Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Georgia$476,310
- Idaho$361,180
- Michigan$330,480
- Illinois$316,140
- California$310,190
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Missouri$110,610
- New Mexico$141,570
- Tennessee$142,700
- Oklahoma$144,000
- Louisiana$144,220
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia | $476,310 | $618,090 | $229 | +65% | 8,770 |
| 2 | Idaho | $361,180 | $507,640 | $174 | +25.1% | 330 |
| 3 | Michigan | $330,480 | $428,570 | $159 | +14.5% | — |
| 4 | Illinois | $316,140 | $293,490 | $152 | +9.5% | 6,460 |
| 5 | California | $310,190 | $353,900 | $149 | +7.5% | 10,670 |
| 6 | Kentucky | $302,340 | $350,950 | $145 | +4.7% | 6,260 |
| 7 | Washington | $298,560 | $229,900 | $144 | +3.4% | 3,450 |
| 8 | New York | $298,260 | $255,240 | $143 | +3.3% | 6,900 |
| 9 | Colorado | $290,850 | $307,490 | $140 | +0.8% | 5,830 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $282,160 | $199,870 | $136 | -2.2% | 80 |
| 11 | Texas | $275,710 | $215,150 | $133 | -4.5% | 10,930 |
| 12 | Minnesota | $256,750 | $211,470 | $123 | -11.1% | 2,960 |
| 13 | Florida | $254,420 | $225,020 | $122 | -11.9% | 7,760 |
| 14 | Alaska | $249,460 | $232,140 | $120 | -13.6% | 1,350 |
| 15 | Arizona | $236,550 | $227,870 | $114 | -18% | 2,200 |
| 16 | Ohio | $222,540 | $204,170 | $107 | -22.9% | 1,550 |
| 17 | Utah | $214,140 | $174,590 | $103 | -25.8% | 1,880 |
| 18 | Oregon | $209,040 | $173,190 | $101 | -27.6% | 750 |
| 19 | Nevada | $204,470 | $192,460 | $98 | -29.2% | 2,160 |
| 20 | Indiana | $200,950 | $171,260 | $97 | -30.4% | — |
| 21 | Maine | $195,680 | $147,930 | $94 | -32.2% | 40 |
| 22 | Rhode Island | $186,560 | $164,880 | $90 | -35.4% | 40 |
| 23 | Pennsylvania | $172,500 | $164,990 | $83 | -40.2% | 2,270 |
| 24 | Kansas | $163,070 | $143,580 | $78 | -43.5% | 80 |
| 25 | Nebraska | $156,450 | $131,650 | $75 | -45.8% | 60 |
| 26 | Alabama | $155,520 | $136,990 | $75 | -46.1% | 360 |
| 27 | Arkansas | $152,980 | $168,970 | $74 | -47% | 250 |
| 28 | Mississippi | $151,890 | $143,580 | $73 | -47.4% | 360 |
| 29 | New Hampshire | $151,790 | $99,280 | $73 | -47.4% | 50 |
| 30 | South Carolina | $150,970 | $143,580 | $73 | -47.7% | 110 |
| 31 | North Carolina | $148,500 | $151,540 | $71 | -48.6% | 2,240 |
| 32 | Iowa | $144,660 | $131,730 | $70 | -49.9% | 100 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $144,220 | $120,740 | $69 | -50% | 150 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $144,000 | $133,680 | $69 | -50.1% | 180 |
| 35 | Tennessee | $142,700 | $143,580 | $69 | -50.6% | 110 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $141,570 | $136,990 | $68 | -51% | 50 |
| 37 | Missouri | $110,610 | $97,680 | $53 | -61.7% | 120 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 50 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $618,090 | $477,580 | 8,700 |
| 2 | Boise City, ID | $507,640 | $370,730 | — |
| 3 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $428,570 | $332,090 | — |
| 4 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $374,680 | $339,750 | 2,900 |
| 5 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $364,730 | $304,820 | 6,710 |
| 6 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $350,950 | $315,590 | 3,330 |
| 7 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $343,140 | $305,220 | 50 |
| 8 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $335,270 | $297,880 | 10,030 |
| 9 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $321,950 | $278,370 | 340 |
| 10 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $307,690 | $300,150 | 4,160 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Couriers and Messengers | $334,930 | $285,390 | 5,730 |
| 2 | Couriers and Express Delivery Services | $334,930 | $285,390 | 5,730 |
| 3 | Air Transportation | $293,240 | $296,830 | 91,010 |
| 4 | Scheduled Air Transportation | $293,240 | $296,980 | 90,840 |
| 5 | Sectors 48 and 49 - Transportation and Warehousing | $290,600 | $294,540 | 99,320 |
| 6 | Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | $283,560 | $292,670 | 100,790 |
| 7 | Cross-Industry, Private, Federal, State, and Local | $232,140 | $288,650 | 103,560 |
| 8 | Support Activities for Transportation | $202,680 | $234,090 | 2,570 |
| 9 | Support Activities for Air Transportation | $202,680 | $234,090 | 2,570 |
| 10 | Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods | $164,960 | $162,800 | 30 |
| 11 | Sector 42 - Wholesale Trade | $164,960 | $173,580 | 40 |
| 12 | Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4244 and 4248 only) | $164,960 | $162,800 | 30 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers make in the U.S.?
The median airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers salary in the United States is $232,140 per year (mean $288,650), and about 80% earn between $106,710 and $463,830.
How much do airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers make per hour?
Roughly $139 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $288,650 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers the most?
Georgia has the highest average pay for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers at $476,310 per year (median $618,090).
What is the job outlook for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers?
Employment is projected to change +3.9% from 2024 to 2034 (About as fast as average), with about 11,700 openings per year.