Comparing the take-home pay of some of the world's most elite pilots.
On July 9, 2026, the Department of the Air Force ended more than a year of internal debate by confirming the B-21 Raider will fly with two pilots in the cockpit, not a pilot-and-sensor-operator crew or a single aviator backed by autonomy. The decision matters beyond the flight deck. One question that follows is whether flying the Air Force's newest, most expensive bomber means pilots are paid more than other combat aviators.
