Salary Range & Percentiles
Pay distribution across experience levels
- 10th Percentile — Entry Level$106,710
- 25th Percentile — Junior$182,280
- 50th Percentile — Median$232,140
- 75th Percentile — Senior$384,440
- 90th Percentile — Top Earners$463,830
The top 10% of Airline Pilots Copilots and Flight Engineers earn $463,830 or more per year. Entry-level professionals can expect to start around $106,710, with significant growth over the first 5 years.
Salary by State
Geographic salary comparison
| State | Avg Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia | $476,310 | +65.0% |
| Hawaii (est.) | $447,408 | +55.0% |
| District of Columbia (est.) | $438,748 | +52.0% |
| Massachusetts (est.) | $375,245 | +30.0% |
| New Jersey (est.) | $369,472 | +28.0% |
| Idaho | $361,180 | +25.1% |
| Maryland (est.) | $331,948 | +15.0% |
| Michigan | $330,480 | +14.5% |
| Virginia (est.) | $317,515 | +10.0% |
| Illinois | $316,140 | +9.5% |
| Vermont (est.) | $311,742 | +8.0% |
| California | $310,190 | +7.5% |
| Delaware (est.) | $303,082 | +5.0% |
| Kentucky | $302,340 | +4.7% |
| Washington | $298,560 | +3.4% |
| New York | $298,260 | +3.3% |
| Colorado | $290,850 | +0.8% |
| Connecticut | $282,160 | -2.2% |
| Texas | $275,710 | -4.5% |
| Montana (est.) | $274,218 | -5.0% |
| Wyoming (est.) | $268,444 | -7.0% |
| North Dakota (est.) | $265,558 | -8.0% |
| Wisconsin (est.) | $265,558 | -8.0% |
| Minnesota | $256,750 | -11.1% |
| Florida | $254,420 | -11.9% |
| South Dakota (est.) | $251,126 | -13.0% |
| Alaska | $249,460 | -13.6% |
| Arizona | $236,550 | -18.0% |
| West Virginia (est.) | $225,147 | -22.0% |
| Ohio | $222,540 | -22.9% |
| Utah | $214,140 | -25.8% |
| Oregon | $209,040 | -27.6% |
| Nevada | $204,470 | -29.2% |
| Indiana | $200,950 | -30.4% |
| Maine | $195,680 | -32.2% |
| Rhode Island | $186,560 | -35.4% |
| Pennsylvania | $172,500 | -40.2% |
| Kansas | $163,070 | -43.5% |
| Nebraska | $156,450 | -45.8% |
| Alabama | $155,520 | -46.1% |
| Arkansas | $152,980 | -47.0% |
| Mississippi | $151,890 | -47.4% |
| New Hampshire | $151,790 | -47.4% |
| South Carolina | $150,970 | -47.7% |
| North Carolina | $148,500 | -48.6% |
| Iowa | $144,660 | -49.9% |
| Louisiana | $144,220 | -50.0% |
| Oklahoma | $144,000 | -50.1% |
| Tennessee | $142,700 | -50.6% |
| New Mexico | $141,570 | -51.0% |
| Missouri | $110,610 | -61.7% |
What Factors Affect Airline Pilots Copilots and Flight Engineers Salary?
Key factors affecting compensation
Pay for Airline Pilots Copilots and Flight Engineers is influenced by geographic location, years of experience, employer type, and educational background. Location alone is a large factor: Georgia pays an average of $476,310, while Missouri pays $110,610 — a gap of $365,700 per year.
The middle half of Airline Pilots Copilots and Flight Engineers earn between $182,280 and $384,440 per year. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $106,710, while the top 10% earn more than $463,830.
These figures are the wages employers report to BLS: base pay plus commissions, production bonuses and tips. They exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, year-end bonuses, benefits and self-employed workers, so total compensation can be higher than the numbers shown.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) · May 2025
Compare with Similar Jobs
Related career salary benchmarks
- Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $59,710/yr United States 79.3% vs this role
- Commercial Pilots $146,080/yr United States 49.4% vs this role
- Air Traffic Controllers $146,490/yr United States 49.2% vs this role
- Light Truck Drivers $48,770/yr United States 83.1% vs this role
- Driver Sales Workers $40,730/yr United States 85.9% vs this role
- Locomotive Engineers $85,900/yr United States 70.2% vs this role
- Registered Nurses $101,420/yr United States 64.9% vs this role
- Nurse Practitioners $137,300/yr United States 52.4% vs this role
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this salary
What is the average salary for Airline Pilots Copilots and Flight Engineers?
The average salary for Airline Pilots Copilots and Flight Engineers in the United States is $288,650 per year, with a median of $232,140.
What is the starting salary for Airline Pilots Copilots and Flight Engineers?
Entry-level Airline Pilots Copilots and Flight Engineers typically earn between $106,710 and $182,280 per year depending on location and employer.
What state pays Airline Pilots Copilots and Flight Engineers the most?
Georgia pays Airline Pilots Copilots and Flight Engineers the most at $476,310 per year on average, followed by Idaho ($361,180) and Michigan ($330,480).
How much do Airline Pilots Copilots and Flight Engineers make per hour?
Based on the average annual salary of $288,650, Airline Pilots Copilots and Flight Engineers earn approximately $138.77 per hour (based on 2,080 working hours/year).
Is Airline Pilots Copilots and Flight Engineers a good career in 2026?
BLS counts 103,560 Airline Pilots Copilots and Flight Engineers jobs in the United States, with a mean annual wage of $288,650 and a median of $232,140 (OEWS May 2025). This site does not publish job-growth projections; the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook covers the outlook for each occupation.
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