Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers pay in the United States

In the U.S., the median pay for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers is $232,140 a year. About 103,560 people work in this job there.

$232,140Median yearly pay
$182,280–$384,440Middle half of workers, yearly
103,560People in this job in the U.S.

Pay range for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers in the U.S.

Earns more thanYearly
10% of workers$106,710
25% of workers$182,280
Half of workers (median)$232,140
75% of workers$384,440
90% of workers$463,830

Best-paying states for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers

StateMedian yearly payPeople in this job
Georgia$618,0908,770
Idaho$507,640330
Michigan$428,5700
California$353,90010,670
Kentucky$350,9506,260
Colorado$307,4905,830
Illinois$293,4906,460
New York$255,2406,900
Alaska$232,1401,350
Washington$229,9003,450

Pay by state

Education, experience and outlook for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers

  • Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree (BLS)
  • Related work experience most have: 2 to 4 years (O*NET)
  • Experience usually needed to start: Less than 5 years (BLS)
  • Training on the job: Moderate-term on-the-job training (BLS)
  • Job outlook: +8.3% over ten years, much faster than average · about 11,200 openings a year (BLS)

Related jobs in the U.S.

JobMedian yearly pay
Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians$79,870
Aerospace Engineers$134,960
Commercial Pilots$123,220
Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels$92,460
Locomotive Engineers$81,410
Aircraft Service Attendants$40,450
Transportation Inspectors$92,100
Air Traffic Controllers$148,080

Other job titles for this job

PilotAir Force PilotAirbus CaptainAircraft CaptainAircraft PilotAirline CaptainAirline PilotAirline Pilot Flight InstructorAirline Transport PilotAirplane PilotArmy Helicopter PilotCheck Airman

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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates. Figures are for wage and salary workers and do not include the self-employed. The median is the middle wage: half earn more, half earn less. Other job titles: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.