Commercial pilot earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level commercial pilot earnings begin at:

$103.37 per hour

$215,010 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level commercial pilot earnings begin at:

$63.29 per hour

$131,650 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level commercial pilot earnings begin at:

$49.83 per hour

$103,640 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level commercial pilot earnings begin at:

$42.36 per hour

$88,100 per year

10th percentile

Starting level commercial pilot earnings begin at:

$34.16 per hour

$71,050 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Commercial pilot salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Utah $99,610
Rhode Island $98,820
Minnesota $98,630
New Mexico $97,920
Louisiana $95,940
Arkansas $94,410
South Dakota $83,710
New Hampshire $57,210
Connecticut $232,160
New Jersey $226,710
New York $177,430
California $165,590
Delaware $163,600
Ohio $150,330
Georgia $145,100
Colorado $139,680
Texas $137,960
Vermont $137,810
Pennsylvania $134,030
North Dakota $133,010
Maryland $131,210
Kentucky $129,990
Wisconsin $129,860
North Carolina $127,310
Michigan $126,670
Oklahoma $126,180
Illinois $126,100
Florida $121,890
Oregon $120,760
Washington $117,730
Maine $117,560
Tennessee $117,480
Hawaii $113,030
Idaho $109,620
West Virginia $105,950
South Carolina $105,740
Kansas $105,440
Nevada $105,340
Virginia $104,890
Massachusetts $104,830
Nebraska $104,780
Indiana $104,160
Montana $103,690
Mississippi $103,640
Arizona $103,060
Missouri $102,990
Wyoming $102,990
Iowa $101,800
Alabama $101,420
Alaska $100,120

How do commercial pilot salaries compare to similar careers?

Commercial pilots earn about the same as related careers in Mississippi. On average, they make less than pilots but more than air traffic controllers.

Career Median Salary
Pilot salary $144K
Locomotive engineer salary $97K
Commercial pilot salary $104K
Ship captain salary $104K
Shipmate salary $104K
Ship engineer salary $98K
Air traffic controller salary $88K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)