Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers vs Cardiologists

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

Nearby titles when weighing Cardiologists 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 Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
  2. 2. Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors · near Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
  3. 3. Aircraft Service Attendants · near Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
  4. 4. Airfield Operations Specialists · near Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
  5. 5. Ambulance Drivers and Attendants, Except Emergency Medical Technicians · near Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
  6. 6. Acupuncturists · near Cardiologists
  7. 7. Anesthesiologists · near Cardiologists
  8. 8. Athletic Trainers · near Cardiologists
  9. 9. Audiologists · near Cardiologists
  10. 10. Cardiovascular Technologists and Technicians · near Cardiologists

Day-to-day work behind the Cardiologists pay lead

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

  • 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)
  • Administer emergency cardiac care for life-threatening heart problems, such as cardiac arrest and heart attack. · Cardiologists (SOC 29-1212)
  • Advise patients and community members concerning diet, activity, hygiene, or disease prevention. · Cardiologists (SOC 29-1212)
  • Answer questions that patients have about their health and well-being. · Cardiologists (SOC 29-1212)
  • Calculate valve areas from blood flow velocity measurements. · Cardiologists (SOC 29-1212)

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers

$232,140

median annual salary

Cardiologists

$496,010

median annual salary

Cardiologists earns $263,870 more per year (53% higher)

The distinctive signal in this pair is the national median gap: Cardiologists (SOC 29-1212) sits $263,870/year (53%) above Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers. 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: Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers +3.9% vs Cardiologists +4.1% through 2034 · openings 11,700 vs 600/yr.

Pay stack: Cardiologists vs Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers

Signal Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers Cardiologists
Cardiologists median annual vs peer $232,140 $496,010
90th-percentile annual · Cardiologists band $463,830 $712,130
10th-percentile annual · Airline band $106,710 $107,190
OEWS median hourly · Airline Pilots N/A $238.47/hr
OEWS mean annual · Cardiologists $288,650 $454,940
OEWS total employment · 53-0000 103,560 17,290
Job growth 2024-2034 · Airline Pilots +3.9% +4.1%
Annual openings · Cardiologists side 11,700 600
BLS typical education · Airline Pilots Bachelor's degree Doctoral or professional degree
Related experience · Cardiologists Less than 5 years None

Salary by State

Dual-state rows ordered by absolute median gap between Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers and Cardiologists.

State Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers Cardiologists Difference
Missouri $97,680 $648,070 $-550,390
Nebraska $131,650 $646,300 $-514,650
Tennessee $143,580 $610,080 $-466,500
Washington $229,900 $656,330 $-426,430
Indiana $171,260 $588,890 $-417,630
Pennsylvania $164,990 $579,120 $-414,130
Alabama $136,990 $519,480 $-382,490
Ohio $204,170 $504,260 $-300,090
Connecticut $199,870 $488,940 $-289,070
New York $255,240 $492,040 $-236,800
Rhode Island $164,880 $395,610 $-230,730
Illinois $293,490 $517,850 $-224,360
Kentucky $350,950 $558,180 $-207,230
Texas $215,150 $410,150 $-195,000
Florida $225,020 $414,910 $-189,890
California $353,900 $185,610 +$168,290
Iowa $131,730 $283,070 $-151,340
Michigan $428,570 $419,030 +$9,540
Georgia $618,090 $610,070 +$8,020

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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, Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers or Cardiologists?
Cardiologists pays more, with a median annual salary of $496,010 compared to $232,140 - a difference of $263,870 per year.
Which has better job outlook?
Cardiologists has faster projected growth at 4.1% from 2024 to 2034, compared to 3.9% for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers.
Where is the Cardiologists pay lead widest?
State rows above are sorted by absolute OEWS median gap so the widest Cardiologists leads over Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers surface first. National gap: $263,870/year (53%).

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

Related

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.