National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Pilots earn a national median of $203,010/year vs Operations Managers at $107,580/year. Pilots earn 47% more nationally. The gap is $95,430 per year — or $7,953 per month.
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Pilot
$203,010
national median/year
$16,918/mo • $98/hr
VS
Operations Manager
$107,580
national median/year
$8,965/mo • $52/hr
Annual salary gap
$95,430
Pilots earn 47% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $1,081,727.
Best states for Operations Managers
vs Pilots
Arkansas+$-75,430
West Virginia+$-75,430
Alabama+$-77,430
Mississippi+$-77,430
New Mexico+$-77,430
Best states for Pilots
vs Operations Managers
Alaska+$121,430
Hawaii+$115,430
California+$99,430
Illinois+$99,430
Florida+$97,430
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Pilots earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Pilots is $203,010 versus $107,580 for Operations Managers — a difference of $95,430 per year or $7,953 per month.
The national median salary gap between Pilots and Operations Managers is $95,430 per year. Pilots earn 47% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $1,081,727.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Pilots the highest median salary at $238,010 per year.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Operations Managers the highest median salary at $138,580 per year.
Salary is one factor — Pilots earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Airline and Commercial Pilots and General and Operations Managers 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, Pilots earn approximately $98 per hour nationally and Operations Managers earn approximately $52 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.
