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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2019

53-2012 Commercial Pilots

Pilot and navigate the flight of fixed-wing aircraft on nonscheduled air carrier routes, or helicopters. Requires Commercial Pilot certificate. Includes charter pilots with similar certification, and air ambulance and air tour pilots. Excludes regional, national, and international airline pilots. Excludes “Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians” (17-3024).


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Mean wage
RSE (3)
37,830 2.6 % (4) $102,870 2.8 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Annual Wage (2) $45,480 $63,040 $86,080 $123,070 $179,440
  (4)

Industry profile for this occupation:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nonscheduled Air Transportation 11,590 25.36 (4) $106,420
Technical and Trade Schools 4,960 3.65 (4) $80,400
Support Activities for Air Transportation 4,020 1.76 (4) $96,280
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services 4,000 1.29 (4) $87,110
Scheduled Air Transportation 2,510 0.55 (4) $163,010

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nonscheduled Air Transportation 11,590 25.36 (4) $106,420
Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Other 750 25.18 (4) $86,520
Technical and Trade Schools 4,960 3.65 (4) $80,400
Support Activities for Air Transportation 4,020 1.76 (4) $96,280
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services 4,000 1.29 (4) $87,110

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Scheduled Air Transportation 2,510 0.55 (4) $163,010
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing 40 0.01 (4) $157,520
Support Activities for Water Transportation 130 0.14 (4) $151,750
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 890 0.17 (4) $150,130
Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities 170 0.02 (4) $139,930


Geographic profile for this occupation:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 4,380 0.35 1.37 (4) $108,210
California 4,030 0.23 0.90 (4) $108,580
Florida 3,940 0.45 1.74 (4) $118,740
North Carolina 1,480 0.33 1.29 (4) $85,480
Arizona 1,440 0.50 1.95 (4) $83,700




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 990 3.13 12.15 (4) $121,080
Montana 330 0.70 2.73 (4) $78,570
South Dakota 270 0.64 2.49 (4) $68,110
North Dakota 270 0.63 2.44 (4) $96,110
Hawaii 350 0.55 2.12 (4) $105,520




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York 1,090 0.11 0.44 (4) $147,980
Connecticut 270 0.16 0.63 (4) $144,100
Georgia 1,370 0.31 1.19 (4) $140,500
Alaska 990 3.13 12.15 (4) $121,080
Florida 3,940 0.45 1.74 (4) $118,740





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 2,250 0.61 2.39 (4) $122,120
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 2,030 0.32 1.26 (4) $123,930
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 1,930 0.73 2.84 (8) (8)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 1,080 0.11 0.43 (8) (8)
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 950 0.35 1.35 (4) $139,920
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 950 0.45 1.74 (4) $84,080
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 760 0.61 2.38 (4) $81,100
Anchorage, AK 730 4.19 16.27 (4) $130,030
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 670 0.33 1.29 (4) $115,510
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 550 0.53 2.08 (4) $98,230




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Anchorage, AK 730 4.19 16.27 (4) $130,030
Pueblo, CO 140 2.28 8.84 (4) $90,380
Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL 120 2.24 8.69 (8) (8)
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL 300 1.50 5.82 (8) (8)
Savannah, GA 260 1.48 5.73 (8) (8)
Ann Arbor, MI 290 1.30 5.06 (4) $88,660
Billings, MT 110 1.29 5.02 (4) $80,780
Houma-Thibodaux, LA 110 1.26 4.90 (8) (8)
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL 210 1.18 4.58 (4) $61,320
Salem, OR 190 1.12 4.36 (4) $76,930




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Springfield, MA-CT 40 0.10 0.41 (4) $164,720
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 950 0.35 1.35 (4) $139,920
Jackson, MS 60 0.24 0.94 (4) $136,010
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 240 0.12 0.48 (4) $131,380
Anchorage, AK 730 4.19 16.27 (4) $130,030
New Orleans-Metairie, LA 70 0.12 0.47 (4) $124,560
Charleston-North Charleston, SC 30 0.09 0.37 (4) $124,430
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO 50 0.20 0.77 (4) $124,270
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 2,030 0.32 1.26 (4) $123,930
Bakersfield, CA 100 0.31 1.22 (4) $123,490

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 260 2.41 9.36 (4) $96,050
Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area 200 2.03 7.87 (4) $80,050
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 160 1.62 6.29 (4) $109,540
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 110 0.82 3.19 (4) $76,030
Eastern and Southern Colorado nonmetropolitan area 110 1.57 6.11 (4) $74,090

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 260 2.41 9.36 (4) $96,050
Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area 200 2.03 7.87 (4) $80,050
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 160 1.62 6.29 (4) $109,540
Eastern and Southern Colorado nonmetropolitan area 110 1.57 6.11 (4) $74,090
Northwestern Idaho nonmetropolitan area 70 1.04 4.03 (4) $93,860

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 160 1.62 6.29 (4) $109,540
West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 90 0.69 2.68 (4) $103,180
Southeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) (4) $99,700
Nevada nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) (4) $99,320
Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 40 0.15 0.59 (4) $97,660


About May 2019 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(4) Wages for some occupations that do not generally work year-round, full time, are reported either as hourly wages or annual salaries depending on how they are typically paid.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2019 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2019 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: July 6, 2020