Best states for a helicopter pilot

Q: What is the best state for helicopter pilots?

The best state to be a helicopter pilot is Wyoming based on helicopter pilot salaries and job opportunities.

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

The highest paying state for helicopter pilots is Minnesota based on Zippia’s salary database.

Q: What is the worst state for helicopter pilots?

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

Rank 1 - 10
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We decided to bring you a list of the best states for jobs for helicopter pilots in the United States. Helicopter pilot positions are available in every state, but not all states are the same. Some states do not offer the same wages, benefits, time off, etc for helicopter pilots.In order to help you decide which state is the best for helicopter pilots, we ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia from best to worst for helicopter pilot jobs.

We figured that the best places for helicopter pilot jobs has three things everyone would agree on. There would be high annual wages, good career prospects (no matter what phase of the career you are in), and a lot of job opportunities.Wyoming is the best state, and Windsor is the city with the highest pay for helicopter pilots.

10 best states for helicopter pilots in 2025

1. Wyoming
Total helicopter pilot jobs: 22
Average annual salary: $97,907
Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $151,000
Location Quotient:
5.36
Helicopter pilot jobs in Wyoming
2. Nevada
Total helicopter pilot jobs: 37
Average annual salary: $106,757
Lowest 10 percent earn: $68,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $165,000
Location Quotient:
2.58
Helicopter pilot jobs in Nevada
3. Montana
Total helicopter pilot jobs: 26
Average annual salary: $91,886
Lowest 10 percent earn: $58,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $143,000
Location Quotient:
3.29
Helicopter pilot jobs in Montana
4. Iowa
Total helicopter pilot jobs: 37
Average annual salary: $93,214
Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $138,000
Location Quotient:
1.49
Helicopter pilot jobs in Iowa
5. Louisiana
Total helicopter pilot jobs: 37
Average annual salary: $91,832
Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $140,000
Location Quotient:
1.69
Helicopter pilot jobs in Louisiana
6. Oregon
Total helicopter pilot jobs: 40
Average annual salary: $96,161
Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $146,000
Location Quotient:
1.41
Helicopter pilot jobs in Oregon
7. California
Total helicopter pilot jobs: 124
Average annual salary: $122,183
Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $184,000
Location Quotient:
0.62
Helicopter pilot jobs in California
8. New Jersey
Total helicopter pilot jobs: 38
Average annual salary: $111,513
Lowest 10 percent earn: $76,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $163,000
Location Quotient:
0.7
Helicopter pilot jobs in New Jersey
9. West Virginia
Total helicopter pilot jobs: 26
Average annual salary: $87,608
Lowest 10 percent earn: $59,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $128,000
Location Quotient:
2.48
Helicopter pilot jobs in West Virginia
10. Rhode Island
Total helicopter pilot jobs: 22
Average annual salary: $88,440
Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000
Highest 10 percent earn: $129,000
Location Quotient:
2.64
Helicopter pilot jobs in Rhode Island

Helicopter pilot jobsNear Columbus, OH

How Zippia determines the best states to be a helicopter pilot

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

Detailed list of the best states for a helicopter pilot

Rank	State	Average salary	Lowest 10% earn	Population	Job count
1	Wyoming	$97,907	$63,000	579,315	22
2	Nevada	$106,757	$68,000	2,998,039	37
3	Montana	$91,886	$58,000	1,050,493	26
4	Iowa	$93,214	$62,000	3,145,711	37
5	Louisiana	$91,832	$59,000	4,684,333	37
6	Oregon	$96,161	$63,000	4,142,776	40
7	California	$122,183	$80,000	39,536,653	124
8	New Jersey	$111,513	$76,000	9,005,644	38
9	West Virginia	$87,608	$59,000	1,815,857	26
10	Rhode Island	$88,440	$60,000	1,059,639	22
11	New Mexico	$89,739	$58,000	2,088,070	32
12	New York	$111,523	$75,000	19,849,399	48
13	New Hampshire	$86,473	$59,000	1,342,795	24
14	Florida	$90,745	$59,000	20,984,400	90
15	Delaware	$86,004	$58,000	961,939	25
16	Hawaii	$96,256	$78,000	1,427,538	31
17	Vermont	$83,657	$57,000	623,657	23
18	Utah	$85,999	$55,000	3,101,833	30
19	Alaska	$82,592	$62,000	739,795	30
20	North Dakota	$81,602	$54,000	755,393	27
21	Kansas	$83,494	$55,000	2,913,123	34
22	Arizona	$87,295	$56,000	7,016,270	48
23	Kentucky	$83,176	$56,000	4,454,189	30
24	Connecticut	$87,836	$59,000	3,588,184	22
25	Washington	$89,984	$58,000	7,405,743	33
26	Colorado	$87,538	$56,000	5,607,154	49
27	South Dakota	$77,756	$51,000	869,666	25
28	Massachusetts	$87,805	$60,000	6,859,819	36
29	Illinois	$86,384	$58,000	12,802,023	44
30	Idaho	$78,300	$50,000	1,716,943	31
31	South Carolina	$81,005	$54,000	5,024,369	46
32	Tennessee	$80,581	$54,000	6,715,984	37
33	Ohio	$81,692	$55,000	11,658,609	46
34	Arkansas	$77,068	$51,000	3,004,279	32
35	Maryland	$84,289	$57,000	6,052,177	44
36	North Carolina	$81,657	$55,000	10,273,419	36
37	Texas	$80,309	$52,000	28,304,596	91
38	Mississippi	$72,570	$48,000	2,984,100	31
39	Maine	$70,798	$48,000	1,335,907	23
40	Oklahoma	$68,670	$45,000	3,930,864	49
41	District of Columbia	$83,831	$57,000	693,972	5
42	Nebraska	$68,334	$45,000	1,920,076	30
43	Virginia	$77,305	$53,000	8,470,020	52
44	Missouri	$69,795	$46,000	6,113,532	49
45	Michigan	$72,843	$49,000	9,962,311	28
46	Wisconsin	$68,303	$45,000	5,795,483	37
47	Alabama	$62,906	$42,000	4,874,747	46
48	Indiana	$67,421	$45,000	6,666,818	37
49	Georgia	$70,323	$47,000	10,429,379	44
50	Pennsylvania	$70,178	$47,000	12,805,537	38
51	Minnesota	$62,476	$42,000	5,576,606	37

Highest paying states for helicopter pilots

Rank	State	Avg. Helicopter Pilot Salary
1	Wyoming	$97,907
2	Nevada	$106,757
3	Montana	$91,886
4	Iowa	$93,214
5	Louisiana	$91,832
6	Oregon	$96,161
7	California	$122,183
8	New Jersey	$111,513
9	West Virginia	$87,608
10	Rhode Island	$88,440
11	New Mexico	$89,739
12	New York	$111,523
13	New Hampshire	$86,473
14	Florida	$90,745
15	Delaware	$86,004
16	Hawaii	$96,256
17	Vermont	$83,657
18	Utah	$85,999
19	Alaska	$82,592
20	North Dakota	$81,602
21	Kansas	$83,494
22	Arizona	$87,295
23	Kentucky	$83,176
24	Connecticut	$87,836
25	Washington	$89,984
26	Colorado	$87,538
27	South Dakota	$77,756
28	Massachusetts	$87,805
29	Illinois	$86,384
30	Idaho	$78,300
31	South Carolina	$81,005
32	Tennessee	$80,581
33	Ohio	$81,692
34	Arkansas	$77,068
35	Maryland	$84,289
36	North Carolina	$81,657
37	Texas	$80,309
38	Mississippi	$72,570
39	Maine	$70,798
40	Oklahoma	$68,670
41	District of Columbia	$83,831
42	Nebraska	$68,334
43	Virginia	$77,305
44	Missouri	$69,795
45	Michigan	$72,843
46	Wisconsin	$68,303
47	Alabama	$62,906
48	Indiana	$67,421
49	Georgia	$70,323
50	Pennsylvania	$70,178
51	Minnesota	$62,476

Helicopter pilot best states FAQs

What is the best state for helicopter pilots?

What is the highest paying state for helicopter pilots?

What is the worst state for helicopter pilots?

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Best states for Helicopter Pilots

Updated January 8, 2025

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Total helicopter pilot jobs:	22
Average annual salary:	$97,907
Lowest 10 percent earn:	$63,000
Highest 10 percent earn:	$151,000
Location Quotient:	5.36

Best states for a helicopter pilot

10 best states for helicopter pilots in 2025

1. Wyoming

2. Nevada

3. Montana

4. Iowa

5. Louisiana

6. Oregon

7. California

8. New Jersey

9. West Virginia

10. Rhode Island