National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Cloud Engineers earn a national median of $138,000/year vs Pilots at $203,010/year. Pilots earn 47% more nationally. The gap is $65,010 per year — or $5,418 per month.
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Cloud Engineer
$138,000
national median/year
$11,500/mo • $66/hr
VS
Pilot
$203,010
national median/year
$16,918/mo • $98/hr
Annual salary gap
$65,010
Pilots earn 47% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $736,907.
Best states for Pilots
vs Cloud Engineers
Alaska+$98,010
Hawaii+$94,010
Illinois+$72,010
Minnesota+$72,010
Connecticut+$70,010
Best states for Cloud Engineers
vs Pilots
Arkansas+$-52,010
Idaho+$-52,010
Alabama+$-54,010
New Mexico+$-54,010
Nebraska+$-56,010
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Pilots earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Cloud Engineers is $138,000 versus $203,010 for Pilots — a difference of $65,010 per year or $5,418 per month.
The national median salary gap between Cloud Engineers and Pilots is $65,010 per year. Pilots earn 47% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $736,907.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Cloud Engineers the highest median salary at $178,000 per year.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Pilots the highest median salary at $238,010 per year.
Salary is one factor — Pilots earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Airline and Commercial Pilots both have different educational paths, licensing requirements, and long-term growth projections. Use salary as a starting point, not the only factor.
Based on a standard 2,080-hour work year, Cloud Engineers earn approximately $66 per hour nationally and Pilots earn approximately $98 per hour. Actual hourly rates vary based on overtime, part-time work, and whether the role is salaried or hourly.
Methodology: Salary data from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 2024-2025. Figures represent median annual wages for wage and salary workers. Self-employed excluded. Hourly rates calculated at 2,080 hours per year. State salary figures from same BLS OES dataset. Updated annually.
