Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers (SOC 53-2011) earn a median $232,140 a year in the United States, with 103,560 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Georgia.
What airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers do
Airline pilots fly fixed-wing aircraft for scheduled air carriers, carrying passengers and cargo over regional, national, and international routes. The title also covers copilots and flight engineers, who share the work of running the aircraft with the pilot in command. Before departure they walk through checklists, and they follow the flight plan and the regulations and procedures that apply to it. In the air they work the controls with their crewmates, follow instrument procedures when visibility is poor, talk with air traffic control by radio, and handle malfunctions or emergencies as they arise. Takeoffs and landings in particular are handled as a team effort with other crew members. The SOC definition requires a federal air transport certificate with a rating for the specific aircraft type, and it also places instructors who train airline pilots here. Commercial pilots, who fly charters and other nonscheduled work or helicopters, are counted separately.
Typical entry: O*NET reports that most workers in this occupation have a bachelor's degree.
Also called: Air Force Pilot, Airbus Captain, Aircraft Captain, Aircraft Pilot, Airline Captain.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 103,560 |
| Annual | $106,710 | $182,280 | $232,140 | $384,440 | $463,830 | $288,650 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Georgia | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 8,770 | 1.79 | 2.69 |
| Annual | $187,570 | $211,400 | $618,090 | $618,090 | $642,610 | $476,310 | ||||
| Idaho | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 330 | 0.38 | 0.57 |
| Annual | $120,740 | $216,750 | $507,640 | $507,910 | $507,910 | $361,180 | ||||
| Michigan | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $181,880 | $215,440 | $428,570 | $428,570 | $428,570 | $330,480 | ||||
| California | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 10,670 | 0.59 | 0.88 |
| Annual | $179,270 | $208,070 | $353,900 | $390,260 | $427,660 | $310,190 | ||||
| Kentucky | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 6,260 | 3.13 | 4.70 |
| Annual | $182,780 | $214,120 | $350,950 | $398,760 | $407,760 | $302,340 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Texas | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 10,930 | 0.78 | 1.17 |
| Annual | $92,370 | $184,750 | $215,150 | $417,070 | $456,570 | $275,710 | ||||
| California | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 10,670 | 0.59 | 0.88 |
| Annual | $179,270 | $208,070 | $353,900 | $390,260 | $427,660 | $310,190 | ||||
| Georgia | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 8,770 | 1.79 | 2.69 |
| Annual | $187,570 | $211,400 | $618,090 | $618,090 | $642,610 | $476,310 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 7,760 | 0.78 | 1.17 |
| Annual | $121,240 | $169,730 | $225,020 | $344,360 | $356,680 | $254,420 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 6,900 | 0.71 | 1.07 |
| Annual | $101,390 | $170,510 | $255,240 | $475,690 | $475,690 | $298,260 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 8,700 | 3.01 | 4.52 |
| Annual | $204,020 | $211,400 | $618,090 | $618,090 | $642,610 | $477,580 | ||||
| Boise City, ID | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $122,860 | $216,750 | $507,640 | $507,910 | $507,910 | $370,730 | ||||
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $198,690 | $215,440 | $428,570 | $428,570 | $428,570 | $332,090 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 2,900 | 1.22 | 1.83 |
| Annual | $187,960 | $205,140 | $374,680 | $398,870 | $598,960 | $339,750 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 6,710 | 1.07 | 1.61 |
| Annual | $179,270 | $208,070 | $364,730 | $379,100 | $427,660 | $304,820 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 10,030 | 1.06 | 1.59 |
| Annual | $121,220 | $185,910 | $335,270 | $427,470 | $475,690 | $297,880 | ||||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 8,700 | 3.01 | 4.52 |
| Annual | $204,020 | $211,400 | $618,090 | $618,090 | $642,610 | $477,580 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 6,710 | 1.07 | 1.61 |
| Annual | $179,270 | $208,070 | $364,730 | $379,100 | $427,660 | $304,820 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 6,360 | 1.41 | 2.11 |
| Annual | $179,840 | $205,480 | $293,490 | $420,280 | $429,040 | $316,610 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | * | * | * | * | * | * | 5,980 | 1.48 | 2.22 |
| Annual | $92,370 | $207,970 | $212,810 | $417,070 | $417,070 | $272,180 | ||||
Top industries employing airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers
Scheduled Air Transportation employ 87.7% of airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers nationally (90,840 jobs) at a median $293,240 a year, followed by Couriers and Express Delivery Services (5.5%) and Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) (2.6%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Air Transportation NAICS 481100 | 90,840 | 87.7% | $293,240 | * |
| Couriers and Express Delivery Services NAICS 492100 | 5,730 | 5.5% | $334,930 | * |
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999100 | 2,720 | 2.6% | $141,140 | * |
| Support Activities for Air Transportation NAICS 488100 | 2,570 | 2.5% | $202,680 | * |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises NAICS 551100 | 600 | 0.6% | $130,170 | * |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (103,560). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $202,180 for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers in May 2021 and $232,140 in May 2025, with employment of 81,310 and 103,560.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $202,180 | * | 81,310 |
| May 2022 | $211,790 | * | 89,580 |
| May 2023 | $219,140 | * | 93,670 |
| May 2024 | $226,600 | * | 99,300 |
| May 2025 | $232,140 | * | 103,560 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
39 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia profile | * | $618,090 | $187,570 | $642,610 | 8,770 | 1.79 | 2.69 |
| 2 | Idaho profile | * | $507,640 | $120,740 | $507,910 | 330 | 0.38 | 0.57 |
| 3 | Michigan profile | * | $428,570 | $181,880 | $428,570 | ** | ** | ** |
| 4 | California profile | * | $353,900 | $179,270 | $427,660 | 10,670 | 0.59 | 0.88 |
| 5 | Kentucky profile | * | $350,950 | $182,780 | $407,760 | 6,260 | 3.13 | 4.70 |
| 6 | Colorado profile | * | $307,490 | $189,150 | $377,860 | 5,830 | 2.03 | 3.05 |
| 7 | Illinois profile | * | $293,490 | $166,620 | $421,610 | 6,460 | 1.06 | 1.59 |
| 8 | New York profile | * | $255,240 | $101,390 | $475,690 | 6,900 | 0.71 | 1.07 |
| 9 | Alaska profile | * | $232,140 | $59,130 | $369,150 | 1,350 | 4.13 | 6.21 |
| 10 | Washington profile | * | $229,900 | $140,780 | $529,820 | 3,450 | 0.97 | 1.46 |
| 11 | Arizona profile | * | $227,870 | $96,380 | $344,080 | 2,200 | 0.68 | 1.02 |
| 12 | Florida profile | * | $225,020 | $121,240 | $356,680 | 7,760 | 0.78 | 1.17 |
| 13 | Texas profile | * | $215,150 | $92,370 | $456,570 | 10,930 | 0.78 | 1.17 |
| 14 | Minnesota profile | * | $211,470 | $128,070 | $353,410 | 2,960 | 1.01 | 1.51 |
| 15 | Ohio profile | * | $204,170 | $100,300 | $406,110 | 1,550 | 0.28 | 0.42 |
| 16 | Connecticut profile | * | $199,870 | $94,130 | $530,080 | 80 | 0.05 | 0.07 |
| 17 | Nevada profile | * | $192,460 | $90,890 | $293,240 | 2,160 | 1.39 | 2.09 |
| 18 | Utah profile | * | $174,590 | $108,270 | $433,330 | 1,880 | 1.08 | 1.62 |
| 19 | Oregon profile | * | $173,190 | $100,260 | $424,850 | 750 | 0.38 | 0.57 |
| 20 | Indiana profile | * | $171,260 | $83,680 | $338,390 | ** | ** | ** |
| 21 | Arkansas profile | * | $168,970 | $124,990 | $170,960 | 250 | 0.19 | 0.29 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania profile | * | $164,990 | $88,090 | $369,300 | 2,270 | 0.37 | 0.56 |
| 23 | Rhode Island profile | * | $164,880 | $93,300 | $286,150 | 40 | 0.09 | 0.13 |
| 24 | North Carolina profile | * | $151,540 | $97,700 | $206,700 | 2,240 | 0.45 | 0.68 |
| 25 | Maine profile | * | $147,930 | $96,630 | $354,100 | 40 | 0.06 | 0.09 |
| 26 | Kansas profile | * | $143,580 | $85,860 | $205,580 | 80 | 0.06 | 0.08 |
| 27 | Mississippi profile | * | $143,580 | $112,420 | $177,110 | 360 | 0.31 | 0.46 |
| 28 | South Carolina profile | * | $143,580 | $97,070 | $227,550 | 110 | 0.05 | 0.07 |
| 29 | Tennessee profile | * | $143,580 | $109,760 | $172,390 | 110 | 0.03 | 0.05 |
| 30 | Alabama profile | * | $136,990 | $108,890 | $176,620 | 360 | 0.17 | 0.26 |
| 31 | New Mexico profile | * | $136,990 | $117,080 | $172,330 | 50 | 0.05 | 0.08 |
| 32 | Oklahoma profile | * | $133,680 | $119,230 | $184,790 | 180 | 0.11 | 0.16 |
| 33 | Iowa profile | * | $131,730 | $64,100 | $201,080 | 100 | 0.07 | 0.10 |
| 34 | Nebraska profile | * | $131,650 | $59,400 | $233,970 | 60 | 0.06 | 0.09 |
| 35 | Louisiana profile | * | $120,740 | $74,700 | $251,190 | 150 | 0.08 | 0.11 |
| 36 | New Hampshire profile | * | $99,280 | $74,130 | $321,250 | 50 | 0.07 | 0.10 |
| 37 | Missouri profile | * | $97,680 | $60,920 | $172,330 | 120 | 0.04 | 0.06 |
| – | Massachusetts profile | * | * | * | * | 2,240 | 0.62 | 0.93 |
| – | Wyoming profile | * | * | * | * | 80 | 0.29 | 0.44 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (53-2010), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Transportation and Material Moving Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 53-2011 Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers.
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked. A withheld or top-coded median in that table shows the marker explained above.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them. A withheld or top-coded cell in that table shows the marker explained above.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 53-2011, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 53-2011.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.