprehension, active learning.
More comparisons
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Pay and outlook: BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills: O*NET 30.3. Difficulty, displacement risk and AI exposure are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.