2026 comparison
Commercial Pilot vs Civil Engineer salary in South Africa
Higher paying career: Commercial Pilot. Approximate monthly difference: R65 000.
Entry, mid, senior pay, demand, difficulty and long-term career upside.
Commercial Pilot
Medium demand · Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL)
EntryR35 000
MidR95 000
SeniorR160 000
Top 20%R250 000
Civil Engineer
High demand · BEng / BSc Civil Engineering
EntryR28 000
MidR60 000
SeniorR95 000
Top 20%R140 000
Salary breakdown
Entry
R35 000
R28 000
Mid
R95 000
R60 000
Senior
R160 000
R95 000
Top 20%
R250 000
R140 000
Demand
Commercial Pilot6/10
Civil Engineer8/10
Difficulty
Commercial Pilot9/10
Civil Engineer8/10
Salary difference
+R65 000
Compare the Commercial Pilot salary in South Africa with how much Civil Engineers earn at senior level.
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Higher paying career: Commercial Pilot. The senior-level gap is about R65 000 per month, based on R160 000 for Commercial Pilot compared with R95 000 for Civil Engineer.
Career alternatives
Higher earning
Commercial Pilot
Easier entry
Civil Engineer
Better long-term
Commercial Pilot
Skills / requirements
Instrument Rating
Commercial Pilot needs this
Less central
Multi-engine rating
Commercial Pilot needs this
Less central
ATPL theory
Commercial Pilot needs this
Less central
Crew Resource Management
Commercial Pilot needs this
Less central
AutoCAD / Civil 3D
Less central
Civil Engineer needs this
Structural analysis
Less central
Civil Engineer needs this
Career progression
Commercial Pilot
Flight InstructorR35 000
First Officer (regional)R70 000
First Officer (airline)R110 000
CaptainR180 000
Civil Engineer
Candidate EngineerR32 000
EngineerR55 000
Senior Engineer (Pr.Eng)R90 000
Project ManagerR115 000
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