Best states for a chief pilot

Q: What is the best state for chief pilots?

The best state to be a chief pilot is California based on chief pilot salaries and job opportunities.

Q: What is the highest paying state for chief pilots?

The highest paying state for chief pilots is Alabama based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for chief pilots?

The worst state for chief pilots is Indiana, due to a combination of low salaries and few job opportunities.

Quoted expert

Russ Leighton

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Do you want to become a chief pilot at USAF Police Alumni Association, and you wonder what that means or entails? We have the full list of best states for chief pilots that you can check out, before you begin your journey. In fact, our research shows that California is the best state for chief pilots in America. The best city in America for chief pilots with the highest pay is San Francisco, CA.

To do that, we looked at the most recent data we have available for the following criteria -- average annual wages, and availability of jobs for chief pilots.We found that California is the best state for chief pilot jobs, whereas Indiana is the worst.

10 best states for chief pilots in 2025

1. California
Total chief pilot jobs: 758
Average annual salary: $118,436
Lowest 10 percent earn: $77,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $180,000
Location Quotient:
1.23
Chief pilot jobs in California
2. Nevada
Total chief pilot jobs: 61
Average annual salary: $104,048
Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $162,000
Location Quotient:
1.38
Chief pilot jobs in Nevada
3. New York
Total chief pilot jobs: 402
Average annual salary: $109,023
Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $164,000
Location Quotient:
1.48
Chief pilot jobs in New York
4. Oregon
Total chief pilot jobs: 115
Average annual salary: $104,013
Lowest 10 percent earn: $67,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $159,000
Location Quotient:
1.31
Chief pilot jobs in Oregon
5. Florida
Total chief pilot jobs: 355
Average annual salary: $108,040
Lowest 10 percent earn: $69,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $167,000
Location Quotient:
1.07
Chief pilot jobs in Florida
6. Wyoming
Total chief pilot jobs: 14
Average annual salary: $95,345
Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $148,000
Location Quotient:
1.1
Chief pilot jobs in Wyoming
7. Iowa
Total chief pilot jobs: 82
Average annual salary: $91,735
Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $137,000
Location Quotient:
1.07
Chief pilot jobs in Iowa
8. New Mexico
Total chief pilot jobs: 50
Average annual salary: $88,461
Lowest 10 percent earn: $56,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000
Location Quotient:
1.2
Chief pilot jobs in New Mexico
9. New Jersey
Total chief pilot jobs: 136
Average annual salary: $108,832
Lowest 10 percent earn: $72,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $164,000
Location Quotient:
0.81
Chief pilot jobs in New Jersey
10. Louisiana
Total chief pilot jobs: 67
Average annual salary: $89,599
Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $139,000
Location Quotient:
0.99
Chief pilot jobs in Louisiana

Chief pilot jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a chief pilot

You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.

Detailed list of the best states for a chief pilot

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	California	$118,436	$77,000	39,536,653	758
2	Nevada	$104,048	$66,000	2,998,039	61
3	New York	$109,023	$72,000	19,849,399	402
4	Oregon	$104,013	$67,000	4,142,776	115
5	Florida	$108,040	$69,000	20,984,400	355
6	Wyoming	$95,345	$61,000	579,315	14
7	Iowa	$91,735	$61,000	3,145,711	82
8	New Mexico	$88,461	$56,000	2,088,070	50
9	New Jersey	$108,832	$72,000	9,005,644	136
10	Louisiana	$89,599	$57,000	4,684,333	67
11	Montana	$87,871	$55,000	1,050,493	29
12	Arizona	$85,981	$55,000	7,016,270	160
13	Massachusetts	$86,201	$57,000	6,859,819	262
14	Connecticut	$86,024	$56,000	3,588,184	87
15	Delaware	$83,211	$55,000	961,939	42
16	Rhode Island	$86,769	$57,000	1,059,639	18
17	West Virginia	$84,936	$56,000	1,815,857	24
18	Hawaii	$95,620	$77,000	1,427,538	19
19	Washington	$84,799	$54,000	7,405,743	162
20	Colorado	$85,616	$55,000	5,607,154	116
21	Illinois	$84,824	$56,000	12,802,023	191
22	Vermont	$82,633	$54,000	623,657	15
23	Kansas	$82,264	$54,000	2,913,123	50
24	District of Columbia	$81,000	$54,000	693,972	159
25	New Hampshire	$85,190	$56,000	1,342,795	20
26	Utah	$83,163	$52,000	3,101,833	51
27	Alaska	$74,500	$57,000	739,795	24
28	Maryland	$81,424	$54,000	6,052,177	158
29	Texas	$78,846	$50,000	28,304,596	416
30	South Carolina	$77,333	$51,000	5,024,369	102
31	North Dakota	$78,517	$51,000	755,393	18
32	Ohio	$79,838	$52,000	11,658,609	134
33	Kentucky	$80,637	$54,000	4,454,189	34
34	North Carolina	$78,048	$52,000	10,273,419	171
35	Tennessee	$78,063	$52,000	6,715,984	84
36	Idaho	$75,464	$48,000	1,716,943	32
37	Virginia	$74,296	$49,000	8,470,020	243
38	South Dakota	$76,472	$50,000	869,666	11
39	Maine	$69,932	$46,000	1,335,907	28
40	Michigan	$71,543	$47,000	9,962,311	148
41	Arkansas	$75,208	$49,000	3,004,279	30
42	Mississippi	$70,564	$46,000	2,984,100	26
43	Oklahoma	$67,196	$44,000	3,930,864	54
44	Pennsylvania	$68,209	$45,000	12,805,537	185
45	Georgia	$67,639	$44,000	10,429,379	182
46	Wisconsin	$67,176	$44,000	5,795,483	90
47	Nebraska	$67,400	$44,000	1,920,076	37
48	Missouri	$68,598	$45,000	6,113,532	91
49	Alabama	$60,801	$40,000	4,874,747	86
50	Minnesota	$60,879	$40,000	5,576,606	136
51	Indiana	$65,899	$43,000	6,666,818	80

Highest paying states for chief pilots

Rank	State	Avg. Chief Pilot Salary
1	California	$118,436
2	Nevada	$104,048
3	New York	$109,023
4	Oregon	$104,013
5	Florida	$108,040
6	Wyoming	$95,345
7	Iowa	$91,735
8	New Mexico	$88,461
9	New Jersey	$108,832
10	Louisiana	$89,599
11	Montana	$87,871
12	Arizona	$85,981
13	Massachusetts	$86,201
14	Connecticut	$86,024
15	Delaware	$83,211
16	Rhode Island	$86,769
17	West Virginia	$84,936
18	Hawaii	$95,620
19	Washington	$84,799
20	Colorado	$85,616
21	Illinois	$84,824
22	Vermont	$82,633
23	Kansas	$82,264
24	District of Columbia	$81,000
25	New Hampshire	$85,190
26	Utah	$83,163
27	Alaska	$74,500
28	Maryland	$81,424
29	Texas	$78,846
30	South Carolina	$77,333
31	North Dakota	$78,517
32	Ohio	$79,838
33	Kentucky	$80,637
34	North Carolina	$78,048
35	Tennessee	$78,063
36	Idaho	$75,464
37	Virginia	$74,296
38	South Dakota	$76,472
39	Maine	$69,932
40	Michigan	$71,543
41	Arkansas	$75,208
42	Mississippi	$70,564
43	Oklahoma	$67,196
44	Pennsylvania	$68,209
45	Georgia	$67,639
46	Wisconsin	$67,176
47	Nebraska	$67,400
48	Missouri	$68,598
49	Alabama	$60,801
50	Minnesota	$60,879
51	Indiana	$65,899

Expert opinions on the best states for chief pilots

Are there any particularly good places in the United States for chief pilots 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.

Best states for a chief pilot

10 best states for chief pilots in 2025

1. California

2. Nevada

3. New York

4. Oregon

5. Florida

6. Wyoming

7. Iowa

8. New Mexico

9. New Jersey

10. Louisiana

Chief pilot jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a chief pilot

Detailed list of the best states for a chief pilot

Highest paying states for chief pilots

Expert opinions on the best states for chief pilots

Are there any particularly good places in the United States for chief pilots to find work opportunities?

Chief pilot best states FAQs

What is the best state for chief pilots?

What is the highest paying state for chief pilots?

What is the worst state for chief pilots?

Search for chief pilot jobs

Total chief pilot jobs:	758
Average annual salary:	$118,436
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$77,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$180,000
Location Quotient:	1.23