Railroad Conductors vs Commercial Pilots
Median pay is about $45k higher for Commercial Pilots. The usual entry education is high school for Railroad Conductors 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 | Railroad Conductors | Commercial Pilots |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $78,000 | $123,220, higher |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $65,610 | $84,540, higher |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $83,820 | $190,440, higher |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | +0.9% Stable | +5.2% Growing fast, higher |
| Openings a year | 3,000 | 5,200 |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | High school | High school plus license |
| Difficulty modeled | 2.6 / 5 | 4 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | High | Low |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 59th pct | 37th pct |
Where the skills differ
Only Railroad Conductors
- Writing
Only Commercial Pilots
- Active Learning
Both lean on speaking, monitoring, critical thinking, active listening, reading comprehension.
More comparisons
Compare Railroad Conductors with
Compare Commercial Pilots with
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.