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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2022

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)
48,750 2.4 % (4) $ 123,250 1.0 %

Percentile wage estimates for Commercial Pilots:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Annual Wage (2) $ 54,100 $ 76,320 $ 103,910 $ 149,170 $ 217,530
  (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 19,600 37.01 (4) $ 130,040
Support Activities for Air Transportation 4,820 2.13 (4) $ 127,910
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services 4,420 1.38 (4) $ 88,810
Technical and Trade Schools 3,630 2.62 (4) $ 88,450
Scheduled Air Transportation 3,510 0.80 (4) $ 168,410

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 19,600 37.01 (4) $ 130,040
Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Other 500 18.65 (4) $ 94,920
Technical and Trade Schools 3,630 2.62 (4) $ 88,450
Support Activities for Air Transportation 4,820 2.13 (4) $ 127,910
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services 4,420 1.38 (4) $ 88,810

Top paying industries for Commercial Pilots:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4244 and 4248 only) 40 (7) (4) $ 198,980
Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 110 0.02 (4) $ 184,960
Scheduled Air Transportation 3,510 0.80 (4) $ 168,410
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing 50 0.01 (4) $ 164,570
Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities 90 0.01 (4) $ 164,400


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.



Map of employment of commercial pilots by state, May 2022


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 6,410 0.70 2.11 (4) $ 131,610
Texas 4,970 0.38 1.16 (4) $ 124,880
California 4,660 0.26 0.80 (4) $ 142,350
Ohio 4,080 0.76 2.30 (4) $ 107,300
Alaska 1,540 5.03 15.26 (4) $ 133,520


Map of location quotient of commercial pilots by state, May 2022


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 1,540 5.03 15.26 (4) $ 133,520
Montana 440 0.89 2.70 (4) $ 100,420
Wyoming 230 0.85 2.58 (8) (8)
Nevada 1,110 0.79 2.39 (4) $ 143,520
Ohio 4,080 0.76 2.30 (4) $ 107,300


Map of annual mean wages of commercial pilots by state, May 2022


Top paying states for Commercial Pilots:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Connecticut 280 0.17 0.51 (4) $ 198,120
New York 1,120 0.12 0.37 (4) $ 195,380
Massachusetts 180 0.05 0.15 (4) $ 177,650
Georgia 1,360 0.30 0.90 (4) $ 148,280
Nevada 1,110 0.79 2.39 (4) $ 143,520



Map of employment of commercial pilots by area, May 2022


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 3,180 1.21 3.68 (4) $ 152,710
Columbus, OH 2,380 2.25 6.82 (4) $ 112,830
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 2,060 0.54 1.64 (4) $ 132,720
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 1,910 0.31 0.95 (4) $ 166,020
Anchorage, AK 1,120 6.70 20.32 (4) $ 139,160
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 1,040 0.11 0.34 (4) $ 201,610
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 1,020 0.33 1.01 (4) $ 130,160
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 950 0.35 1.05 (4) $ 145,920
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 920 0.59 1.79 (4) $ 117,370
Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV 910 0.89 2.69 (4) $ 150,370


Map of location quotient of commercial pilots by area, May 2022


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 1,120 6.70 20.32 (4) $ 139,160
Ann Arbor, MI 650 3.08 9.35 (4) $ 91,190
Houma-Thibodaux, LA 240 3.07 9.31 (4) $ 119,660
California-Lexington Park, MD 120 2.49 7.55 (4) $ 177,400
Columbus, OH 2,380 2.25 6.82 (4) $ 112,830
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL 340 1.66 5.04 (4) $ 74,820
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL 190 1.56 4.74 (4) $ 138,630
Flagstaff, AZ 80 1.35 4.08 (4) $ 98,220
Bend-Redmond, OR 110 1.30 3.94 (4) $ 86,040
Billings, MT 110 1.27 3.86 (4) $ 94,570


Map of annual mean wages of commercial pilots by area, May 2022


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)
Savannah, GA 90 0.49 1.49 (4) $ 235,090
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 1,040 0.11 0.34 (4) $ 201,610
California-Lexington Park, MD 120 2.49 7.55 (4) $ 177,400
Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA 240 0.24 0.72 (4) $ 176,250
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 1,910 0.31 0.95 (4) $ 166,020
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 150 0.06 0.17 (4) $ 159,770
New Orleans-Metairie, LA 290 0.56 1.70 (4) $ 158,250
Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI 90 0.17 0.50 (4) $ 155,760
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 3,180 1.21 3.68 (4) $ 152,710
Ogden-Clearfield, UT 100 0.35 1.06 (4) $ 151,480

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 570 6.71 20.35 (4) $ 109,540
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 370 3.67 11.13 (4) $ 117,210
Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area 170 0.70 2.12 (4) $ 112,590
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 150 0.39 1.18 (4) $ 71,920
Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 140 0.89 2.70 (4) $ 104,790

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 570 6.71 20.35 (4) $ 109,540
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 370 3.67 11.13 (4) $ 117,210
Eastern and Southern Colorado nonmetropolitan area 70 1.00 3.05 (4) $ 73,590
West South Dakota nonmetropolitan area 60 0.98 2.98 (4) $ 60,690
Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 90 0.90 2.72 (8) (8)

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)
Eastern Utah nonmetropolitan area 40 0.45 1.36 (4) $ 167,620
Southeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 50 0.35 1.07 (4) $ 165,410
Southwest Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area 50 0.86 2.62 (4) $ 123,600
West Texas Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area 50 0.26 0.78 (4) $ 122,080
Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area 80 0.40 1.23 (4) $ 121,580


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.

(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