Commercial Pilot vs Airline Pilot: pay, outlook, education and work, side by side.
Every row comes from one named source and says which career leads on that one dimension. There is no overall score.
Commercial Pilot vs Airline Pilot: BLS classifies them as different occupations (SOC 53-2012 and 53-2011). The national median annual wage is $123,220 for commercial pilots and $232,140 for airline pilots (BLS, May 2025). BLS projects national employment to change +5.2% for commercial pilots and +8.3% for airline pilots from 2025 to 2035. Typical entry-level education: Postsecondary nondegree award vs Bachelor's degree. Which fits better depends on what you value; the table shows who leads on each dimension, with no overall winner.
Side by side
Data Differences smaller than a stated threshold read “About the same” (pay 5%, growth 2 points, openings 10%, one education level, ORS 10 points, O*NET 0.2).
Pick what matters to you; the matching rows are highlighted. Nothing is combined into a score.
| Dimension · source | Commercial PilotSOC 53-2012 | Airline PilotSOC 53-2011 | Leads on this dimension |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual wageBLS OEWS, May 2025 (national) | $123,220 | $232,140 | Airline Pilot |
| EmploymentBLS OEWS, May 2025 | 47,630 | 103,560 | Not ranked |
| Projected employment change, 2025–35BLS Employment Projections (national) | +5.2% | +8.3% | Airline Pilot |
| Projected numeric change in jobs, 2025–35BLS Employment Projections (national) · A count, not a rate: it scales with the size of the occupation. | +2,600 jobs | +8,700 jobs | Not ranked |
| Projected openings (annual average)BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35 | 5,200 a year | 11,200 a year | Airline Pilot |
| Typical entry-level educationBLS Employment Projections · typical, not a legal requirement | Postsecondary nondegree award | Bachelor's degree | Commercial Pilot |
| Typical work experience in a related occupationBLS Employment Projections | None | Less than 5 years | Commercial Pilot |
| Typical on-the-job trainingBLS Employment Projections | Moderate-term on-the-job training | Moderate-term on-the-job training | Not ranked |
| Pressure level (O*NET, 1–5; lower = less)O*NET® 31.0 work context | 3.33 | 3.88 | Commercial Pilot |
| Social-contact level (O*NET, 1–5)O*NET® 31.0 work context · not ranked: neither direction is better | 4.12 | 4.20 | Not ranked |
| Freedom to make decisions (O*NET, 1–5)O*NET® 31.0 work context | 4.81 | 4.33 | Commercial Pilot |
| Work styles O*NET rates most importantO*NET® 31.0 work styles (occupation ratings, not a personality test) | Cautiousness, Self-Control, Dependability | Attention to Detail, Cautiousness, Self-Control | Not ranked |
Choose based on what matters to you
Data Each line restates a measured difference from the table; nothing here predicts how you will feel about a job.
- a shorter typical education path matters (Postsecondary nondegree award vs Bachelor's degree)
- starting without related work experience matters (None vs Less than 5 years)
- a lower-pressure work environment matters (3.33 vs 3.88)
- more decision-making freedom matters (4.81 vs 4.33)
- higher median pay matters most ($232,140 vs $123,220)
- faster projected national growth matters (+8.3% vs +5.2%)
Which skills each one leans on
Data O*NET 31.0 skill ratings: level (0–7) and importance.
Skill-profile match: 96% (similarity of the two O*NET skill profiles, importance × level; 100% = identical).
- Repairing (+1.1 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Equipment Selection (+0.9 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Persuasion (+0.4 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Learning Strategies (+0.4 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Operations Analysis (+1.0 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Time Management (+0.9 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Management of Material Resources (+0.8 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
- Instructing (+0.6 on O*NET's 0–7 skill-level scale)
What each career involves
Data Core tasks from O*NET 31.0.
Commercial Pilot
- Check aircraft prior to flights to ensure that the engines, controls, instruments, and other systems are functioning properly.
- Co-pilot aircraft or perform captain's duties, as required.
- Consider airport altitudes, outside temperatures, plane weights, and wind speeds and directions to calculate the speed needed to become airborne.
- Use instrumentation to pilot aircraft when visibility is poor.
Airline Pilot
- Use instrumentation to guide flights when visibility is poor.
- Start engines, operate controls, and pilot airplanes to transport passengers, mail, or freight, adhering to flight plans, regulations, and procedures.
- Work as part of a flight team with other crew members, especially during takeoffs and landings.
- Respond to and report in-flight emergencies and malfunctions.
Largest employing industries
Data Share of all jobs in each occupation, BLS Employment Matrix 2025.
Commercial Pilot
- Air transportation (39.5% of all jobs in this occupation)
- Educational services; state, local, and private (12.7% of all jobs in this occupation)
- Ambulatory healthcare services (10.3% of all jobs in this occupation)
Airline Pilot
- Air transportation (88.0% of all jobs in this occupation)
- Couriers and messengers (5.3% of all jobs in this occupation)
- Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals (2.8% of all jobs in this occupation)
Moving between these careers
Data The comparison shows which; the career-change guides show how.
- Commercial Pilot → Airline Pilot: skills to build: Operations Analysis, Time Management, Management of Material Resources.
- Airline Pilot → Commercial Pilot: skills to build: Repairing, Equipment Selection.
Go deeper
Commercial Pilot career hub · Commercial Pilot salary · Commercial Pilot how to become
Common questions
Which pays more, Commercial Pilot or Airline Pilot?
Which is growing faster?
Which is better?
How this page is built
BLS classifies them as different occupations (SOC 53-2012 and 53-2011). Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025 national median for each occupation's SOC code. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 (growth, numeric change and annual openings are separate metrics). Requirements rows: 2025 preliminary BLS Occupational Requirements Survey, shown only when both roles have detailed-occupation estimates. Work environment: O*NET 31.0 work context. This page includes information from the O*NET® 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. TryHired has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Searches this page answers include “commercial pilot vs airline pilot”, “airline pilot vs commercial pilot”, “commercial pilot vs airline pilot salary” (Ahrefs, U.S.).
- Any one employer's pay, schedule or culture.
- Job security, ease of hiring or work-life balance: these are not measured here.
- Which career you will prefer: the rows describe the occupations, not you.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program, 2025–35 national projections (growth, openings, typical entry-level education and experience).
- O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Requirements Survey, 2025 estimates (preliminary: two of the third wave's samples, collected August 2023 to July 2025; released January 16, 2026), public domain.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program, 2025–35 National Employment Matrix (all jobs, including self-employed).