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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022

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)
89,580 0.9 % (4) $ 225,740 2.7 %

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

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Annual Wage (2) $ 98,680 $ 129,520 $ 211,790 (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 75,960 17.30 (4) $ 230,740
Couriers and Express Delivery Services 4,530 0.47 (4) $ 330,810
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) 2,970 0.14 (4) $ 119,010
Support Activities for Air Transportation 1,650 0.73 (4) $ 126,470
Management of Companies and Enterprises 1,580 0.06 (4) $ 162,830

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 75,960 17.30 (4) $ 230,740
Nonscheduled Air Transportation 1,320 2.49 (4) $ 142,100
Support Activities for Air Transportation 1,650 0.73 (4) $ 126,470
Couriers and Express Delivery Services 4,530 0.47 (4) $ 330,810
Technical and Trade Schools 510 0.37 (4) $ 103,660

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 4,530 0.47 (4) $ 330,810
Scheduled Air Transportation 75,960 17.30 (4) $ 230,740
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 40 (7) (4) $ 173,440
Management of Companies and Enterprises 1,580 0.06 (4) $ 162,830
Nonscheduled Air Transportation 1,320 2.49 (4) $ 142,100


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 2022


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 9,670 0.55 0.91 (4) $ 252,110
Texas 9,190 0.71 1.17 (4) $ 212,940
New York 7,990 0.88 1.45 (4) $ 229,120
Illinois 6,570 1.12 1.84 (4) $ 221,580
Florida 6,550 0.71 1.17 (4) $ 270,720


Map of location quotient of airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers by state, May 2022


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)
Colorado 4,810 1.74 2.87 (4) $ 185,960
Alaska 420 1.38 2.28 (4) $ 154,730
Washington 3,970 1.16 1.92 (4) $ 278,260
Illinois 6,570 1.12 1.84 (4) $ 221,580
Nevada 1,360 0.96 1.59 (4) $ 193,240


Map of annual mean wages of airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers by state, May 2022


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 3,970 1.16 1.92 (4) $ 278,260
Florida 6,550 0.71 1.17 (4) $ 270,720
California 9,670 0.55 0.91 (4) $ 252,110
Michigan (8) (8) (8) (4) $ 236,970
New York 7,990 0.88 1.45 (4) $ 229,120



Map of employment of airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers by area, May 2022


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 11,380 1.24 2.04 (4) $ 212,460
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 6,400 1.45 2.39 (4) $ 222,770
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 6,170 1.01 1.67 (4) $ 253,040
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 5,540 1.46 2.41 (4) $ 221,090
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 4,620 2.98 4.92 (4) $ 187,960
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 4,100 1.56 2.58 (4) $ 296,810
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 3,830 1.88 3.10 (8) (8)
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 3,120 1.02 1.68 (4) $ 217,130
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 2,570 0.85 1.40 (4) $ 219,560
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 2,530 1.06 1.74 (4) $ 261,630


Map of location quotient of airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers by area, May 2022


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 4,620 2.98 4.92 (4) $ 187,960
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 3,830 1.88 3.10 (8) (8)
Anchorage, AK 290 1.71 2.83 (4) $ 176,430
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 4,100 1.56 2.58 (4) $ 296,810
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 1,920 1.52 2.50 (4) $ 172,800
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 5,540 1.46 2.41 (4) $ 221,090
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 6,400 1.45 2.39 (4) $ 222,770
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 1,320 1.29 2.12 (4) $ 196,980
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 11,380 1.24 2.04 (4) $ 212,460
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 1,410 1.09 1.79 (4) $ 242,170


Map of annual mean wages of airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers by area, May 2022


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)
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN (8) (8) (8) (4) $ 331,670
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 4,100 1.56 2.58 (4) $ 296,810
St. Louis, MO-IL 100 0.08 0.13 (4) $ 283,710
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 240 0.17 0.29 (4) $ 274,110
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 570 0.35 0.57 (4) $ 273,930
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA 2,530 1.06 1.74 (4) $ 261,630
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 6,170 1.01 1.67 (4) $ 253,040
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI (8) (8) (8) (4) $ 242,380
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 1,410 1.09 1.79 (4) $ 242,170
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 6,400 1.45 2.39 (4) $ 222,770

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)
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 110 1.07 1.76 (4) $ 98,370
Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 80 0.35 0.58 (4) $ 113,830
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 30 0.22 0.36 (8) (8)

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)
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 110 1.07 1.76 (4) $ 98,370
Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 80 0.35 0.58 (4) $ 113,830
Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area 30 0.22 0.36 (8) (8)

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)
Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 80 0.35 0.58 (4) $ 113,830
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 110 1.07 1.76 (4) $ 98,370


About May 2022 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.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(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 2022 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2022 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: April 25, 2023