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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2020

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 Commercial Pilots
Industry profile for Commercial Pilots
Geographic profile for Commercial Pilots

National estimates for Commercial Pilots:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Commercial Pilots:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Mean wage
RSE (3)
37,120 2.8 % (4) $ 110,830 3.2 %

Percentile wage estimates for Commercial Pilots:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Annual Wage (2) $ 47,570 $ 67,070 $ 93,300 $ 132,850 $ 200,920
  (4)

Industry profile for Commercial Pilots:

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

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Commercial Pilots:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nonscheduled Air Transportation 11,610 25.36 (4) $ 118,550
Technical and Trade Schools 5,060 4.04 (4) $ 86,680
Support Activities for Air Transportation 4,270 2.06 (4) $ 101,920
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services 3,730 1.21 (4) $ 89,730
Scheduled Air Transportation 2,280 0.52 (4) $ 187,940

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Commercial Pilots:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nonscheduled Air Transportation 11,610 25.36 (4) $ 118,550
Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Other 550 24.48 (4) $ 88,260
Technical and Trade Schools 5,060 4.04 (4) $ 86,680
Support Activities for Air Transportation 4,270 2.06 (4) $ 101,920
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services 3,730 1.21 (4) $ 89,730

Top paying industries for Commercial Pilots:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Scheduled Air Transportation 2,280 0.52 (4) $ 187,940
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 910 0.17 (4) $ 153,160
Scientific Research and Development Services 110 0.01 (4) $ 149,140
Legal Services (8) (8) (4) $ 144,380
Support Activities for Water Transportation 100 0.12 (4) $ 142,900


Geographic profile for Commercial Pilots:

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





States with the highest employment level in Commercial Pilots:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Florida 4,680 0.55 2.08 (4) $ 126,440
Texas 4,610 0.38 1.43 (4) $ 106,040
California 4,060 0.25 0.93 (4) $ 137,180
Washington 1,380 0.43 1.62 (4) $ 98,260
Ohio 1,090 0.21 0.80 (4) $ 107,550




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Commercial Pilots:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 800 2.71 10.14 (4) $ 123,540
Hawaii 370 0.65 2.44 (4) $ 92,120
South Dakota 250 0.60 2.26 (4) $ 72,030
Delaware 250 0.58 2.17 (4) $ 106,510
New Hampshire 350 0.56 2.10 (4) $ 92,320




Top paying states for Commercial Pilots:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Massachusetts 240 0.07 0.27 (4) $ 151,640
Connecticut 240 0.15 0.58 (4) $ 144,600
California 4,060 0.25 0.93 (4) $ 137,180
Florida 4,680 0.55 2.08 (4) $ 126,440
Alaska 800 2.71 10.14 (4) $ 123,540





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Commercial Pilots:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 2,200 0.88 3.29 (8) (8)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 2,020 0.35 1.30 (4) $ 150,360
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 1,830 0.51 1.92 (4) $ 125,060
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 960 0.32 1.21 (4) $ 95,860
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 730 0.28 1.04 (8) (8)
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 680 0.35 1.30 (4) $ 120,900
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 640 0.30 1.13 (4) $ 93,850
Anchorage, AK 590 3.58 13.42 (4) $ 127,470
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 550 0.46 1.74 (4) $ 98,360
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 510 0.57 2.13 (4) $ 112,820




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Commercial Pilots:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Anchorage, AK 590 3.58 13.42 (4) $ 127,470
Flagstaff, AZ 130 2.34 8.78 (4) $ 71,470
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL 380 1.97 7.39 (8) (8)
Pueblo, CO 110 1.87 7.02 (4) $ 96,500
Redding, CA 110 1.79 6.69 (4) $ 79,660
Ann Arbor, MI 340 1.65 6.17 (4) $ 103,040
Bend-Redmond, OR 130 1.57 5.89 (4) $ 94,130
Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL 70 1.40 5.25 (8) (8)
Salem, OR 230 1.35 5.06 (4) $ 85,850
Houma-Thibodaux, LA 100 1.25 4.69 (8) (8)




Top paying metropolitan areas for Commercial Pilots:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Sioux City, IA-NE-SD 40 0.46 1.73 (4) $ 153,990
Medford, OR 30 0.37 1.40 (4) $ 152,730
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA 210 0.22 0.82 (4) $ 152,290
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 2,020 0.35 1.30 (4) $ 150,360
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 200 0.08 0.28 (4) $ 147,930
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 190 0.10 0.38 (4) $ 144,880
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA 80 0.60 2.25 (4) $ 141,710
Knoxville, TN 30 0.08 0.31 (4) $ 136,090
Cleveland-Elyria, OH 170 0.18 0.66 (4) $ 133,580
Bakersfield, CA 100 0.33 1.25 (4) $ 133,160

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Commercial Pilots:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area 520 6.15 23.04 (4) $ 105,640
Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area 350 3.79 14.21 (4) $ 72,740
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 210 2.12 7.95 (4) $ 112,640
East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area 190 2.86 10.70 (4) $ 121,500
West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 100 0.88 3.30 (4) $ 114,900

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Commercial Pilots:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area 520 6.15 23.04 (4) $ 105,640
Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area 350 3.79 14.21 (4) $ 72,740
East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area 190 2.86 10.70 (4) $ 121,500
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 210 2.12 7.95 (4) $ 112,640
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 100 1.00 3.74 (4) $ 119,260

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Commercial Pilots:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 40 0.15 0.58 (4) $ 143,180
East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area 190 2.86 10.70 (4) $ 121,500
North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area 100 1.00 3.74 (4) $ 119,260
West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 100 0.88 3.30 (4) $ 114,900
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 210 2.12 7.95 (4) $ 112,640


About May 2020 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 OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2020 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2020 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2021