What are the main factors that influence a Pilot's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Pilot's salary?

A Pilot's salary grows with experience: a Treasury Analyst I (0-2 years)earns $60,804, a Treasury Analyst II (2-4 years)earns $74,375, a Pilot (4-7 years)earns $85,537, a Treasury Analyst IV (7+ years)earns $128,357, a Treasury Analyst V (7-10 years)earns $164,934,

What are the highest paying states for a Pilot?

Pilot salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Pilot roles are District of Columbia $93,616, California $93,261, Massachusetts $92,018. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Pilot roles make?

Salaries for Pilot level roles vary by specialization: Pilot in Commend: $196,600; Pilot IV: $196,501; Charter Pilot: $191,954; Airline Pilot: $170,701; Pilot III: $164,466.

How do different companies affect a Pilot's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Pilot roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Pilot Salary in the United States

How much does a Pilot make in the United States?

As of May 18, 2021, the average salary for a Pilot in the United States is $84,552 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $41.

However, a Pilot's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $103,541
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $74,343 to $94,492
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $65,049

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Pilot Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$94,492	$7,874	$1,817	$45
Average	$84,552	$7,046	$1,626	$41
25th Percentile	$74,343	$6,195	$1,430	$36

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Key Factors That Influence Pilot Salaries

A Pilot's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Pilot Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Pilot's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $60,804
Early Career (1-2 years): $74,375
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $85,537
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $128,357
Expert (over 8 years): $164,934

Levels	Salary
Treasury ... Level Pilot	$60,804
Treasury ... Level Pilot	$74,375
Pilot Level Pilot	$85,537
Treasury ... Level Pilot	$128,357
Treasury ... Level Pilot	$164,934

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Pilot Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Pilots. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $93,616.
California: $93,261.
Massachusetts: $92,018.

District of Columbia $93,616 California $93,261 Massachusetts $92,018 Washington $91,680 New Jersey $91,646 Alaska $91,527 Connecticut $90,361 New York $89,887

Hawaii $88,374 Rhode Island $87,663 Maryland $87,182 Minnesota $86,522 Colorado $86,268 Illinois $86,184 Oregon $85,862 Delaware $85,626

New Hampshire $85,477 Virginia $85,144 Pennsylvania $84,171 Nevada $83,681 North Dakota $83,520 Michigan $83,267 Wisconsin $83,174 Vermont $82,988

Texas $82,472 Maine $82,438 Arizona $82,387 Ohio $82,328 Georgia $81,550 Indiana $81,161 Wyoming $81,085 Utah $80,967

Iowa $80,916 Kansas $80,510 Louisiana $80,392 North Carolina $80,350 Missouri $80,333 Florida $80,003 Montana $79,825 Nebraska $79,656

Kentucky $79,563 South Carolina $79,225 Tennessee $79,014 Idaho $78,929 New Mexico $78,312 Oklahoma $78,177 Alabama $77,678 South Dakota $76,841

Arkansas $76,384 West Virginia $76,139 Mississippi $75,403

Top Paying Cities for Pilots

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $106,645
San Francisco: $105,597
Oakland: $103,255

San Jose, CA $106,645

San Francisco, CA $105,597

Oakland, CA $103,255

New York, NY $97,987

Queens Village, NY $97,353

Paramus, NJ $96,677

Passaic, NJ $96,592

Bergenfield, NJ $96,508

Stamford, CT $96,381

Huntington, NY $96,296

Newark, NJ $95,747

Bridgeport, CT $95,578

New Brunswick, NJ $95,298

Vallejo, CA $95,121

Middlesex, NJ $95,070

Somerset, NJ $94,994

Petaluma, CA $94,800

Santa Cruz, CA $94,470

Boston, MA $94,301

Monterey, CA $93,878

Fairbanks, AK $93,819

Los Angeles, CA $93,658

Washington, DC $93,616

Seattle, WA $93,464

Santa Rosa, CA $93,447

Juneau, AK $93,202

Orange, CA $92,923

Anchorage, AK $92,770

Anaheim, CA $92,711

Santa Ana, CA $92,584

Nassau, NY $92,534

Long Beach, CA $92,500

Danbury, CT $92,474

Santa Maria, CA $92,187

Everett, WA $92,170

Bremerton, WA $91,756

Trenton, NJ $91,595

Sacramento, CA $91,561

San Diego, CA $91,519

Brockton, MA $91,485

Tacoma, WA $91,451

Santa Barbara, CA $91,333

Lowell, MA $90,995

New Suffolk, NY $90,961

Nashua, NH $90,860

Lompoc, CA $90,724

Ventura, CA $90,640

Stockton, CA $90,614

New Haven, CT $90,445

Atlantic City, NJ $90,225

Hartford, CT $90,039

Modesto, CA $89,997

Poughkeepsie, NY $89,811

New Britain, CT $89,769

Kennewick, WA $89,650

Olympia, WA $89,650

New London, CT $89,634

Norwich, CT $89,608

Lawrence, MA $89,566

Bakersfield, CA $89,329

New Bedford, MA $89,211

Riverside, CA $89,211

Richland, WA $89,126

Portsmouth, NH $89,059

Vineland, NJ $89,042

San Bernardino, CA $88,974

Boulder, CO $88,737

Worcester, MA $88,670

Portland, OR $88,594

Saint Paul, MN $88,492

Minneapolis, MN $88,492

Philadelphia, PA $88,374

Honolulu, HI $87,926

Springfield, MA $87,630

Providence, RI $87,621

Chicago, IL $87,376

Bellingham, WA $87,275

Baltimore, MD $87,182

Chico, CA $86,970

Wilmington, DE $86,826

Pittsfield, MA $86,742

Manchester, NH $86,581

Spokane, WA $86,209

Denver, CO $86,201

Albany, NY $85,803

Troy, NY $85,769

Schenectady, NY $85,592

Burlington, VT $85,406

Portland, ME $85,110

Salem, OR $85,042

Yakima, WA $85,025

Ann Arbor, MI $85,000

Rochester, MN $84,763

Reno, NV $84,721

Fresno, CA $84,721

Milwaukee, WI $84,645

Detroit, MI $84,560

Allentown, PA $84,535

Carson City, NV $84,527

Houston, TX $84,400

Colorado Springs, CO $84,391

Syracuse, NY $84,349

Eugene, OR $84,188

Gary, IN $84,087

Bismarck, ND $84,087

Galveston, TX $84,087

Springfield, OR $84,019

Medford, OR $83,816

Fort Collins, CO $83,783

Austin, TX $83,715

Mesa, AZ $83,537

Phoenix, AZ $83,520

Dallas, TX $83,495

Reading, PA $83,444

Saint Cloud, MN $83,410

Concord, NH $83,334

Madison, WI $83,301

Utica, NY $83,072

Raleigh, NC $83,005

Las Vegas, NV $82,996

Rochester, NY $82,937

Des Moines, IA $82,929

Atlanta, GA $82,793

Battle Creek, MI $82,768

Salt Lake City, UT $82,743

Lancaster, PA $82,616

Champaign, IL $82,599

Harrisburg, PA $82,497

Durham, NC $82,421

Kansas City, MO $82,413

Kansas City, KS $82,396

Fort Worth, TX $82,387

Boca Raton, FL $82,354

Cleveland, OH $82,345

Columbus, OH $82,328

Pittsburgh, PA $82,320

Richmond, VA $82,286

Indianapolis, IN $82,269

Cincinnati, OH $82,159

Petersburg, VA $82,032

Lansing, MI $81,846

Billings, MT $81,846

Huntsville, AL $81,846

Lebanon, PA $81,838

Pueblo, CO $81,829

Dayton, OH $81,829

Appleton, WI $81,804

Buffalo, NY $81,770

Racine, WI $81,728

Charlotte, NC $81,719

Saint Louis, MO $81,694

Springfield, IL $81,660

York, PA $81,643

Elkhart, IN $81,643

Gastonia, NC $81,635

Benton Harbor, MI $81,635

Beaumont, TX $81,584

Lorain, OH $81,567

Toledo, OH $81,533

Binghamton, NY $81,491

Rock Hill, SC $81,483

Rockford, IL $81,440

Elyria, OH $81,398

Fargo, ND $81,398

Flagstaff, AZ $81,339

Fort Lauderdale, FL $81,288

Miami, FL $81,238

Duluth, MN $81,102

Bangor, ME $80,992

Cedar Rapids, IA $80,899

Louisville, KY $80,857

Grand Rapids, MI $80,840

Hialeah, FL $80,832

Casper, WY $80,713

Scranton, PA $80,612

New Orleans, LA $80,586

Virginia Beach, VA $80,578

Akron, OH $80,536

Peoria, IL $80,426

Sarasota, FL $80,409

Green Bay, WI $80,350

Baton Rouge, LA $80,307

Charleston, SC $80,291

Nashville, TN $80,265

Jamestown, NY $80,248

Davenport, IA $80,248

Tucson, AZ $80,206

Cheyenne, WY $80,181

Saint Petersburg, FL $80,155

Tampa, FL $80,138

Omaha, NE $80,121

Evansville, IN $80,088

Port Arthur, TX $80,088

Bradenton, FL $80,054

Santa Fe, NM $79,902

Orlando, FL $79,817

Clearwater, FL $79,724

La Crosse, WI $79,546

Canton, OH $79,546

Grand Forks, ND $79,521

Tulsa, OK $79,496

Albuquerque, NM $79,496

Newport News, VA $79,487

High Point, NC $79,462

Ogden, UT $79,428

Corpus Christi, TX $79,360

Laramie, WY $79,310

Norfolk, VA $79,310

Rock Island, IL $79,259

Saginaw, MI $79,242

Jacksonville, FL $79,234

Salisbury, NC $79,217

Memphis, TN $79,200

Moline, IL $79,158

Fort Myers, FL $79,132

Waterloo, IA $79,022

Spartanburg, SC $78,938

Lincoln, NE $78,895

Fort Wayne, IN $78,879

Birmingham, AL $78,785

Cedar Falls, IA $78,769

Provo, UT $78,760

Springfield, OH $78,752

San Antonio, TX $78,735

Greensboro, NC $78,701

South Bend, IN $78,692

Winston Salem, NC $78,684

Boise, ID $78,659

Savannah, GA $78,599

Muskegon, MI $78,447

Lima, OH $78,346

Lake Charles, LA $78,312

Anderson, IN $78,295

Lexington, KY $78,270

Augusta, GA $78,244

Greenville, SC $78,244

Wichita, KS $78,168

Tuscaloosa, AL $78,168

Columbia, SC $78,092

Bloomington, IN $77,881

Roanoke, VA $77,830

Asheville, NC $77,720

Knoxville, TN $77,576

Shreveport, LA $77,568

Wilmington, NC $77,458

Frankfort, KY $77,297

Oklahoma City, OK $77,238

Chillicothe, OH $77,204

Longview, TX $77,196

Topeka, KS $77,171

Mobile, AL $77,044

Terre Haute, IN $77,010

Erie, PA $77,001

Altoona, PA $76,959

Melbourne, FL $76,934

Amarillo, TX $76,900

Killeen, TX $76,875

Fayetteville, AR $76,807

Sioux Falls, SD $76,748

Chattanooga, TN $76,697

Idaho Falls, ID $76,689

Gainesville, FL $76,511

Portsmouth, OH $76,469

Little Rock, AR $76,452

Lynchburg, VA $76,452

Youngstown, OH $76,418

Lafayette, LA $76,418

Temple, TX $76,384

Daytona Beach, FL $76,367

Clarksville, TN $76,359

Pensacola, FL $76,350

Hopkinsville, KY $76,097

Charleston, WV $76,088

Florence, SC $76,046

Sioux City, IA $75,995

Macon, GA $75,750

Tallahassee, FL $75,742

Fayetteville, NC $75,725

Wichita Falls, TX $75,708

Waco, TX $75,708

Pine Bluff, AR $75,674

Vincennes, IN $75,513

Lubbock, TX $75,480

Great Falls, MT $75,429

Alamogordo, NM $75,420

Abilene, TX $75,353

Rapid City, SD $75,243

Monroe, LA $75,243

Albany, GA $75,192

Huntington, WV $75,184

Jackson, MS $75,175

Greenville, MS $75,167

Parkersburg, WV $75,082

Montgomery, AL $75,065

Johnstown, PA $75,048

Springfield, MO $74,981

Biloxi, MS $74,938

Sumter, SC $74,761

Columbus, GA $74,752

Twin Falls, ID $74,702

Pascagoula, MS $74,592

Kingsport, TN $74,372

Gulfport, MS $74,347

Alexandria, LA $74,068

Fort Smith, AR $73,856

El Paso, TX $73,628

Helena, MT $73,518

Las Cruces, NM $73,247

Harlingen, TX $73,011

Pocatello, ID $72,935

Florence, AL $72,909

Brownsville, TX $72,892

Dothan, AL $72,757

Mcallen, TX $72,715

Columbus, MS $72,089

Altus, OK $71,700

Lawton, OK $71,539

Pierre, SD $71,235

What Skills Can Increase a Pilot's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Analysis (Mentioned in 6.39% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
Treasury Operations (Mentioned in 1.76% Job Postings): Manages the incoming and outgoing funds for the state. The division receives and safeguards state money, maintains accounts of all receipts and expenditures, and serves as custodian of securities in trust.
Internal Control (Mentioned in 0.87% Job Postings): Internal control, as defined by accounting and auditing, is a process for assuring of an organization's objectives in operational effectiveness and efficiency, reliable financial reporting, and compliance with laws, regulations and policies.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Analysis	6.39%
Treasury Operations	1.76%
Internal Control	0.87%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Pilot's salary.

Risk Management: Can increase your salary by up to 2%.
Presentation: Can increase your salary by up to 1%.
Economics: Can increase your salary by up to 1%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Risk Management	$86,243	2%
Presentation	$85,397	1%
Economics	$85,397	1%
Initiative	$85,397	1%
Communication Skills	$85,397	1%
Leadership	$85,397	1%

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How Education impacts a Pilot's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Pilots enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Pilot with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $90,528 and $95,587).

Pilot Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Pilot

No Diploma 1.9%

High School 1.9%

Associates 0.9%

Bachelors 36.8%

Masters 60.4%

Doctorate 0.0%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	1.9%
High School	1.9%
Associates	0.9%
Bachelors	36.8%
Masters	60.4%
Doctorate	0.0%

view as graph

Pilot Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Pilot's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on May 18, 2021

$74,343

Average $84,552/year

$94,492

$6,195

Average $7,046/month

$7,874

$1,430

Average $1,626/week

$1,817

$36

Average $41/hour

$45

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$94,492	$7,874	$1,817	$45
Average	$84,552	$7,046	$1,626	$41
25th Percentile	$74,343	$6,195	$1,430	$36

Salaries of jobs related to Pilot

Salary Trends for Pilot

Salaries for a Pilot can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $88,693 in 2023 to around $87,919 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Pilot salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Pilot Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$88,693

2024

$88,382

2025

$87,919

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$88,693
2024	$88,382
2025	$87,919
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Pilot

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401(k)

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Healthcare

Pension

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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