Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers Salary: $329,274 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 99,300 airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers nationally earn a mean of $329,274. Employment in the series shown rose about 8% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 9.2% annual growth.
Key Statistics
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers: what the data shows
Common questions about airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers?
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 53-2011.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 99,300 workers.
What does a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, Getting Information, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $226,600 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $329,274 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $130,323 |
| 25th percentile | $200,488 |
What education do you need?
For Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Monitoring, Judgment and Decision Making, and knowledge areas including Transportation, English Language, Public Safety and Security, Mechanical. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 9.2% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 54.9%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 140.1%.
Current U.S. headcount: 99,300.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 99,300 | 20.1% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 96,350 | 19.5% |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 93,290 | 18.9% |
| Air Transportation | 87,000 | 17.6% |
| Scheduled Air Transportation | 86,450 | 17.5% |
| Couriers and Messengers | 3,920 | 0.8% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Civil Engineers | 355,410 | $99,590 |
| Sound Engineering Technicians | 13,050 | $66,430 |
| Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health | 84,930 | $80,060 |
| Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors | 23,220 | $109,660 |
| Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers | 6,770 | $101,020 |
| Flight Attendants | 130,110 | $67,130 |
| Commercial Divers | 3,430 | $61,130 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers workforce.
Employment Over Time
99,300 Workforce in 2023
The Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$329,274 Average Wage
In 2023, Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers earned an average of $329,274.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers.
Salary distribution for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers.
Employment Growth Projections
9.2% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
58,136 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 54.9%
90,080 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 140.1%
This occupation is projected to grow at 9.2% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers.
Wage Trends by Industry
7.3% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Total, All Industry: 43.8% growth (Current: $380,963)
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- TX: 10,050 employees, $261,260 avg wage
- CA: 9,890 employees, $321,460 avg wage
- FL: 6,640 employees, $265,890 avg wage
- NY: 6,530 employees, $290,170 avg wage
- IL: 6,440 employees, $296,570 avg wage
- CO: 5,840 employees, $254,770 avg wage
- NC: 4,310 employees, $149,350 avg wage
- PA: 4,030 employees, $207,920 avg wage
- WA: 3,650 employees, $382,350 avg wage
- MI: 2,650 employees, $307,070 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 9,680 employees, $291,240 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 6,570 employees, $324,030 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 6,410 employees, $297,040 avg wage
- Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO: 5,540 employees, $255,440 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 4,950 employees, $248,940 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 4,500 employees, $284,240 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 4,390 employees, $299,120 avg wage
- Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC: 4,110 employees, $148,410 avg wage
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 3,520 employees, $390,770 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 3,270 employees, $284,890 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers in 2023 was 99,300 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Mathematics.
Common majors for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers workers.
Education level distribution for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers.
Skills
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers need many skills, but most especially Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Monitoring.
Required skills for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers include Transportation, English Language, Public Safety and Security, Mechanical, Geography.
Knowledge areas required for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers include Response Orientation, Problem Sensitivity, Control Precision, Near Vision, Far Vision.
Required abilities for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers.
Daily Activities
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers spend their time on activities such as Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards.
Most important work activities for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers.
About
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
The average yearly wage for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers was $329,274 in 2023.
SOC Code
53-2011 - Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers reports an average salary of $329,274, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 99,300 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 9.2%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.