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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023

53-2011 Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers

Pilot and navigate the flight of fixed-wing aircraft, usually on scheduled air carrier routes, for the transport of passengers and cargo. Requires Federal Air Transport certificate and rating for specific aircraft type used. Includes regional, national, and international airline pilots and flight instructors of airline pilots. Excludes “Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians” (17-3024).


National estimates for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
Industry profile for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
Geographic profile for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers

National estimates for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Mean wage
RSE (3)
93,670 1.3 % (4) $ 250,050 1.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Annual Wage (2) $ 101,710 $ 142,770 $ 219,140 (5) (5)
  (4)

Industry profile for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Scheduled Air Transportation 79,790 16.68 (4) $ 257,840
Couriers and Express Delivery Services 4,610 0.50 (4) $ 342,560
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) 2,800 0.13 (4) $ 125,830
Support Activities for Air Transportation 1,930 0.76 (4) $ 138,150
Management of Companies and Enterprises 1,920 0.07 (4) $ 152,670

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Scheduled Air Transportation 79,790 16.68 (4) $ 257,840
Nonscheduled Air Transportation 850 1.46 (4) $ 162,480
Support Activities for Air Transportation 1,930 0.76 (4) $ 138,150
Couriers and Express Delivery Services 4,610 0.50 (4) $ 342,560
Technical and Trade Schools 640 0.45 (4) $ 86,470

Top paying industries for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Couriers and Express Delivery Services 4,610 0.50 (4) $ 342,560
Scheduled Air Transportation 79,790 16.68 (4) $ 257,840
Nonscheduled Air Transportation 850 1.46 (4) $ 162,480
Management of Companies and Enterprises 1,920 0.07 (4) $ 152,670
Support Activities for Air Transportation 1,930 0.76 (4) $ 138,150


Geographic profile for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers by state, May 2023


States with the highest employment level in Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 9,140 0.51 0.83 (4) $ 286,040
Illinois 7,820 1.30 2.11 (4) $ 298,460
Texas 7,800 0.58 0.93 (4) $ 227,380
New York 7,240 0.77 1.25 (4) $ 238,630
Florida 7,130 0.75 1.21 (4) $ 283,740


Map of location quotient of airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers by state, May 2023


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 1,100 3.53 5.72 (8) (8)
Colorado 5,490 1.94 3.14 (4) $ 179,460
Illinois 7,820 1.30 2.11 (4) $ 298,460
Nevada 1,630 1.10 1.79 (4) $ 220,750
Washington 3,670 1.05 1.70 (4) $ 369,440


Map of annual mean wages of airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers by state, May 2023


Top paying states for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington 3,670 1.05 1.70 (4) $ 369,440
Illinois 7,820 1.30 2.11 (4) $ 298,460
California 9,140 0.51 0.83 (4) $ 286,040
Florida 7,130 0.75 1.21 (4) $ 283,740
Virginia 3,230 0.81 1.32 (4) $ 245,980



Map of employment of airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers by area, May 2023


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 10,150 1.07 1.73 (4) $ 235,290
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 7,800 1.73 2.81 (4) $ 298,250
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 5,750 0.93 1.51 (4) $ 279,870
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 5,280 3.32 5.39 (4) $ 180,980
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 4,380 1.61 2.61 (4) $ 312,870
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 4,240 1.07 1.73 (4) $ 241,930
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 3,840 2.93 4.75 (4) $ 143,030
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 3,510 1.69 2.74 (4) $ 379,080
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 3,170 1.12 1.81 (8) (8)
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 2,780 0.90 1.46 (4) $ 259,790


Map of location quotient of airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers by area, May 2023


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 5,280 3.32 5.39 (4) $ 180,980
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 3,840 2.93 4.75 (4) $ 143,030
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 7,800 1.73 2.81 (4) $ 298,250
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 3,510 1.69 2.74 (4) $ 379,080
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 4,380 1.61 2.61 (4) $ 312,870
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 1,610 1.49 2.41 (4) $ 221,970
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 1,560 1.14 1.85 (4) $ 260,920
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 3,170 1.12 1.81 (8) (8)
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 4,240 1.07 1.73 (4) $ 241,930
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 10,150 1.07 1.73 (4) $ 235,290


Map of annual mean wages of airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers by area, May 2023


Top paying metropolitan areas for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 3,510 1.69 2.74 (4) $ 379,080
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN (8) (8) (8) (4) $ 371,770
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 4,380 1.61 2.61 (4) $ 312,870
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 2,560 1.06 1.72 (4) $ 309,650
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 470 0.29 0.46 (4) $ 299,310
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 7,800 1.73 2.81 (4) $ 298,250
St. Louis, MO-IL 40 0.03 0.05 (4) $ 289,740
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 5,750 0.93 1.51 (4) $ 279,870
Salt Lake City, UT (8) (8) (8) (4) $ 270,550
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 250 0.18 0.28 (4) $ 260,930

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 40 0.21 0.34 (4) $ 76,540

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 40 0.21 0.34 (4) $ 76,540

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) (4) $ 98,270
Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 40 0.21 0.34 (4) $ 76,540


About May 2023 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.

(5) This wage is equal to or greater than $115.00 per hour or $239,200 per year.

(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 OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2023 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2023 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 3, 2024