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Pilot Pay Differentials: Cargo vs Passenger Airlines
WHY IT MATTERS
Pilots seeking high-paying jobs in the US have several options, including top passenger airlines and cargo carriers like FedEx Express and UPS Airlines.
What happened
In the US, top airlines like American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines offer high salaries to pilots. However, two other companies, FedEx Express and UPS Airlines, are also highly desirable to pilots. These cargo airlines pay their pilots competitive salaries, rivaling those of passenger airlines.
The largest carriers in the US, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines, pay their pilots more than any other airline in the country. The top companies that most airline pilots want to work for in the US are these three passenger airlines, as well as FedEx Express and UPS Airlines.
These airlines are highly sought after by pilots due to their competitive pay and desirable work environments. The salaries of pilots at these airlines are among the highest in the world, making them attractive options for those in the profession.
PRIMARY SOURCES
The Differences In Pilot Pay Between Cargo & Passenger Airlines
Simple Flying · Daniel S Osipov · Discovery only; publisher copyright terms apply
CORRECTIONS & UPDATES
- Revision 1 · Initial ingestion · Sep 13, 2026, 4:15 AM
- Revision 2 · Source update detected · Sep 13, 2026, 4:15 AM