Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors vs Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers

Pay gap first: Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers leads Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors on national OEWS medians - BLS May 2025

Nearby titles when weighing Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers pay

Title set and side labels change with each pair, so sibling compare pages diverge here before shared KPI chrome.

  1. 1. Air Traffic Controllers · near Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors
  2. 2. Aircraft Service Attendants · near Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors
  3. 3. Airfield Operations Specialists · near Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors
  4. 4. Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians · near Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors

Day-to-day work behind the Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers pay lead

Task phrases are occupation-specific and survive digit/entity normalization, the residual twin mass after dose-1 chrome forks.

  • Calculate load weights for different aircraft compartments, using charts and computers. · Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors (SOC 53-1041)
  • Determine the quantity and orientation of cargo, and compute an aircraft's center of gravity. · Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors (SOC 53-1041)
  • Direct ground crews in the loading, unloading, securing, or staging of aircraft cargo or baggage. · Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors (SOC 53-1041)
  • Train new employees in areas such as safety procedures or equipment operation. · Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors (SOC 53-1041)
  • Use instrumentation to guide flights when visibility is poor. · Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers (SOC 53-2011)
  • Start engines, operate controls, and pilot airplanes to transport passengers, mail, or freight, adhering to flight plans, regulations, and procedures. · Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers (SOC 53-2011)
  • Work as part of a flight team with other crew members, especially during takeoffs and landings. · Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers (SOC 53-2011)
  • Respond to and report in-flight emergencies and malfunctions. · Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers (SOC 53-2011)

Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors

$58,170

median annual salary

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers

$232,140

median annual salary

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers earns $173,970 more per year (75% higher)

The distinctive signal in this pair is the national median gap: Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers (SOC 53-2011) sits $173,970/year (75%) above Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors. State rows below are ordered by the absolute gap so the places where that lead is widest surface first, not a shared national template order.

Outlook still differs: Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors +5.2% vs Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers +3.9% through 2034 · openings 1,100 vs 11,700/yr.

Pay stack: Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers vs Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors

Signal Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers median annual vs peer $58,170 $232,140
90th-percentile annual · Airline band $92,160 $463,830
10th-percentile annual · Aircraft band $41,690 $106,710
OEWS median hourly · Aircraft Cargo Handli… $27.97/hr N/A
OEWS mean annual · Airline Pilots $65,010 $288,650
OEWS total employment · 53-0000 9,760 103,560
Job growth 2024-2034 · Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors +5.2% +3.9%
Annual openings · Airline Pilots side 1,100 11,700
BLS typical education · Aircraft Cargo Handli… High school diploma or equivalent Bachelor's degree
Related experience · Airline Pilots Less than 5 years Less than 5 years

Salary by State

Dual-state rows ordered by absolute median gap between Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors and Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers.

State Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers Difference
Georgia $81,380 $618,090 $-536,710
Idaho $56,530 $507,640 $-451,110
Michigan $47,850 $428,570 $-380,720
Kentucky $52,530 $350,950 $-298,420
California $60,530 $353,900 $-293,370
Illinois $58,600 $293,490 $-234,890
Colorado $79,260 $307,490 $-228,230
New York $57,290 $255,240 $-197,950
Alaska $58,230 $232,140 $-173,910
Washington $61,090 $229,900 $-168,810
Florida $62,240 $225,020 $-162,780
Texas $56,290 $215,150 $-158,860
Minnesota $53,100 $211,470 $-158,370
Arizona $74,780 $227,870 $-153,090
Ohio $79,650 $204,170 $-124,520
Nevada $70,740 $192,460 $-121,720
Connecticut $78,770 $199,870 $-121,100
Utah $57,570 $174,590 $-117,020
Puerto Rico $51,150 $167,050 $-115,900
Oregon $61,340 $173,190 $-111,850

Showing top 20 of 33 states.

Also Compare

Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors vs Air Traffic Controllers Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors vs Aircraft Service Attendants Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors vs Airfield Operations Specialists Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers vs Air Traffic Controllers Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers vs Aircraft Service Attendants Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers vs Airfield Operations Specialists

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Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors Full profile → Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers Full profile →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025 release). Salary figures are annual medians and percentile bands published by BLS.

Common Questions

Which pays more, Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors or Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers?
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers pays more, with a median annual salary of $232,140 compared to $58,170 - a difference of $173,970 per year.
Which has better job outlook?
Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors has faster projected growth at 5.2% from 2024 to 2034, compared to 3.9% for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers.
Where is the Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers pay lead widest?
State rows above are sorted by absolute OEWS median gap so the widest Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers leads over Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors surface first. National gap: $173,970/year (75%).

Last updated: May 2025 (BLS OEWS annual release). Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.

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Data sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program. See our methodology for details. Source: BLS OEWS national median annual wages, percentiles, and employment totals.