Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers pay in the U.S.
$288,650avg. a year
Annual salary · 103,560 employed
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers in the U.S. earn an average of $288,650 a year and a median of $232,140. Pay is highest in Georgia ($476,310) and lowest in Missouri ($110,610).
$232,140Median pay
$288,650Average yearly
+54%Avg. pay since 2020
103,560Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
18,770 jobs
Georgia
$476,310
a year
2330 jobs
Idaho
$361,180
a year
3
Michigan
$330,480
a year
46,460 jobs
Illinois
$316,140
a year
510,670 jobs
California
$310,190
a year
66,260 jobs
Kentucky
$302,340
a year
73,450 jobs
Washington
$298,560
a year
86,900 jobs
New York
$298,260
a year
95,830 jobs
Colorado
$290,850
a year
1080 jobs
Connecticut
$282,160
a year
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $152k$152k–$204k$204k–$282k$282k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $477,580 | – |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $339,750 | – |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $316,610 | – |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $315,590 | – |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $304,820 | – |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $300,680 | – |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $300,150 | – |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $297,880 | – |
Related jobs
- Flight Attendants$77,440
- Commercial Pilots$146,080
- Air Traffic Controllers$146,490
- Airfield Operations Specialists$63,610
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand$42,260
- Stockers and Order Fillers$39,540
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $155,520 | $136,990 | 360 |
| Alaska | $249,460 | $232,140 | 1,350 |
| Arizona | $236,550 | $227,870 | 2,200 |
| Arkansas | $152,980 | $168,970 | 250 |
| California | $310,190 | $353,900 | 10,670 |
| Colorado | $290,850 | $307,490 | 5,830 |
| Connecticut | $282,160 | $199,870 | 80 |
| Florida | $254,420 | $225,020 | 7,760 |
| Georgia | $476,310 | $618,090 | 8,770 |
| Idaho | $361,180 | $507,640 | 330 |
| Illinois | $316,140 | $293,490 | 6,460 |
| Indiana | $200,950 | $171,260 | – |
| Iowa | $144,660 | $131,730 | 100 |
| Kansas | $163,070 | $143,580 | 80 |
| Kentucky | $302,340 | $350,950 | 6,260 |
| Louisiana | $144,220 | $120,740 | 150 |
| Maine | $195,680 | $147,930 | 40 |
| Michigan | $330,480 | $428,570 | – |
| Minnesota | $256,750 | $211,470 | 2,960 |
| Mississippi | $151,890 | $143,580 | 360 |
| Missouri | $110,610 | $97,680 | 120 |
| Nebraska | $156,450 | $131,650 | 60 |
| Nevada | $204,470 | $192,460 | 2,160 |
| New Hampshire | $151,790 | $99,280 | 50 |
| New Mexico | $141,570 | $136,990 | 50 |
| New York | $298,260 | $255,240 | 6,900 |
| North Carolina | $148,500 | $151,540 | 2,240 |
| Ohio | $222,540 | $204,170 | 1,550 |
| Oklahoma | $144,000 | $133,680 | 180 |
| Oregon | $209,040 | $173,190 | 750 |
| Pennsylvania | $172,500 | $164,990 | 2,270 |
| Rhode Island | $186,560 | $164,880 | 40 |
| South Carolina | $150,970 | $143,580 | 110 |
| Tennessee | $142,700 | $143,580 | 110 |
| Texas | $275,710 | $215,150 | 10,930 |
| Utah | $214,140 | $174,590 | 1,880 |
| Washington | $298,560 | $229,900 | 3,450 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$297,880
10,030 jobsAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$477,580
8,700 jobs$304,820
6,710 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$316,610
6,360 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX$272,180
5,980 jobsDenver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$292,040
5,600 jobsWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL$235,100
5,100 jobs$259,790
4,810 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers make?
The average is $288,650 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $232,140 and half earn less (the median).
Which state pays airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers the most?
Georgia, with an average of $476,310 a year. The best-paying metro area is Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA at $477,580.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $106,710 a year, and the top 10% earn over $463,830.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 53-2011. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.