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Best states for an airplane pilot
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you want to become an airplane pilot at Air National Guard, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for airplane pilots that you can check out, before you begin your journey. Our research shows that Nevada is the best state in the country for airplane pilots.
In order to get you the best states for airplane pilots, we looked at our data on jobs and wages -- specifically the average annual wage and the number of available jobs per capita.If you are currently seeking employment as an airplane pilot, you can find open job positions using Zippia's search tools.
10 best states for airplane pilots in 2025
1. Nevada
Total airplane pilot jobs: 14 Average annual salary: $114,191 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $157,000 Location Quotient: 2.78
2. Alaska
Total airplane pilot jobs: 6 Average annual salary: $113,806 Lowest 10 percent earn: $89,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $145,000 Location Quotient: 2.98
3. Kansas
Total airplane pilot jobs: 12 Average annual salary: $115,038 Lowest 10 percent earn: $86,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $152,000 Location Quotient: 1.65
4. Iowa
Total airplane pilot jobs: 14 Average annual salary: $114,692 Lowest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $150,000 Location Quotient: 1.6
5. Louisiana
Total airplane pilot jobs: 9 Average annual salary: $107,704 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $145,000 Location Quotient: 1.17
6. California
Total airplane pilot jobs: 79 Average annual salary: $121,114 Lowest 10 percent earn: $87,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $167,000 Location Quotient: 1.12
7. New Jersey
Total airplane pilot jobs: 13 Average annual salary: $122,291 Lowest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $160,000 Location Quotient: 0.68
8. Montana
Total airplane pilot jobs: 3 Average annual salary: $108,262 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $147,000 Location Quotient: 1.08
9. North Dakota
Total airplane pilot jobs: 6 Average annual salary: $97,436 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $126,000 Location Quotient: 2.68
10. Wyoming
Total airplane pilot jobs: 0 Average annual salary: $115,312 Lowest 10 percent earn: $85,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $155,000 Location Quotient: 0
Airplane pilot jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be an airplane pilot
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for an airplane pilot
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $114,191 | $82,000 | 2,998,039 | 14 |
| 2 | Alaska | $113,806 | $89,000 | 739,795 | 6 |
| 3 | Kansas | $115,038 | $86,000 | 2,913,123 | 12 |
| 4 | Iowa | $114,692 | $87,000 | 3,145,711 | 14 |
| 5 | Louisiana | $107,704 | $79,000 | 4,684,333 | 9 |
| 6 | California | $121,114 | $87,000 | 39,536,653 | 79 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $122,291 | $93,000 | 9,005,644 | 13 |
| 8 | Montana | $108,262 | $79,000 | 1,050,493 | 3 |
| 9 | North Dakota | $97,436 | $74,000 | 755,393 | 6 |
| 10 | Wyoming | $115,312 | $85,000 | 579,315 | 0 |
| 11 | Texas | $101,244 | $74,000 | 28,304,596 | 52 |
| 12 | Colorado | $101,942 | $76,000 | 5,607,154 | 24 |
| 13 | Florida | $99,482 | $74,000 | 20,984,400 | 59 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $100,767 | $76,000 | 1,815,857 | 2 |
| 15 | Kentucky | $99,540 | $75,000 | 4,454,189 | 7 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $97,446 | $72,000 | 2,088,070 | 10 |
| 17 | Missouri | $97,532 | $73,000 | 6,113,532 | 23 |
| 18 | Utah | $99,121 | $72,000 | 3,101,833 | 8 |
| 19 | South Carolina | $95,476 | $72,000 | 5,024,369 | 23 |
| 20 | New York | $108,437 | $82,000 | 19,849,399 | 15 |
| 21 | Illinois | $103,248 | $78,000 | 12,802,023 | 15 |
| 22 | Hawaii | $102,281 | $82,000 | 1,427,538 | 5 |
| 23 | Oregon | $97,083 | $71,000 | 4,142,776 | 17 |
| 24 | Idaho | $93,012 | $67,000 | 1,716,943 | 9 |
| 25 | Tennessee | $96,907 | $73,000 | 6,715,984 | 6 |
| 26 | Michigan | $97,441 | $74,000 | 9,962,311 | 6 |
| 27 | Washington | $100,222 | $73,000 | 7,405,743 | 9 |
| 28 | Ohio | $94,821 | $72,000 | 11,658,609 | 14 |
| 29 | Arizona | $93,402 | $68,000 | 7,016,270 | 18 |
| 30 | Arkansas | $93,659 | $70,000 | 3,004,279 | 5 |
| 31 | Delaware | $95,491 | $72,000 | 961,939 | 3 |
| 32 | Rhode Island | $96,220 | $74,000 | 1,059,639 | 0 |
| 33 | New Hampshire | $95,680 | $74,000 | 1,342,795 | 2 |
| 34 | North Carolina | $94,095 | $71,000 | 10,273,419 | 15 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $87,224 | $65,000 | 2,984,100 | 8 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $93,813 | $71,000 | 869,666 | 1 |
| 37 | Massachusetts | $96,080 | $74,000 | 6,859,819 | 10 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $83,189 | $62,000 | 3,930,864 | 25 |
| 39 | Maryland | $94,789 | $71,000 | 6,052,177 | 16 |
| 40 | Connecticut | $95,980 | $73,000 | 3,588,184 | 3 |
| 41 | District of Columbia | $94,668 | $71,000 | 693,972 | 4 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $84,364 | $64,000 | 1,920,076 | 8 |
| 43 | Vermont | $94,825 | $73,000 | 623,657 | 0 |
| 44 | Alabama | $75,829 | $57,000 | 4,874,747 | 18 |
| 45 | Virginia | $87,356 | $66,000 | 8,470,020 | 21 |
| 46 | Georgia | $84,098 | $63,000 | 10,429,379 | 19 |
| 47 | Wisconsin | $80,781 | $61,000 | 5,795,483 | 11 |
| 48 | Indiana | $80,632 | $61,000 | 6,666,818 | 12 |
| 49 | Maine | $80,307 | $63,000 | 1,335,907 | 2 |
| 50 | Minnesota | $74,820 | $57,000 | 5,576,606 | 16 |
| 51 | Pennsylvania | $77,950 | $59,000 | 12,805,537 | 11 |
Highest paying states for airplane pilots
| Rank | State | Avg. Airplane Pilot Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $114,191 |
| 2 | Alaska | $113,806 |
| 3 | Kansas | $115,038 |
| 4 | Iowa | $114,692 |
| 5 | Louisiana | $107,704 |
| 6 | California | $121,114 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $122,291 |
| 8 | Montana | $108,262 |
| 9 | North Dakota | $97,436 |
| 10 | Wyoming | $115,312 |
| 11 | Texas | $101,244 |
| 12 | Colorado | $101,942 |
| 13 | Florida | $99,482 |
| 14 | West Virginia | $100,767 |
| 15 | Kentucky | $99,540 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $97,446 |
| 17 | Missouri | $97,532 |
| 18 | Utah | $99,121 |
| 19 | South Carolina | $95,476 |
| 20 | New York | $108,437 |
| 21 | Illinois | $103,248 |
| 22 | Hawaii | $102,281 |
| 23 | Oregon | $97,083 |
| 24 | Idaho | $93,012 |
| 25 | Tennessee | $96,907 |
| 26 | Michigan | $97,441 |
| 27 | Washington | $100,222 |
| 28 | Ohio | $94,821 |
| 29 | Arizona | $93,402 |
| 30 | Arkansas | $93,659 |
| 31 | Delaware | $95,491 |
| 32 | Rhode Island | $96,220 |
| 33 | New Hampshire | $95,680 |
| 34 | North Carolina | $94,095 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $87,224 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $93,813 |
| 37 | Massachusetts | $96,080 |
| 38 | Oklahoma | $83,189 |
| 39 | Maryland | $94,789 |
| 40 | Connecticut | $95,980 |
| 41 | District of Columbia | $94,668 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $84,364 |
| 43 | Vermont | $94,825 |
| 44 | Alabama | $75,829 |
| 45 | Virginia | $87,356 |
| 46 | Georgia | $84,098 |
| 47 | Wisconsin | $80,781 |
| 48 | Indiana | $80,632 |
| 49 | Maine | $80,307 |
| 50 | Minnesota | $74,820 |
| 51 | Pennsylvania | $77,950 |
Airplane pilot best states FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025