National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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Software Engineers earn a national median of $132,270/year vs Pilots at $203,010/year. Pilots earn 53% more nationally. The gap is $70,740 per year — or $5,895 per month.
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Software Engineer
$132,270
national median/year
$11,023/mo • $64/hr
VS
Pilot
$203,010
national median/year
$16,918/mo • $98/hr
Annual salary gap
$70,740
Pilots earn 53% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $801,859.
Best states for Pilots
vs Software Engineers
Alaska+$105,690
Hawaii+$105,690
Maryland+$89,690
Minnesota+$89,690
Virginia+$89,690
Best states for Software Engineers
vs Pilots
Idaho+$-59,690
Alabama+$-63,690
Arkansas+$-63,690
California+$-69,690
Colorado+$-69,690
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Pilots earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Software Engineers is $132,270 versus $203,010 for Pilots — a difference of $70,740 per year or $5,895 per month.
The national median salary gap between Software Engineers and Pilots is $70,740 per year. Pilots earn 53% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $801,859.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Software Engineers the highest median salary at $168,320 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, Software Engineers earn approximately $64 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.
