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Best states for an airline pilot/first officer
Quoted expert
Russ Leighton
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Airline pilot/first officer opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for airline pilot/first officers, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for airline pilot/first officers.Our research found that Alabama is the best state for airline pilot/first officers, while Oregon and Alaska are ranked highest in terms of median salary. Alabama has a median salary of $109,273 and Oregon has the highest median salary among all 50 states for airline pilot/first officers.
The median salary for airline pilot/first officers in Alabama is $109,273. Compare that to the median salary in District of Columbia of $89,727, which ranked worst for airline pilot/first officers, and you can see how your location is important for your career.Alabama is the best state, and Grants Pass is the city with the highest pay for airline pilot/first officers.
10 best states for airline pilot/first officers in 2025
1. Alabama
Total airline pilot/first officer jobs: 488 Average annual salary: $109,273 Lowest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000 Location Quotient: 1.252. Minnesota
Total airline pilot/first officer jobs: 887 Average annual salary: $107,575 Lowest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $136,000 Location Quotient: 1.513. Virginia
Total airline pilot/first officer jobs: 1,260 Average annual salary: $111,010 Lowest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $141,000 Location Quotient: 1.514. Oregon
Total airline pilot/first officer jobs: 378 Average annual salary: $130,609 Lowest 10 percent earn: $98,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $173,000 Location Quotient: 1.035. Pennsylvania
Total airline pilot/first officer jobs: 1,028 Average annual salary: $111,665 Lowest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 16. Nevada
Total airline pilot/first officer jobs: 313 Average annual salary: $102,494 Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $137,000 Location Quotient: 1.697. Alaska
Total airline pilot/first officer jobs: 8 Average annual salary: $115,752 Lowest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $142,000 Location Quotient: 0.118. North Carolina
Total airline pilot/first officer jobs: 891 Average annual salary: $109,445 Lowest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000 Location Quotient: 1.059. Wyoming
Total airline pilot/first officer jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $110,580 Lowest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $143,000 Location Quotient: 0.0410. Iowa
Total airline pilot/first officer jobs: 411 Average annual salary: $99,329 Lowest 10 percent earn: $78,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $125,000 Location Quotient: 1.28
Airline pilot/first officer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an airline pilot/first officer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an airline pilot/first officer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama | $109,273 | $85,000 | 4,874,747 | 488 |
| 2 | Minnesota | $107,575 | $85,000 | 5,576,606 | 887 |
| 3 | Virginia | $111,010 | $87,000 | 8,470,020 | 1,260 |
| 4 | Oregon | $130,609 | $98,000 | 4,142,776 | 378 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $111,665 | $87,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,028 |
| 6 | Nevada | $102,494 | $76,000 | 2,998,039 | 313 |
| 7 | Alaska | $115,752 | $93,000 | 739,795 | 8 |
| 8 | North Carolina | $109,445 | $86,000 | 10,273,419 | 891 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $110,580 | $85,000 | 579,315 | 2 |
| 10 | Iowa | $99,329 | $78,000 | 3,145,711 | 411 |
| 11 | Illinois | $100,263 | $79,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,417 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $105,186 | $82,000 | 9,005,644 | 823 |
| 13 | Texas | $105,132 | $80,000 | 28,304,596 | 1,757 |
| 14 | Louisiana | $101,685 | $78,000 | 4,684,333 | 317 |
| 15 | Montana | $107,051 | $81,000 | 1,050,493 | 9 |
| 16 | West Virginia | $98,949 | $77,000 | 1,815,857 | 148 |
| 17 | New York | $105,086 | $82,000 | 19,849,399 | 1,298 |
| 18 | Mississippi | $95,310 | $74,000 | 2,984,100 | 289 |
| 19 | Florida | $107,175 | $85,000 | 20,984,400 | 235 |
| 20 | South Carolina | $99,665 | $78,000 | 5,024,369 | 442 |
| 21 | Kansas | $99,786 | $78,000 | 2,913,123 | 284 |
| 22 | Colorado | $98,913 | $76,000 | 5,607,154 | 739 |
| 23 | South Dakota | $97,518 | $76,000 | 869,666 | 102 |
| 24 | Ohio | $98,355 | $77,000 | 11,658,609 | 845 |
| 25 | Utah | $102,378 | $77,000 | 3,101,833 | 26 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $97,745 | $77,000 | 4,454,189 | 342 |
| 27 | Hawaii | $108,701 | $90,000 | 1,427,538 | 9 |
| 28 | Nebraska | $91,582 | $72,000 | 1,920,076 | 227 |
| 29 | Idaho | $89,975 | $67,000 | 1,716,943 | 324 |
| 30 | Washington | $96,220 | $72,000 | 7,405,743 | 718 |
| 31 | Missouri | $92,142 | $72,000 | 6,113,532 | 569 |
| 32 | Rhode Island | $90,099 | $71,000 | 1,059,639 | 148 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $89,360 | $68,000 | 2,088,070 | 224 |
| 34 | California | $102,197 | $76,000 | 39,536,653 | 241 |
| 35 | North Dakota | $86,263 | $68,000 | 755,393 | 121 |
| 36 | Massachusetts | $89,579 | $71,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,209 |
| 37 | Georgia | $87,618 | $68,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,202 |
| 38 | Maryland | $89,881 | $70,000 | 6,052,177 | 783 |
| 39 | Arizona | $84,818 | $64,000 | 7,016,270 | 823 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $87,076 | $67,000 | 3,930,864 | 334 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $86,696 | $68,000 | 6,715,984 | 553 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $86,140 | $67,000 | 3,004,279 | 258 |
| 43 | Vermont | $87,635 | $70,000 | 623,657 | 84 |
| 44 | Michigan | $86,951 | $68,000 | 9,962,311 | 750 |
| 45 | Connecticut | $90,273 | $71,000 | 3,588,184 | 322 |
| 46 | New Hampshire | $88,832 | $71,000 | 1,342,795 | 164 |
| 47 | Delaware | $90,514 | $71,000 | 961,939 | 6 |
| 48 | Wisconsin | $78,847 | $62,000 | 5,795,483 | 593 |
| 49 | Maine | $79,405 | $64,000 | 1,335,907 | 145 |
| 50 | Indiana | $78,388 | $61,000 | 6,666,818 | 699 |
| 51 | District of Columbia | $89,727 | $70,000 | 693,972 | 13 |
Highest paying states for airline pilot/first officers
| Rank | State | Avg. Airline Pilot/First Officer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama | $109,273 |
| 2 | Minnesota | $107,575 |
| 3 | Virginia | $111,010 |
| 4 | Oregon | $130,609 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | $111,665 |
| 6 | Nevada | $102,494 |
| 7 | Alaska | $115,752 |
| 8 | North Carolina | $109,445 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $110,580 |
| 10 | Iowa | $99,329 |
| 11 | Illinois | $100,263 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $105,186 |
| 13 | Texas | $105,132 |
| 14 | Louisiana | $101,685 |
| 15 | Montana | $107,051 |
| 16 | West Virginia | $98,949 |
| 17 | New York | $105,086 |
| 18 | Mississippi | $95,310 |
| 19 | Florida | $107,175 |
| 20 | South Carolina | $99,665 |
| 21 | Kansas | $99,786 |
| 22 | Colorado | $98,913 |
| 23 | South Dakota | $97,518 |
| 24 | Ohio | $98,355 |
| 25 | Utah | $102,378 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $97,745 |
| 27 | Hawaii | $108,701 |
| 28 | Nebraska | $91,582 |
| 29 | Idaho | $89,975 |
| 30 | Washington | $96,220 |
| 31 | Missouri | $92,142 |
| 32 | Rhode Island | $90,099 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $89,360 |
| 34 | California | $102,197 |
| 35 | North Dakota | $86,263 |
| 36 | Massachusetts | $89,579 |
| 37 | Georgia | $87,618 |
| 38 | Maryland | $89,881 |
| 39 | Arizona | $84,818 |
| 40 | Oklahoma | $87,076 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $86,696 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $86,140 |
| 43 | Vermont | $87,635 |
| 44 | Michigan | $86,951 |
| 45 | Connecticut | $90,273 |
| 46 | New Hampshire | $88,832 |
| 47 | Delaware | $90,514 |
| 48 | Wisconsin | $78,847 |
| 49 | Maine | $79,405 |
| 50 | Indiana | $78,388 |
| 51 | District of Columbia | $89,727 |
Expert opinions on the best states for airline pilot/first officers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for airline pilot/first officers to find work opportunities?
Russ Leighton
Vice President/Director of Safety, CAPA
The cargo airline sector is the least affected by the pandemic, so far. In fact, they have gained business during this time period. Entry-level pilot jobs at small cargo airlines will be today's graduate's best opportunities to break into the professional pilot career. Large cargo airlines like UPS, FedEx, DHL, and Amazon will become the more sought-after, long-term careers due to the stability they offer.
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Updated January 8, 2025