How much does a pilot make?

The average pilot salary in the United States is $83,128. Pilot salaries typically range between $58,000 and $118,000 yearly. The average hourly rate for pilots is $39.97 per hour. Pilot salary is impacted by location, education, and experience. Pilots earn the highest average salary in California.

Pilot salary

Q: What state pays Pilots the most?

California pays Pilots the most in the United States, with an average salary of $109,381 per year, or $52.59 per hour.

Q: How do I know if I'm being paid fairly as a pilot?

You know if you are being paid fairly as a pilot if your pay is close to the average pay for the state you live in. For example, if you live in New York you should be paid close to $101,449 per year.

Q: How many vacation days do pilots get?

On average, pilots get between 12 to 15 days off per month. However, the exact number can vary depending on the airline, country, and seniority of the pilot. For instance, in the United States, Federal Aviation Regulations dictate that airline pilots cannot fly more than 100 hours per month or more than 1,000 hours per year. This effectively leaves a significant amount of time for rest and vacation. However, these rules differ in other countries, and for pilots flying privately or for smaller operations.

Q: How much do pilots make starting out?

Pilots make starting out $72,466 per year, on average. Airline pilot salary varies quite a bit, however, ranging anywhere from $28,000 per year to several hundred thousand per year depending on:

Q: What benefits do pilots get?

Pilots get many different types of benefits, such as health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, flexible scheduling, and many other great employee benefits. These types of benefits are typically reserved for pilots that work full-time for a specific airline or organization. Specific benefits may vary depending on the employer of the pilot.

Q: What is the highest-paid pilot?

The highest-paid pilot is a private pilot. The average salary for a private pilot ranges from $52,000 - $200,000 per year. You can make up to an average of $112,000 per year. The requirements to become a private pilot are as follows:

Average pilot salary

$83,128

$39.97 hourly rate

Entry-level pilot salary

$58,000 yearly salary

Updated December 15, 2025

Understanding Pilot Salaries

The average pilot salary in the United States is approximately $83,128 annually. However, this figure can differ widely depending on several factors. For instance, pilots working in commercial airlines typically earn higher wages compared to those in private aviation or charter services.

Salary Variations by State

Geographical location plays a significant role in determining pilot salaries. States with a high demand for pilots, such as California and Texas, often offer salaries that exceed the national average. In contrast, areas with fewer aviation opportunities may present lower salary scales.

Experience Matters

Years of experience also impact earnings. Entry-level pilots may start with lower salaries, while seasoned professionals or those in leadership roles, such as chief pilots, can command much higher compensation. Additionally, specialized training and certifications can further enhance a pilot's earning potential.

Highest Paying Pilot Roles

Roles such as flight instructors, corporate pilots, and airline captains generally offer some of the highest salaries in the field. Keeping abreast of industry trends and salary benchmarks can aid pilots in negotiating better pay and advancing their careers.

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Pilot salary by:

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Where can a Pilot earn more?

Compare salary by location

148k

128k

108k

88k

68k

48k

28k

Columbus, OH$118,389

Eden Prairie, MN$58,262

Compare salary by company

136k

116k

96k

76k

56k

HP$114,883

General Atomics$85,853

Pilot salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Indeed, Glassdoor, Ziprecruiter, SalaryExpert, Comparably and CareerExplorer, the average salary for a pilot typically falls between $83,128 and $202,180.

zippia

$83,128yearly

glassdoor[1]

$116,678yearly

indeed[2]

$105,744yearly

comparably[3]

$92,498yearly

ZipRecruiter[4]

$130,916yearly

SalaryExpert[5]

$89,639yearly

CareerExplorer[6]

$202,180yearly

Average pilot salary by state

The highest-paying states for pilots are California, New York, and New Jersey. The lowest average pilot salary states are Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Indiana.

State view
County view

Average salary:

Highest paying states for pilots

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Wyoming	$91,537	$44.01
2	Nevada	$95,876	$46.09
3	Oregon	$96,852	$46.56
4	Iowa	$89,805	$43.18
5	Montana	$83,066	$39.94
6	California	$109,381	$52.59
7	West Virginia	$80,682	$38.79
8	New Mexico	$82,328	$39.58
9	Rhode Island	$80,908	$38.90
10	New Jersey	$101,236	$48.67
11	Texas	$88,780	$42.68
12	Louisiana	$84,288	$40.52
13	Hawaii	$93,870	$45.13
14	Florida	$90,658	$43.59
15	New York	$101,449	$48.77
16	Kansas	$80,045	$38.48
17	Colorado	$82,096	$39.47
18	New Hampshire	$79,380	$38.16
19	Vermont	$76,208	$36.64
20	Delaware	$77,621	$37.32
21	North Dakota	$75,347	$36.22
22	Arizona	$79,983	$38.45
23	Kentucky	$78,108	$37.55
24	Utah	$78,112	$37.55
25	South Dakota	$74,116	$35.63
26	Connecticut	$80,184	$38.55
27	Illinois	$81,150	$39.01
28	Massachusetts	$80,377	$38.64
29	Tennessee	$75,714	$36.40
30	South Carolina	$74,557	$35.84
31	Ohio	$76,114	$36.59
32	Washington	$78,811	$37.89
33	Arkansas	$72,813	$35.01
34	Idaho	$70,636	$33.96
35	Maryland	$76,573	$36.81
36	Mississippi	$67,527	$32.46
37	Alaska	$63,218	$30.39
38	North Carolina	$74,356	$35.75
39	Nebraska	$66,029	$31.74
40	Maine	$64,871	$31.19
41	Oklahoma	$64,738	$31.12
42	Missouri	$67,095	$32.26
43	District of Columbia	$76,246	$36.66
44	Virginia	$70,040	$33.67
45	Michigan	$67,975	$32.68
46	Wisconsin	$63,835	$30.69
47	Alabama	$58,723	$28.23
48	Indiana	$63,465	$30.51
49	Georgia	$65,637	$31.56
50	Minnesota	$58,155	$27.96
51	Pennsylvania	$63,889	$30.72

Top pilot jobs near you

Highest paying cities for pilots

The highest-paying cities for pilots are San Francisco, CA, White Plains, NY, and Pensacola, FL.

Rank	City	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	San Francisco, CA	$118,389	$56.92
2	White Plains, NY	$101,913	$49.00
3	Pensacola, FL	$91,419	$43.95
4	San Antonio, TX	$91,110	$43.80
5	Saint George, UT	$85,802	$41.25
6	Englewood, CO	$82,083	$39.46
7	Chicago, IL	$81,363	$39.12
8	Phoenix, AZ	$80,157	$38.54
9	Bellingham, WA	$79,378	$38.16
10	Baltimore, MD	$76,793	$36.92
11	Toledo, OH	$76,606	$36.83
12	Jacksonville, NC	$75,223	$36.16
13	Norfolk, VA	$70,269	$33.78
14	Detroit, MI	$68,234	$32.80
15	Atlanta, GA	$65,666	$31.57
16	Philadelphia, PA	$64,250	$30.89
17	Mobile, AL	$58,972	$28.35
18	Eden Prairie, MN	$58,262	$28.01

Pilots are the most in-demand in these five cities:

Pilot salary details

A pilot's salary ranges from $58,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $118,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average pilot salary graph, trends, and summary

What is a pilot's salary?

Percentile	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate
90th Percentile	$118,000	$9,833	$57
75th Percentile	$100,000	$8,333	$48
Average	$83,128	$6,927	$40
25th Percentile	$69,000	$5,750	$33
10th Percentile	$58,000	$4,833	$28

Highest paying pilot jobs

The highest paying types of pilots are fighter pilot, air tour pilot, and private pilot.

Job title	Annual salary	Monthly salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
Aviator	$97,217	$8,101	$46.74	3,482
Pilot Instructor	$90,143	$7,512	$43.34	26,978
Helicopter Pilot	$89,418	$7,452	$42.99	4,054
Corporate Pilot	$87,661	$7,305	$42.14	12,371
Aircraft Pilot	$94,207	$7,851	$45.29	5,585
Air Tour Pilot	$101,440	$8,453	$48.77	3,885

Top companies hiring pilots now:

Which companies pay pilots the most?

Pilot salaries at HP and Mercy Health are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average pilot salary at companies like Bell Flight and Woolpert are highly competitive.

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate
1	HP	$114,883	$55.23
2	Mercy Health	$99,825	$47.99
3	Bell Flight	$94,405	$45.39
4	Woolpert	$90,811	$43.66
5	Alaska Airlines	$90,222	$43.38
6	Spirit Airlines	$90,205	$43.37
7	SkyWest Airlines	$90,163	$43.35
8	Air Wisconsin Airlines	$89,622	$43.09
9	PSA Airlines	$89,384	$42.97
10	NetJets	$89,117	$42.84
11	Mesa Airlines	$88,633	$42.61
12	Wiggins Airways	$88,579	$42.59
13	City of Seattle	$88,400	$42.50
14	M.I.T. International, Inc.	$87,937	$42.28
15	Piedmont Airlines	$87,707	$42.17
16	AT&T	$87,275	$41.96
17	Colony Brands	$87,228	$41.94
18	CommutAir	$86,512	$41.59
19	Air Methods	$86,290	$41.49
20	General Atomics	$85,853	$41.28

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$79,000$77,800$76,600$75,400$74,200$73,000

MaleFemale

Pilot salary trends

The average pilot salary has risen by $20,760 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average pilot earned $62,368 annually, but today, they earn $83,128 a year. That works out to a 21% change in pay for pilots over the last decade.

Compare pilot salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average pilot salary over time

Compare pilot salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Pilot salary by year

Year	Avg. salary	Hourly rate	% Change
2025	$83,100	$39.97	+7.7%
2024	$76,700	$36.87	+4.5%
2023	$73,300	$35.23	+4.3%
2022	$70,200	$33.73	+2.0%
2021	$68,800	$33.07	+1.4%

Recently added pilot salaries

Company	Job	Location	Date added	Salary
The Wing	Pilot-In-Command Manager	Dallas, TX	06/29/2025	$138,000
Global Medical Response	Pilot-RW MTC 021	Morristown, TN	06/27/2025	$87,019
Global Medical Response	Skillbridge Rotor Pilot (RCH)	Sacramento, CA	06/27/2025	$83,640
Global Medical Response	Strike Team IFR Pilot	Pauls Valley, OK	06/27/2025	$87,019
Global Medical Response	Pilot-RW MTC 040	Greenville, SC	06/27/2025	$87,019
Global Medical Response	Pilot-RW MTC 177	Columbus, MS	06/27/2025	$102,682
Global Medical Response	Pilot-RW MTC 287	Dubuque, IA	06/27/2025	$113,125
Global Medical Response	Pilot-RW MTC 222	Lady Lake, FL	06/27/2025	$87,019
Global Medical Response	Pilot-RW MTC 199	Yuma, AZ	06/27/2025	$97,461
Global Medical Response	Pilot-RW MTC 190	Hobbs, NM	06/27/2025	$107,904