Commercial Pilots pay in the U.S.
$146,080avg. a year
Annual salary · 47,630 employed
Commercial Pilots in the U.S. earn an average of $146,080 a year and a median of $123,220. Pay is highest in Connecticut ($231,650) and lowest in South Dakota ($94,070).
$123,220Median pay
$146,080Average yearly
+32%Avg. pay since 2020
47,630Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for commercial pilots
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1460 jobs
Connecticut
$231,650
a year
2670 jobs
New Jersey
$215,210
a year
34,900 jobs
California
$202,040
a year
41,070 jobs
New York
$184,580
a year
5800 jobs
Kentucky
$168,100
a year
6220 jobs
Delaware
$160,700
a year
7370 jobs
North Dakota
$157,900
a year
81,170 jobs
Illinois
$157,600
a year
91,090 jobs
Wisconsin
$156,970
a year
101,240 jobs
Colorado
$152,820
a year
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Commercial Pilots pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
AKMEWIVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILMINYMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTRICAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL
Under $119k$119k–$131k$131k–$152k$152k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $267,680 | – |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $218,810 | – |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $210,350 | – |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $204,770 | – |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $185,920 | – |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $185,590 | – |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $181,600 | – |
| Port St. Lucie, FL | $180,600 | – |
Related jobs
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Commercial Pilots pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $108,580 | $101,420 | 780 |
| Alaska | $107,070 | $100,120 | 1,000 |
| Arizona | $119,320 | $103,060 | 1,540 |
| Arkansas | $95,380 | $94,410 | 460 |
| California | $202,040 | $165,590 | 4,900 |
| Colorado | $152,820 | $139,680 | 1,240 |
| Connecticut | $231,650 | $232,160 | 460 |
| Delaware | $160,700 | $163,600 | 220 |
| Florida | $145,320 | $121,890 | 6,340 |
| Georgia | $147,610 | $145,100 | 1,020 |
| Hawaii | $120,320 | $113,030 | 350 |
| Idaho | $131,800 | $109,620 | 310 |
| Illinois | $157,600 | $126,100 | 1,170 |
| Indiana | $125,910 | $104,160 | 960 |
| Iowa | $124,640 | $101,800 | 300 |
| Kansas | $111,540 | $105,440 | 680 |
| Kentucky | $168,100 | $129,990 | 800 |
| Louisiana | $109,200 | $95,940 | 910 |
| Maine | $139,890 | $117,560 | 100 |
| Maryland | $138,530 | $131,210 | 360 |
| Michigan | $127,700 | $126,670 | 1,390 |
| Minnesota | $123,240 | $98,630 | 910 |
| Mississippi | $120,670 | $103,640 | 240 |
| Missouri | $119,400 | $102,990 | 670 |
| Montana | $128,170 | $103,690 | 330 |
| Nebraska | $103,300 | $104,780 | 290 |
| Nevada | $125,470 | $105,340 | 1,100 |
| New Jersey | $215,210 | $226,710 | 670 |
| New Mexico | $114,690 | $97,920 | 370 |
| New York | $184,580 | $177,430 | 1,070 |
| North Carolina | $138,680 | $127,310 | 1,520 |
| North Dakota | $157,900 | $133,010 | 370 |
| Ohio | $145,490 | $150,330 | 2,680 |
| Oklahoma | $136,510 | $126,180 | 540 |
| Oregon | $144,320 | $120,760 | 670 |
| Pennsylvania | $151,950 | $134,030 | 530 |
| Rhode Island | $131,970 | $98,820 | 80 |
| South Carolina | $108,640 | $105,740 | 290 |
| South Dakota | $94,070 | $83,710 | 320 |
| Tennessee | $126,190 | $117,480 | 1,030 |
| Texas | $152,090 | $137,960 | 4,120 |
| Utah | $115,970 | $99,610 | 540 |
| Vermont | $130,790 | $137,810 | 40 |
| Virginia | $124,590 | $104,890 | 1,130 |
| Washington | $149,860 | $117,730 | 890 |
| West Virginia | $119,040 | $105,950 | 40 |
| Wisconsin | $156,970 | $129,860 | 1,090 |
| Wyoming | $106,190 | $102,990 | 190 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
$156,130
3,440 jobsDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
$171,660
1,810 jobsColumbus, OH
$153,240
1,410 jobsNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$204,770
1,210 jobsPhoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ
$125,910
1,020 jobsLas Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV
$125,890
940 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$171,200
840 jobsHouston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
$140,580
790 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do commercial pilots make?
The average is $146,080 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $123,220 and half earn less (the median).
Which state pays commercial pilots the most?
Connecticut, with an average of $231,650 a year. The best-paying metro area is Waterbury-Shelton, CT at $267,680.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $58,850 a year, and the top 10% earn over $266,620.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 53-2012. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.