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Best states for a commercial pilot
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Russ Leighton
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Commercial pilot opportunities vary in different parts of the country. In order to help you determine the best states for commercial pilots, we ranked all fifty states from best to worst for commercial pilots.We wanted to look at the best states for commercial pilots -- where there are plenty of commercial pilot jobs to go around and commercial pilots get paid what they deserve during every phase of their career.
California is the best state for jobs for commercial pilots, and Minnesota is the worst. The most common pay in California is $128,074, while the median pay in Minnesota is $64,727.We found that California is the best state for commercial pilot jobs, whereas Minnesota is the worst.
10 best states for commercial pilots in 2026
1. California
Total commercial pilot jobs: 1,165 Average annual salary: $128,074 Lowest 10 percent earn: $83,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $195,000 Location Quotient: 1.15
2. Nevada
Total commercial pilot jobs: 65 Average annual salary: $111,774 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $175,000 Location Quotient: 0.9
3. Texas
Total commercial pilot jobs: 657 Average annual salary: $103,628 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $160,000 Location Quotient: 0.94
4. Louisiana
Total commercial pilot jobs: 138 Average annual salary: $94,975 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $147,000 Location Quotient: 1.25
5. Iowa
Total commercial pilot jobs: 149 Average annual salary: $95,515 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000 Location Quotient: 1.18
6. New Jersey
Total commercial pilot jobs: 225 Average annual salary: $117,895 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $175,000 Location Quotient: 0.82
7. New York
Total commercial pilot jobs: 358 Average annual salary: $117,977 Lowest 10 percent earn: $79,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $175,000 Location Quotient: 0.81
8. Oregon
Total commercial pilot jobs: 132 Average annual salary: $102,347 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $160,000 Location Quotient: 0.92
9. Kansas
Total commercial pilot jobs: 104 Average annual salary: $95,935 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $147,000 Location Quotient: 0.99
10. Wyoming
Total commercial pilot jobs: 14 Average annual salary: $102,069 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $162,000 Location Quotient: 0.67
Commercial pilot jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a commercial pilot
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a commercial pilot
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $128,074 | $83,000 | 39,536,653 | 1,165 |
| 2 | Nevada | $111,774 | $71,000 | 2,998,039 | 65 |
| 3 | Texas | $103,628 | $66,000 | 28,304,596 | 657 |
| 4 | Louisiana | $94,975 | $61,000 | 4,684,333 | 138 |
| 5 | Iowa | $95,515 | $62,000 | 3,145,711 | 149 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $117,895 | $79,000 | 9,005,644 | 225 |
| 7 | New York | $117,977 | $79,000 | 19,849,399 | 358 |
| 8 | Oregon | $102,347 | $65,000 | 4,142,776 | 132 |
| 9 | Kansas | $95,935 | $62,000 | 2,913,123 | 104 |
| 10 | Wyoming | $102,069 | $64,000 | 579,315 | 14 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $93,220 | $62,000 | 3,588,184 | 167 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $91,756 | $60,000 | 1,815,857 | 48 |
| 13 | Utah | $89,841 | $56,000 | 3,101,833 | 114 |
| 14 | Delaware | $90,706 | $60,000 | 961,939 | 47 |
| 15 | Arizona | $90,971 | $58,000 | 7,016,270 | 207 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $93,638 | $63,000 | 6,859,819 | 298 |
| 17 | Illinois | $89,529 | $58,000 | 12,802,023 | 505 |
| 18 | Montana | $96,274 | $60,000 | 1,050,493 | 25 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $93,283 | $59,000 | 2,088,070 | 55 |
| 20 | Washington | $95,918 | $60,000 | 7,405,743 | 198 |
| 21 | Rhode Island | $94,168 | $63,000 | 1,059,639 | 24 |
| 22 | Ohio | $85,541 | $56,000 | 11,658,609 | 368 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $92,399 | $62,000 | 1,342,795 | 42 |
| 24 | Hawaii | $97,143 | $78,000 | 1,427,538 | 34 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $84,789 | $56,000 | 10,273,419 | 348 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $85,843 | $56,000 | 4,454,189 | 120 |
| 27 | North Dakota | $84,713 | $55,000 | 755,393 | 33 |
| 28 | Colorado | $90,787 | $57,000 | 5,607,154 | 190 |
| 29 | Idaho | $82,786 | $51,000 | 1,716,943 | 68 |
| 30 | Alaska | $89,679 | $63,000 | 739,795 | 25 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $83,675 | $55,000 | 5,024,369 | 162 |
| 32 | Arkansas | $78,717 | $51,000 | 3,004,279 | 135 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $82,551 | $54,000 | 6,715,984 | 203 |
| 34 | Florida | $83,744 | $53,000 | 20,984,400 | 608 |
| 35 | Vermont | $89,442 | $59,000 | 623,657 | 12 |
| 36 | Mississippi | $74,883 | $48,000 | 2,984,100 | 113 |
| 37 | Missouri | $81,036 | $52,000 | 6,113,532 | 209 |
| 38 | Maryland | $88,720 | $59,000 | 6,052,177 | 151 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $80,122 | $51,000 | 869,666 | 30 |
| 40 | Georgia | $72,482 | $47,000 | 10,429,379 | 445 |
| 41 | Indiana | $69,808 | $45,000 | 6,666,818 | 286 |
| 42 | District of Columbia | $88,166 | $59,000 | 693,972 | 39 |
| 43 | Alabama | $64,804 | $42,000 | 4,874,747 | 241 |
| 44 | Michigan | $76,438 | $50,000 | 9,962,311 | 237 |
| 45 | Virginia | $80,809 | $54,000 | 8,470,020 | 231 |
| 46 | Pennsylvania | $74,115 | $49,000 | 12,805,537 | 346 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $70,331 | $45,000 | 3,930,864 | 108 |
| 48 | Maine | $75,903 | $51,000 | 1,335,907 | 25 |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $71,203 | $46,000 | 5,795,483 | 156 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $70,008 | $45,000 | 1,920,076 | 52 |
| 51 | Minnesota | $64,727 | $42,000 | 5,576,606 | 188 |
Highest paying states for commercial pilots
| Rank | State | Avg. Commercial Pilot Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $128,074 |
| 2 | Nevada | $111,774 |
| 3 | Texas | $103,628 |
| 4 | Louisiana | $94,975 |
| 5 | Iowa | $95,515 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $117,895 |
| 7 | New York | $117,977 |
| 8 | Oregon | $102,347 |
| 9 | Kansas | $95,935 |
| 10 | Wyoming | $102,069 |
| 11 | Connecticut | $93,220 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $91,756 |
| 13 | Utah | $89,841 |
| 14 | Delaware | $90,706 |
| 15 | Arizona | $90,971 |
| 16 | Massachusetts | $93,638 |
| 17 | Illinois | $89,529 |
| 18 | Montana | $96,274 |
| 19 | New Mexico | $93,283 |
| 20 | Washington | $95,918 |
| 21 | Rhode Island | $94,168 |
| 22 | Ohio | $85,541 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $92,399 |
| 24 | Hawaii | $97,143 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $84,789 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $85,843 |
| 27 | North Dakota | $84,713 |
| 28 | Colorado | $90,787 |
| 29 | Idaho | $82,786 |
| 30 | Alaska | $89,679 |
| 31 | South Carolina | $83,675 |
| 32 | Arkansas | $78,717 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $82,551 |
| 34 | Florida | $83,744 |
| 35 | Vermont | $89,442 |
| 36 | Mississippi | $74,883 |
| 37 | Missouri | $81,036 |
| 38 | Maryland | $88,720 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $80,122 |
| 40 | Georgia | $72,482 |
| 41 | Indiana | $69,808 |
| 42 | District of Columbia | $88,166 |
| 43 | Alabama | $64,804 |
| 44 | Michigan | $76,438 |
| 45 | Virginia | $80,809 |
| 46 | Pennsylvania | $74,115 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $70,331 |
| 48 | Maine | $75,903 |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $71,203 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $70,008 |
| 51 | Minnesota | $64,727 |
Expert opinions on the best states for commercial pilots
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for commercial 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.
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Updated January 8, 2025