Commercial Pilots vs Railroad Safety Inspectors
Median pay is about $31k higher for Commercial Pilots. The usual entry education is high school plus license for Commercial Pilots and high school plus experience for Railroad Safety Inspectors.
marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.
| Measure | Commercial Pilots | Railroad Safety Inspectors |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $123,220, higher | $92,100 |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $84,540, higher | $58,780 |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $190,440, higher | $108,890 |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | +5.2% Growing fast, higher | +2.2% Growing |
| Openings a year | 5,200 | 2,300 |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | High school plus license | High school plus experience |
| Difficulty modeled | 4 / 5 | 2.6 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | Low | Moderate |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 37th pct | 41st pct |
Where the skills differ
Only Commercial Pilots
- Active Learning
Only Railroad Safety Inspectors
- Writing
Both lean on monitoring, critical thinking, active listening, reading comprehension, speaking.
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.