Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers: salary, outlook & degrees
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.
Middle half $182,280–$384,440. 103,560 jobs.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Census ACS 2020-2024 microdata, workers with at least a high school diploma; EducationGuide calculation
About 11,200 openings a year, including replacements.
BLS Employment Projections 2025-35
Considerable preparation (usually a bachelor's).
BLS; O*NET 31.0 job zone
Education workers say the job requires
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers (“required level of education”); small samples, so treat shares as approximate.
Pay by state and metro
| State | Median wage |
|---|---|
| Georgia | $618,090 |
| Idaho | $507,640 |
| Michigan | $428,570 |
| California | $353,900 |
| Kentucky | $350,950 |
| Colorado | $307,490 |
| Illinois | $293,490 |
| New York | $255,240 |
| Alaska | $232,140 |
| Washington | $229,900 |
| Arizona | $227,870 |
| Florida | $225,020 |
| Texas | $215,150 |
| Minnesota | $211,470 |
| Ohio | $204,170 |
| Connecticut | $199,870 |
| Nevada | $192,460 |
| Utah | $174,590 |
| Oregon | $173,190 |
| Indiana | $171,260 |
| Arkansas | $168,970 |
| PR | $167,050 |
| Pennsylvania | $164,990 |
| Rhode Island | $164,880 |
| North Carolina | $151,540 |
| Maine | $147,930 |
| Kansas | $143,580 |
| Mississippi | $143,580 |
| South Carolina | $143,580 |
| Tennessee | $143,580 |
| Alabama | $136,990 |
| New Mexico | $136,990 |
| Oklahoma | $133,680 |
| Iowa | $131,730 |
| Nebraska | $131,650 |
| Louisiana | $120,740 |
| New Hampshire | $99,280 |
| Missouri | $97,680 |
Largest metro areas for this job
- New York-Newark-Jersey City NY-NJ$335,270
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell GA$618,090
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim CA$364,730
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin IL-IN$293,490
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington TX$212,810
- Denver-Aurora-Centennial CO$307,490
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA-MD-WV$209,750
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach FL$216,070
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands TX$307,690
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue WA$229,900
- Cincinnati OH-KY-IN$350,950
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington MN-WI$211,470
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: median annual wage, all workers in the job. Metro areas: the largest by employment.
What the work takes
Top skills
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
Knowledge used
- Transportation
- English Language
- Public Safety and Security
- Mechanical
- Geography
Work styles
- Attention to Detail
- Cautiousness
- Self-Control
- Dependability
- Stress Tolerance
People in this job tend to have Realistic (hands-on), Conventional (organizing), Enterprising (leading) interests.
O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0): skills and knowledge by importance; work styles; interest high points.
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers: questions
How much do airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers make?
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers earn a U.S. median $232,140 a year; the middle half earn $182,280 to $384,440 (BLS, May 2025).
Is airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers a growing field?
BLS projects growth of 8.3% from 2025 to 2035, with about 11,200 openings a year, including replacements.
What degree do you need to be an airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineer?
BLS lists the typical entry education as bachelor's degree. In O*NET's survey, 61% of workers say a bachelor's or higher is required.
How much do airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers make in Florida?
The median in Florida is $225,020 a year (BLS, May 2025), compared with $232,140 nationally.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35); O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); U.S. Census Bureau ACS microdata. SOC 53-2011. Method
Data: JSON · Markdown · all careers
Cite this: “Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers: salary, outlook and degrees,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/careers/airline-pilots-copilots-and-flight-engineers.