Commercial Pilots
Commercial Pilots earn an average annual salary of $173,037, making it one of the higher-paying occupations. The field has seen strong growth, with employment increasing by 7.8% over recent years. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Commercial Pilots workforce.
Employment Over Time
5,530 Workforce in 2023
The Commercial Pilots workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Commercial Pilots.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$173,037 Average Wage
In 2023, Commercial Pilots earned an average of $173,037.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Commercial Pilots.
Salary distribution for Commercial Pilots.
Employment Growth Projections
10.5% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
34,266 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 64.7%
56,451 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 171.4%
This occupation is projected to grow at 10.5% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Commercial Pilots.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Commercial Pilots and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Commercial Pilots employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Commercial Pilots.
Wage Trends by Industry
7.3% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Commercial Pilots.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Commercial Pilots.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 4,750 employees, $179,496 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Commercial Pilots.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 1,810 employees, $252,067 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 490 employees, $130,302 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 300 employees, $133,666 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 280 employees, $160,312 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 270 employees, $113,504 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 260 employees, $133,263 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 220 employees, $167,591 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 200 employees, $153,575 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 190 employees, $118,011 avg wage
- Santa Rosa-Petaluma MSA: 170 employees, $145,268 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Commercial Pilots.
Diversity
Demographic information on Commercial Pilots in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Commercial Pilots in 2023 was 5,530 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Commercial Pilots.
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 Commercial Pilots.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Commercial Pilots.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Commercial Pilots in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Commercial Pilots.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Commercial Pilots workers.
Education level distribution for Commercial Pilots.
Skills
Commercial Pilots need many skills, but most especially Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Active Listening.
Required skills for Commercial Pilots.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Commercial Pilots.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Commercial Pilots include Transportation, Customer and Personal Service, Geography, English Language, Public Safety and Security.
Knowledge areas required for Commercial Pilots.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Commercial Pilots include Near Vision, Problem Sensitivity, Control Precision, Far Vision, Response Orientation.
Required abilities for Commercial Pilots.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Commercial Pilots.
Daily Activities
Commercial Pilots spend their time on activities such as Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Getting Information, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Making Decisions and Solving Problems.
Most important work activities for Commercial Pilots.
About
Commercial Pilots
The average yearly wage for Commercial Pilots was $173,037 in 2023.
SOC Code
53-2012 - Commercial Pilots
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Commercial Pilots reports an average salary of $173,037, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 5,530 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 10.5%, 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.