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Pilot salary
Average pilot salary
$83,128
How much does a pilot make?
The average pilot salary in the United States is $83,128. Pilot salaries typically range between $58,000 and $118,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for pilots is $39.97 per hour.
Pilot salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Pilots earn the highest average salary in California.
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Where can a Pilot earn more?
Pilot salary estimates from across the web
Average pilot salary by state
The highest-paying states for pilots are California, New York, and New Jersey. The lowest average pilot salary states are Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Indiana.
- State View
- County View
Highest paying states for pilots
Rank  | State | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming | $91,537 | $44.01 |
| 2 | Nevada | $95,876 | $46.09 |
| 3 | Oregon | $96,852 | $46.56 |
| 4 | Iowa | $89,805 | $43.18 |
| 5 | Montana | $83,066 | $39.94 |
| 6 | California | $109,381 | $52.59 |
| 7 | West Virginia | $80,682 | $38.79 |
| 8 | New Mexico | $82,328 | $39.58 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $80,908 | $38.90 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $101,236 | $48.67 |
| 11 | Texas | $88,780 | $42.68 |
| 12 | Louisiana | $84,288 | $40.52 |
| 13 | Hawaii | $93,870 | $45.13 |
| 14 | Florida | $90,658 | $43.59 |
| 15 | New York | $101,449 | $48.77 |
| 16 | Kansas | $80,045 | $38.48 |
| 17 | Colorado | $82,096 | $39.47 |
| 18 | New Hampshire | $79,380 | $38.16 |
| 19 | Vermont | $76,208 | $36.64 |
| 20 | Delaware | $77,621 | $37.32 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $75,347 | $36.22 |
| 22 | Arizona | $79,983 | $38.45 |
| 23 | Kentucky | $78,108 | $37.55 |
| 24 | Utah | $78,112 | $37.55 |
| 25 | South Dakota | $74,116 | $35.63 |
| 26 | Connecticut | $80,184 | $38.55 |
| 27 | Illinois | $81,150 | $39.01 |
| 28 | Massachusetts | $80,377 | $38.64 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $75,714 | $36.40 |
| 30 | South Carolina | $74,557 | $35.84 |
| 31 | Ohio | $76,114 | $36.59 |
| 32 | Washington | $78,811 | $37.89 |
| 33 | Arkansas | $72,813 | $35.01 |
| 34 | Idaho | $70,636 | $33.96 |
| 35 | Maryland | $76,573 | $36.81 |
| 36 | Mississippi | $67,527 | $32.46 |
| 37 | Alaska | $63,218 | $30.39 |
| 38 | North Carolina | $74,356 | $35.75 |
| 39 | Nebraska | $66,029 | $31.74 |
| 40 | Maine | $64,871 | $31.19 |
| 41 | Oklahoma | $64,738 | $31.12 |
| 42 | Missouri | $67,095 | $32.26 |
| 43 | District of Columbia | $76,246 | $36.66 |
| 44 | Virginia | $70,040 | $33.67 |
| 45 | Michigan | $67,975 | $32.68 |
| 46 | Wisconsin | $63,835 | $30.69 |
| 47 | Alabama | $58,723 | $28.23 |
| 48 | Indiana | $63,465 | $30.51 |
| 49 | Georgia | $65,637 | $31.56 |
| 50 | Minnesota | $58,155 | $27.96 |
| 51 | Pennsylvania | $63,889 | $30.72 |
Highest paying cities for pilots
The highest-paying cities for pilots are San Francisco, CA, White Plains, NY, and Pensacola, FL.
| Rank | City | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $118,389 | $56.92 |
| 2 | White Plains, NY | $101,913 | $49.00 |
| 3 | Pensacola, FL | $91,419 | $43.95 |
| 4 | San Antonio, TX | $91,110 | $43.80 |
| 5 | Saint George, UT | $85,802 | $41.25 |
| 6 | Englewood, CO | $82,083 | $39.46 |
| 7 | Chicago, IL | $81,363 | $39.12 |
| 8 | Phoenix, AZ | $80,157 | $38.54 |
| 9 | Bellingham, WA | $79,378 | $38.16 |
| 10 | Baltimore, MD | $76,793 | $36.92 |
| 11 | Toledo, OH | $76,606 | $36.83 |
| 12 | Jacksonville, NC | $75,223 | $36.16 |
| 13 | Norfolk, VA | $70,269 | $33.78 |
| 14 | Detroit, MI | $68,234 | $32.80 |
| 15 | Atlanta, GA | $65,666 | $31.57 |
| 16 | Philadelphia, PA | $64,250 | $30.89 |
| 17 | Mobile, AL | $58,972 | $28.35 |
| 18 | Eden Prairie, MN | $58,262 | $28.01 |
Pilots are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Pilot salary details
A pilot's salary ranges from $58,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $118,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a pilot's salary?
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $118,000 | $9,833 | $57 |
| 75th Percentile | $100,000 | $8,333 | $48 |
| Average | $83,128 | $6,927 | $40 |
| 25th Percentile | $69,000 | $5,750 | $33 |
| 10th Percentile | $58,000 | $4,833 | $28 |
Highest paying pilot jobs
The highest paying types of pilots are fighter pilot, air tour pilot, and private pilot.
| Job Title | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aviator | $97,217 | $8,101 | $46.74 | 3,482 |
| Pilot Instructor | $90,143 | $7,512 | $43.34 | 26,978 |
| Helicopter Pilot | $89,418 | $7,452 | $42.99 | 4,054 |
| Corporate Pilot | $87,661 | $7,305 | $42.14 | 12,371 |
| Aircraft Pilot | $94,207 | $7,851 | $45.29 | 5,585 |
| Air Tour Pilot | $101,440 | $8,453 | $48.77 | 3,885 |
Top companies hiring pilots now:
Which companies pay pilots the most?
Pilot salaries at HP and Mercy Health are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average pilot salary at companies like Bell Flight and Woolpert are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HP | $114,883 | $55.23 |
| 2 | Mercy Health | $99,825 | $47.99 |
| 3 | Bell Flight | $94,405 | $45.39 |
| 4 | Woolpert | $90,811 | $43.66 |
| 5 | Alaska Airlines | $90,222 | $43.38 |
| 6 | Spirit Airlines | $90,205 | $43.37 |
| 7 | SkyWest Airlines | $90,163 | $43.35 |
| 8 | Air Wisconsin Airlines | $89,622 | $43.09 |
| 9 | PSA Airlines | $89,384 | $42.97 |
| 10 | NetJets | $89,117 | $42.84 |
| 11 | Mesa Airlines | $88,633 | $42.61 |
| 12 | Wiggins Airways | $88,579 | $42.59 |
| 13 | City of Seattle | $88,400 | $42.50 |
| 14 | M.I.T. International, Inc. | $87,937 | $42.28 |
| 15 | Piedmont Airlines | $87,707 | $42.17 |
| 16 | AT&T | $87,275 | $41.96 |
| 17 | Colony Brands | $87,228 | $41.94 |
| 18 | CommutAir | $86,512 | $41.59 |
| 19 | Air Methods | $86,290 | $41.49 |
| 20 | General Atomics | $85,853 | $41.28 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Pilot salary trends
The average pilot salary has risen by $20,760 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average pilot earned $62,368 annually, but today, they earn $83,128 a year. That works out to a 21% change in pay for pilots over the last decade.
Compare pilot salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average pilot salary over time
Compare pilot salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
- National Average
- Columbus, OH
Pilot salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $83,100 | $39.97 | +7.7% |
| 2024 | $76,700 | $36.87 | +4.5% |
| 2023 | $73,300 | $35.23 | +4.3% |
| 2022 | $70,200 | $33.73 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | $68,800 | $33.07 | +1.4% |
Recently added pilot salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date Added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Med-Trans Corp | Skillbridge Rotor Pilot (MTC) | Austin, TX | 12/16/2024 | $85,312 |
| NES Associates | UAS Pilot-Entry | Atlantic City, NJ | 12/16/2024 | $47,600 |
| Global Medical Response | Skillbridge Rotor Pilot (MTC) | Austin, TX | 12/15/2024 | $85,312 |
| Aston Carter | Drone Pilot | San Francisco, CA | 12/14/2024 | $125,220 |
| Global Medical Response | Pilot-FW (Pilatus Pc12) | Ely, NV | 12/14/2024 | $113,960 |
| Global Medical Response | Pilot-FW (King Air C90) | Blanding, UT | 12/14/2024 | $113,960 |
| Reach Medical Holdings | Pilot-FW (King AIR) | Murrieta, CA | 12/14/2024 | $123,076 |
| Huntington Ingalls Industries | Jittic-N F-35 SIM Pilot SME | Nellis Air Force Base, NV | 12/12/2024 | $128,993 |
| Host Agency Reviews, LLC | Pilot Company | Ione, CA | 12/12/2024 | $45,914 |
| Phi Air Medical Group | Pilot, IFR-Dallas, TX-Up To A Effective Through/2024 | Dallas, TX | 12/11/2024 | $50,000 |
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