Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers vs Locomotive Engineers: $232K vs $81K Median Pay

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers vs Locomotive Engineers: what changes?

Consider Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers if you want to pilot and navigate the flight of fixed-wing aircraft, usually on scheduled air carrier routes, for the transport of passengers and cargo. Consider Locomotive Engineers if you would rather drive electric, diesel-electric, steam, or gas-turbine-electric locomotives to transport passengers or freight. Entry credentials differ: Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers, bachelor's degree; Locomotive Engineers, high school diploma or equivalent. Prior experience in a related occupation is typically needed for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers (less than 5 years) and Locomotive Engineers (less than 5 years).

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers and Locomotive Engineers. 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

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers

National median pay (2025): $232,140
Route into the job: Bachelor's degree; Prior related experience: less than 5 years; 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: Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
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: Use instrumentation to guide flights when visibility is poor.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 11,200

Know before you choose

BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

See the full Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers brief

Locomotive Engineers

National median pay (2025): $81,410
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: less than 5 years; 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: Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
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: Interpret train orders, signals, or railroad rules and regulations that govern the operation of locomotives.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 2,000

Know before you choose

BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

See the full Locomotive Engineers brief

How the national numbers differ

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers has the edge on projected growth

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers is at 8.3% projected growth, compared with 0.5% projected growth for Locomotive Engineers.

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers has the edge on annual openings

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers is at 11,200 annual openings, compared with 2,000 annual openings for Locomotive Engineers.

Typical preparation differs.

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers: Bachelor's degree; Prior related experience: less than 5 years; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing Locomotive Engineers: High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: less than 5 years; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing Preparation categories do not establish admission difficulty, calendar time, tuition, time without earnings, or licensing difficulty.

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers has the edge on median pay

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers is at $232,140, compared with $81,410 for Locomotive Engineers.

75.3/ 100

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers

51.4/ 100

Locomotive Engineers

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

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers vs Locomotive Engineers

Dimension	Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers	Locomotive Engineers
Median pay (2025)	$232,140	$81,410
Pay percentile	97.7 percentile	74 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	8.3%	0.5%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	11,200	2,000
2025 employment	104,600	27,400
How you qualify	Bachelor's degree; Prior related experience: less than 5 years; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing	High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: less than 5 years; 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 4	Job Zone 2
Related work experience	Prior related experience: less than 5 years.	Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
On-the-job training	More than one month and up to 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 Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers brief Read Locomotive Engineers brief

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers vs Locomotive Engineers: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers

Locomotive Engineers

How the national numbers differ

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers has the edge on projected growth

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers has the edge on annual openings

Typical preparation differs.

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers has the edge on median pay

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers vs Locomotive Engineers

Try another comparison

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers vs Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers vs Crane and Tower Operators

Locomotive Engineers vs Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters

Locomotive Engineers vs Crane and Tower Operators