occupation · 53-2012 · detailed
Commercial Pilots — wages and employment
Commercial Pilots earned a median annual wage of $122,670 in the United States in May 2024, with 51,830 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Commercial Pilots earned a median annual wage of $122,670 in the United States in May 2024, with 51,830 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $59,330 or less, the best-paid tenth at least $239,200 or more. Since May 2023 the median moved from $113,080 to $122,670, +8.5 %. The best-paying state is Connecticut at $227,140; the lowest New Hampshire at $60,920. Among metropolitan areas, Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT pays the highest median, $227,140. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code. Every value links to its fact record.
United States, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 51,830 | $122,670 | $142,960 | $59,330 | $81,660 | $175,050 | ≥ $239,200 | — | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 52,750 | $113,080 | $138,010 | $56,260 | $79,440 | $168,700 | ≥ $239,200 | — | evidence → |
By state
Median annual wage, May 2024, highest first. Each state has its own record with the full series.
| State | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | $227,140 | 360 |
| New York | $172,500 | 1,070 |
| Texas | $162,930 | 5,030 |
| Delaware | $155,640 | 100 |
| Georgia | $139,350 | 920 |
| Massachusetts | $137,150 | 300 |
| Maine | $134,990 | 110 |
| Nevada | $132,490 | 1,590 |
| Michigan | $130,560 | 1,400 |
| Florida | $130,530 | 6,100 |
| Maryland | $130,510 | 400 |
| Pennsylvania | $129,540 | 740 |
| North Carolina | $126,740 | 1,470 |
| Wyoming | $126,570 | 150 |
| Missouri | $124,060 | 810 |
| Washington | $123,530 | 1,060 |
| Colorado | $122,700 | 1,170 |
| California | $122,100 | 5,530 |
| Louisiana | $120,710 | 880 |
| South Carolina | $119,810 | 310 |
| Tennessee | $119,330 | 1,020 |
| Minnesota | $117,960 | 1,540 |
| Ohio | $116,050 | 3,850 |
| Virginia | $115,490 | 1,110 |
| Oregon | $112,620 | 740 |
| North Dakota | $111,120 | 230 |
| Alaska | $110,930 | 1,870 |
| Oklahoma | $108,200 | 360 |
| Alabama | $106,840 | 1,140 |
| Illinois | $105,290 | 1,010 |
| Kansas | $103,400 | 730 |
| Wisconsin | $103,290 | 960 |
| Montana | $103,110 | 290 |
| Idaho | $103,090 | 320 |
| West Virginia | $102,640 | 60 |
| Hawaii | $102,390 | 450 |
| Arizona | $102,280 | 1,330 |
| Rhode Island | $101,330 | 40 |
| Kentucky | $101,290 | 540 |
| Utah | $101,160 | 680 |
| Iowa | $101,040 | 440 |
| Nebraska | $100,150 | 310 |
| Mississippi | $99,920 | 300 |
| Indiana | $96,730 | 660 |
| Vermont | $95,660 | 30 |
| New Mexico | $85,140 | 410 |
| Arkansas | $84,140 | 410 |
| Puerto Rico | $79,610 | 120 |
| South Dakota | $75,740 | 290 |
| New Hampshire | $60,920 | 390 |
Highest-paying metropolitan areas
Top 20 by median annual wage.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $227,140 | 80 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $224,840 | 1,270 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $189,090 | 100 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $188,920 | 2,480 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL | $180,790 | 90 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $177,300 | 2,110 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $170,000 | 530 |
| Lexington Park, MD | $168,470 | 90 |
| Knoxville, TN | $167,740 | 110 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $167,210 | 950 |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $163,810 | 100 |
| Richmond, VA | $163,750 | 140 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $163,530 | 420 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $161,250 | 60 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $160,780 | 640 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $160,550 | 60 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $160,200 | 150 |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $160,160 | 40 |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $159,990 | 350 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $158,580 | 190 |
Machine access — free, no API key
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