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Pilot vs Ship Captain — how they really differ

Pilot and Ship Captain compared on pay, entry barrier, AI resistance, autonomy, demand and impact — plus peak salary and years to independence.

Two airline pilots at the controls of a modern jet cockpit in flight. Pilot Frontier & Field 73 Overall
VS
A merchant ship's master in uniform on the bridge wing, looking forward over the containers stacked on deck. Ship Captain Frontier & Field 68 Overall

Six-axis profile

72 · 6588 · 6274 · 5545 · 8882 · 7078 · 66
PilotShip Captain
72 Resists AI 65
88 Pay 62
74 Barrier to entry 55
45 Autonomy 88
82 Demand 70
78 Impact 66

Who wins each axis

More AI-resistant Pilot +7
Pays more Pilot +26
Harder to enter Pilot +19
More autonomy Ship Captain +43
Higher demand Pilot +12
Greater impact Pilot +12

Frequently asked questions

Pays more
Pilot — Peak pay: $450k+ vs $215k.
More AI-resistant
Pilot (72 vs 65).
Harder to enter
Pilot.

By the numbers

PilotShip Captain
$450k+Peak pay$215k
4yrsTraining years12yrs
28AI exposure35
Frontier & FieldFieldFrontier & Field

Read each profession

✈️ Pilot

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⚓ Ship Captain

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