Average Salary for Commercial Pilots
SOC 53-2012 · Transportation and Material Moving Occupations · 2024 data
The median annual wage for Commercial Pilots in the United States is $122,670, based on 2024 BLS OEWS data. An estimated 51,830 people work in this occupation across the country. The national median wage has grown 62.2% since 2014.
Median Annual
$122,670
Mean Annual
$142,960
10th Pct
$59,330
75th Pct
$175,050
Employment
51,830
Salary Distribution
$59k
10th
$82k
25th
$123k
Median
$175k
75th
Highest Paying Metro Areas
| Metro Area | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $227,140 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $224,840 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $189,090 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $188,920 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL | $180,790 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $177,300 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $170,000 |
| Lexington Park, MD | $168,470 |
| Knoxville, TN | $167,740 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $167,210 |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $163,810 |
| Richmond, VA | $163,750 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $163,530 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $161,250 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $160,780 |
Salary by State
| State | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Connecticut | $227,140 |
| New York | $172,500 |
| Texas | $162,930 |
| Delaware | $155,640 |
| Georgia | $139,350 |
| Massachusetts | $137,150 |
| Maine | $134,990 |
| Nevada | $132,490 |
| Michigan | $130,560 |
| Florida | $130,530 |
| Maryland | $130,510 |
| Pennsylvania | $129,540 |
| North Carolina | $126,740 |
| Wyoming | $126,570 |
| Missouri | $124,060 |
| Washington | $123,530 |
| Colorado | $122,700 |
| California | $122,100 |
| Louisiana | $120,710 |
| South Carolina | $119,810 |
| Tennessee | $119,330 |
| Minnesota | $117,960 |
| Ohio | $116,050 |
| Virginia | $115,490 |
| Oregon | $112,620 |
| North Dakota | $111,120 |
| Alaska | $110,930 |
| Oklahoma | $108,200 |
| Alabama | $106,840 |
| Illinois | $105,290 |
| Kansas | $103,400 |
| Wisconsin | $103,290 |
| Montana | $103,110 |
| Idaho | $103,090 |
| West Virginia | $102,640 |
| Hawaii | $102,390 |
| Arizona | $102,280 |
| Rhode Island | $101,330 |
| Kentucky | $101,290 |
| Utah | $101,160 |
| Iowa | $101,040 |
| Nebraska | $100,150 |
| Mississippi | $99,920 |
| Indiana | $96,730 |
| Vermont | $95,660 |
| New Mexico | $85,140 |
| Arkansas | $84,140 |
| Puerto Rico | $79,610 |
| South Dakota | $75,740 |
| New Hampshire | $60,920 |
Salary by Industry
National median wage for Commercial Pilots broken down by industry sector, 2024 data.
| Industry | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (5221 and 5223 only) | $229,990 |
| Credit Intermediation and Related Activities | $227,800 |
| Chemical Manufacturing | $223,800 |
| Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | $223,800 |
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | $220,440 |
| Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities | $216,140 |
| Finance and Insurance | $215,440 |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | $210,980 |
| Information | $210,390 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services | $208,510 |
| Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $208,510 |
| Spectator Sports | $196,880 |
| Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | $192,040 |
| Support Activities for Mining | $190,720 |
| Support Activities for Mining | $190,720 |
| Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | $188,250 |
| Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | $181,030 |
| Warehousing and Storage | $178,540 |
| Warehousing and Storage | $178,540 |
| Food Manufacturing | $175,900 |
| Utilities | $173,660 |
| Utilities | $173,660 |
| Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | $173,220 |
| Employment Services | $170,000 |
| Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries | $169,440 |
| Real Estate | $167,620 |
| Manufacturing | $165,920 |
| Office Administrative Services | $164,980 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | $161,130 |
| Administrative and Support Services | $161,130 |
| Specialty Trade Contractors | $159,990 |
| Building Equipment Contractors | $159,990 |
| Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors | $159,990 |
| Nondepository Credit Intermediation | $158,800 |
| Facilities Support Services | $158,300 |
| Legal Services | $156,880 |
| Construction | $155,290 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | $155,280 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | $153,610 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $152,090 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $152,090 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $152,090 |
| Automotive Equipment Rental and Leasing | $148,850 |
| Rental and Leasing Services | $148,840 |
| Insurance Carriers | $146,320 |
| Residential Building Construction | $146,000 |
| Insurance Carriers and Related Activities | $142,980 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4244 and 4248 only) | $142,920 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods | $142,920 |
| Wholesale Trade | $140,270 |
| Other Nondepository Credit Intermediation | $139,520 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) | $137,180 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods | $134,920 |
| Construction of Buildings | $134,820 |
| Air Transportation | $133,960 |
| Water Transportation | $132,650 |
| Inland Water Transportation | $132,650 |
| Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services | $132,380 |
| Nonresidential Building Construction | $132,110 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | $131,680 |
| Insurance Agencies and Brokerages | $129,090 |
| Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities | $129,090 |
| Automobile Dealers | $128,650 |
| Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers | $128,650 |
| Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries | $128,140 |
| Other Amusement and Recreation Industries | $128,140 |
| Engineering Services | $127,940 |
| Truck Transportation | $125,510 |
| Machinery Manufacturing | $125,380 |
| Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction | $124,800 |
| Utility System Construction | $124,800 |
| Support Activities for Transportation | $124,400 |
| Nonscheduled Air Transportation | $124,330 |
| Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | $123,900 |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | $123,480 |
| Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction | $123,380 |
| Support Activities for Air Transportation | $123,120 |
| Hospitals | $121,350 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $121,350 |
| Direct Insurance (except Life, Health, and Medical) Carriers | $120,410 |
| Retail Trade | $116,200 |
| Testing Laboratories and Services | $114,590 |
| Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | $114,430 |
| All Other Ambulatory Health Care Services | $113,400 |
| Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction | $113,150 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $112,650 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $112,650 |
| Couriers and Messengers | $110,930 |
| Couriers and Express Delivery Services | $110,930 |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | $109,380 |
| Oil and Gas Extraction | $108,230 |
| Oil and Gas Extraction | $108,230 |
| Accommodation | $104,260 |
| Accommodation and Food Services | $104,260 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | $104,160 |
| Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services | $102,660 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $100,640 |
| Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $99,020 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | $97,250 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $97,040 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $97,040 |
| Ambulatory Health Care Services | $96,910 |
| Other Ambulatory Health Care Services | $96,910 |
| Ambulance Services | $96,750 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $92,050 |
| Educational Services | $91,780 |
| Technical and Trade Schools | $91,780 |
| Educational Services | $90,180 |
| Photographic Services | $89,940 |
| State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $88,500 |
| Junior Colleges | $79,830 |
| Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation | $78,650 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | $78,640 |
| Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations | $78,640 |
| Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Other | $76,580 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $72,620 |
| Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $72,420 |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | $63,730 |
| Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry | $63,730 |
| Support Activities for Crop Production | $63,730 |
National Wage Trend
View data table
| Year | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $122,670 |
| 2023 | $113,080 |
| 2022 | $103,910 |
| 2021 | $99,640 |
| 2020 | $93,300 |
| 2019 | $86,080 |
| 2018 | $82,240 |
| 2017 | $78,740 |
| 2016 | $77,200 |
| 2015 | $76,150 |
| 2014 | $75,620 |