Electrical Engineer vs Pilot Salary
Pilots earn approximately 25.2% more than Electrical Engineers nationally — $134,000 vs $107,000.
Electrical Engineer vs Pilot: salary breakdown
On a national-median basis, Pilots out-earn Electrical Engineers by $27,000 per year — a 25.2% gap. That works out to roughly $2,250/month or $13/hour of difference.
Important context: these are MEDIANS — the middle salary in the country. Real-world variation is wide: entry-level roles in either career may pay 25-35% below median, while senior roles or specialized niches can pay 50-100%+ above. Your specific numbers depend on experience, location, employer, and credentials.
When does the salary gap matter most?
For someone choosing between these careers, the $27,000 annual difference compounds:
- Over 10 years: ~$270,000 in raw salary difference
- Over 40 years: ~$1,080,000 (without raises or compounding)
- With 3% annual raises: the gap typically grows because the higher-paid role's raises are also larger in dollar terms
- With investment compounding: the $27,000/year extra invested at 7% over 40 years grows to roughly $5,373,000 — significantly more than the raw difference
But salary isn't everything. Job satisfaction, work-life balance, growth potential, and career switching costs all matter. A career you can sustain for decades beats a higher-paying one you'll burn out on.
By state and city — significant variation
National medians are starting points. Real salaries vary 30%+ by location:
- Electrical Engineer in California ≈ $126,260 (1.18× national)
- Electrical Engineer in Mississippi ≈ $89,880 (0.84× national)
- Pilot in California ≈ $158,120
- Pilot in Mississippi ≈ $112,560
Use our Electrical Engineer salary by state pages to drill into specific locations.
Other comparisons in Engineering
Other comparisons in Transportation
Related tools
Electrical Engineer salary by state — Pilot salary by state — Best cities for Electrical Engineer — Best cities for Pilot — Paycheck Calculator — Investment Calculator.