How much do Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers make?
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers earn a median annual salary of $232,140 in the United States, which works out to roughly $111.61 per hour for full-time work. Most earn between $106,710 at the entry level and $463,830 at the senior end, with the middle 50% taking home between $182,280 and $384,440 a year.
That is $170,750 more than the median across all occupations in BLS data ($61,390).
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers salary range by percentile
Half of all Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers earn between $182,280 and $384,440 a year.
| Pay level | Annual salary | Hourly rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $106,710 | $51.30 | |
| 25th percentile (early career) | $182,280 | $87.63 | |
| 50th percentile (median) | $232,140 | $111.61 | |
| 75th percentile (experienced) | $384,440 | $184.83 | |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $463,830 | $223.00 |
Highest-paying states for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
Where you work matters more than almost anything else. Georgia leads the country for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers pay at $618,090 a year, followed by Idaho ($507,640) and Michigan ($428,570). At the other end, Missouri posts the lowest median at $97,680 — a gap of $520,410 for the same job, driven by local demand, industry mix, and cost of living.
| # | State | Median salary | Hourly | vs national |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia | $618,090 | $297.16 | +166% |
| 2 | Idaho | $507,640 | $244.06 | +119% |
| 3 | Michigan | $428,570 | $206.04 | +85% |
| 4 | California | $353,900 | $170.14 | +52% |
| 5 | Kentucky | $350,950 | $168.73 | +51% |
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers salary in every state
Official BLS state-level figures across 37 states and territories. Click a state for the full local breakdown.
Workforce and education
About 104,000 people work as Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers in the United States. The mean (average) wage is $288,650 — above the median, which means high earners pull the average up. On qualifications: a high school diploma is typically enough, with most skills learned on the job, per O*NET occupation data.
Frequently asked questions
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