Average Commercial Pilots Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Commercial Pilots is $123,220 per year. The middle 50% earn between $84,540 and $190,440, with 47,630 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates . Data covers 50 states and 161 metro areas.
Pay distribution
Here is how Commercial Pilots pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $58,850
- 25th
- $84,540
- Median
- $123,220
- 75th
- $190,440
- 90th
- $266,620
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Commercial Pilots are among the highest-paid occupations tracked by BLS, well into the top decile of US wages.
The pay band is unusually wide for this occupation. Experience, employer, and specialization can double or even triple an early-career salary, so what commercial pilots earn depends heavily on where they are in their career and who they work for.
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for commercial pilots from 2024 to 2034. Growth is above the US average of about 4% across all occupations. This is an expanding field.
- Projected growth
- +5.1%
- 2,800 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 6,600
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave. Annual openings reflect typical replacement demand alongside any growth.
- Typical entry education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Postsecondary training beyond high school is typically required, but a full four-year degree is not always necessary.
Where Commercial Pilots earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where commercial pilots work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is Connecticut at $232,160, about 88.4% above the national median. At the metro level, Waterbury-Shelton, CT leads with a median of $315,450.
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | $232,160 | 460 |
| New Jersey | $226,710 | 670 |
| New York | $177,430 | 1,070 |
| California | $165,590 | 4,900 |
| Delaware | $163,600 | 220 |
| Ohio | $150,330 | 2,680 |
| Georgia | $145,100 | 1,020 |
| Colorado | $139,680 | 1,240 |
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $315,450 | 130 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $280,630 | 50 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $274,730 | 130 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $232,600 | 90 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $225,900 | 1,210 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $211,350 | 100 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $205,700 | 50 |
| Midland, TX | $198,480 | 50 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see commercial pilots pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2025, the national median salary for Commercial Pilots rose from $86,080 to $123,220, a gain of +43.1% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +25.9%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $86,080 would need to be worth $108,399 in 2025 dollars.
The actual 2025 median of $123,220 is $14,821 above that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of +13.7% in purchasing power.
Real wages have grown strongly, 13.7% above inflation. Workers in this field have meaningfully gained purchasing power.
- Nominal change
- +43.1%
- 2019–2025
- Cumulative inflation
- +25.9%
- US CPI, 2019–2025
- Real change
- +13.7%
- After adjusting for inflation
Median salary over time
Commercial Pilots median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2025
- $123,220
- 2024
- $122,670
- 2023
- $113,080
- 2022
- $103,910
- 2021
- $99,640
- 2020
- $93,300
- 2019
- $86,080
BLS did not publish a median for 2000–2018, so those years are omitted.
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Air Traffic Controllers
- $148,080
- Flight Attendants
- $63,580
- Airfield Operations Specialists
- $56,850
- Ship Engineers
- $109,530
- Transportation Inspectors
- $92,100
- Subway And Streetcar Operators
- $86,380
Common salary questions for Commercial Pilots
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Commercial Pilots workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.