Why Pilots Earn More Than Truck Drivers: The Economics of Skill and Value In a country like India, where truck drivers toil day and night to keep the economy moving, it feels unfair that pilots earn exponentially more. After all, truck drivers face sleepless nights, dangerous highways, and exhausting journeys while pilots often fly in comfort, with rest schedules and air-conditioned cabins. Yet the pay gap between them is massive. Why is this so? The answer lies not in who works harder, but in how the economy values skill, scarcity, and responsibility. 1. Skill and Training Investment Becoming a pilot is an expensive and highly regulated journey. Commercial pilot training costs anywhere between ₹40–70 lakhs and requires rigorous certifications, constant exams, and medical checks. A truck driver, on the other hand, can be trained at a fraction of that cost. The difference in entry barrier and specialized expertise makes pilots rarer in the job market, while truck drivers a...