Air Traffic Controller vs Commercial Pilots: $148K vs $123K Median Pay

Air Traffic Controller vs Commercial Pilots: what changes?

Consider Air Traffic Controller if you want to control air traffic on and within vicinity of airport, and movement of air traffic between altitude sectors and control centers, according to established procedures and policies. Consider Commercial Pilots if you would rather pilot and navigate the flight of fixed-wing aircraft on nonscheduled air carrier routes, or helicopters. Entry credentials differ: Air Traffic Controller, associate's degree; Commercial Pilots, postsecondary nondegree award.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Air Traffic Controller and Commercial Pilots. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Air Traffic Controller

National median pay (2025): $148,080
Route into the job: Associate's degree; More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Inform pilots about nearby planes or potentially hazardous conditions, such as weather, speed and direction of wind, or visibility problems.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 2,100

Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (24,000 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Air Traffic Controller brief

Commercial Pilots

National median pay (2025): $123,220
Route into the job: Postsecondary nondegree award; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Check aircraft prior to flights to ensure that the engines, controls, instruments, and other systems are functioning properly.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 5,200

Know before you choose

Review the full career brief for day-to-day working conditions.

See the full Commercial Pilots brief

How the national numbers differ

Commercial Pilots has the edge on projected growth

Commercial Pilots is at 5.2% projected growth, compared with 1.7% projected growth for Air Traffic Controller.

Commercial Pilots has the edge on annual openings

Commercial Pilots is at 5,200 annual openings, compared with 2,100 annual openings for Air Traffic Controller.

Air Traffic Controller has the edge on median pay

Air Traffic Controller is at $148,080, compared with $123,220 for Commercial Pilots.

55.2/ 100

Air Traffic Controller

68.2/ 100

Commercial Pilots

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Air Traffic Controller vs Commercial Pilots

Dimension	Air Traffic Controller	Commercial Pilots
Median pay (2025)	$148,080	$123,220
Pay percentile	94.8 percentile	89.9 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	1.7%	5.2%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	2,100	5,200
2025 employment	24,000	50,400
How you qualify	Associate's degree; More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing	Postsecondary nondegree award; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 3	Job Zone 3
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.	More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Air Traffic Controller brief Read Commercial Pilots brief

Air Traffic Controller vs Commercial Pilots: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Air Traffic Controller

Commercial Pilots

How the national numbers differ

Commercial Pilots has the edge on projected growth

Commercial Pilots has the edge on annual openings

Air Traffic Controller has the edge on median pay

Air Traffic Controller vs Commercial Pilots

Try another comparison

Air Traffic Controller vs Firefighter

Air Traffic Controller vs Physician Assistant

Commercial Pilots vs Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers

Commercial Pilots vs Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels