SOC 53-2012 · Transportation and Material Moving Occupations
Commercial Pilots wages by metro
National median annual wage
$123,220
- 10th percentile
- $58,850
- 25th percentile
- $84,540
- Median
- $123,220
- 75th percentile
- $190,440
- 90th percentile
- $266,620
- Mean
- $146,080
Annual wage from the May 2025 OEWS estimates. BLS reports this occupation on an annual basis. Hourly wages are not published.
National employment in May 2025: 47,630.
That median is 141.7% higher than the all-occupations national median of $50,980.
The metro and state figures below are the same May 2025 release. A blank wage means BLS did not publish it. See when a wage is not published.
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Highest published medians
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterbury-Shelton, CT | 130 | $173,750 | $315,450 | $321,270 |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | 50 | $78,370 | $280,630 | $315,120 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 130 | $75,320 | $274,730 | $306,270 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | 90 | $91,550 | $232,600 | $339,700 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 1,210 | $62,820 | $225,900 | $321,550 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | 100 | $61,600 | $211,350 | $334,630 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | 50 | $62,350 | $205,700 | $304,560 |
| Midland, TX | 50 | $68,460 | $198,480 | $208,920 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 430 | $91,070 | $193,940 | $355,390 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | 420 | $78,840 | $177,730 | $269,990 |
| Columbus, OH | 1,410 | $60,300 | $175,690 | $216,270 |
| Port St. Lucie, FL | 140 | $64,060 | $173,100 | $326,120 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 380 | $83,500 | $173,070 | $304,250 |
| Wilmington, NC | 40 | $72,190 | $172,320 | $251,900 |
| Lexington Park, MD | 60 | $115,560 | $171,560 | $224,460 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | 50 | $78,330 | $170,600 | $272,160 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | Not available | $99,940 | $167,310 | $197,260 |
| Cleveland, OH | 600 | $59,280 | $166,520 | $225,960 |
| Boulder, CO | 40 | $32,140 | $165,780 | $250,680 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 1,810 | $80,660 | $160,160 | $266,620 |
Where employment is largest
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 3,440 | $69,780 | $127,360 | $292,330 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 1,980 | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 1,810 | $80,660 | $160,160 | $266,620 |
| Columbus, OH | 1,410 | $60,300 | $175,690 | $216,270 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 1,210 | $62,820 | $225,900 | $321,550 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 1,020 | $71,650 | $105,770 | $219,760 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 940 | $51,350 | $105,340 | $211,810 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 840 | $51,890 | $157,420 | $376,830 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 790 | $61,600 | $131,420 | $205,450 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 710 | $57,100 | $132,810 | $285,550 |
| Cleveland, OH | 600 | $59,280 | $166,520 | $225,960 |
| Anchorage, AK | 590 | $58,570 | $99,920 | $163,530 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 560 | $53,350 | $146,880 | $225,640 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 560 | $45,870 | $126,550 | $311,940 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 550 | $58,260 | $117,790 | $202,090 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | 530 | $58,280 | $126,400 | $178,520 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 510 | $75,310 | $125,850 | $259,570 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 500 | $81,780 | $126,990 | $317,970 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 460 | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 430 | $67,070 | $144,750 | $265,710 |
States and territories
| Occupation | Employment | 10th | Median | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | 460 | $86,840 | $232,160 | $321,270 |
| New Jersey | 670 | $52,560 | $226,710 | $326,930 |
| New York | 1,070 | $63,080 | $177,430 | $297,680 |
| California | 4,900 | $63,890 | $165,590 | $500,170 |
| Delaware | 220 | $83,180 | $163,600 | $264,590 |
| Ohio | 2,680 | $60,300 | $150,330 | $219,140 |
| Georgia | 1,020 | $53,010 | $145,100 | $247,410 |
| Colorado | 1,240 | $59,780 | $139,680 | $269,630 |
| Texas | 4,120 | $68,460 | $137,960 | $259,990 |
| Vermont | 40 | $56,820 | $137,810 | $233,150 |
| Pennsylvania | 530 | $74,610 | $134,030 | $263,290 |
| North Dakota | 370 | $65,630 | $133,010 | $237,050 |
| Maryland | 360 | $58,070 | $131,210 | $229,430 |
| Kentucky | 800 | $83,130 | $129,990 | $355,390 |
| Wisconsin | 1,090 | $66,390 | $129,860 | $269,990 |
| North Carolina | 1,520 | $61,050 | $127,310 | $243,090 |
| Michigan | 1,390 | $58,280 | $126,670 | $205,900 |
| Oklahoma | 540 | $75,880 | $126,180 | $220,610 |
| Illinois | 1,170 | $51,890 | $126,100 | $376,830 |
| Florida | 6,340 | $62,590 | $121,890 | $229,110 |
| Oregon | 670 | $50,960 | $120,760 | $307,900 |
| Washington | 890 | $70,420 | $117,730 | $314,200 |
| Maine | 100 | $73,310 | $117,560 | $252,760 |
| Tennessee | 1,030 | $54,740 | $117,480 | $204,650 |
| Hawaii | 350 | $58,470 | $113,030 | $214,630 |
| Idaho | 310 | $64,300 | $109,620 | $209,320 |
| West Virginia | 40 | $64,450 | $105,950 | $174,170 |
| South Carolina | 290 | $49,720 | $105,740 | $164,920 |
| Kansas | 680 | $49,060 | $105,440 | $175,820 |
| Nevada | 1,100 | $51,350 | $105,340 | $211,260 |
| Virginia | 1,130 | $55,310 | $104,890 | $228,970 |
| Nebraska | 290 | $53,710 | $104,780 | $167,450 |
| Indiana | 960 | $63,250 | $104,160 | $221,260 |
| Montana | 330 | $73,440 | $103,690 | $226,770 |
| Mississippi | 240 | $71,050 | $103,640 | $215,010 |
| Arizona | 1,540 | $64,290 | $103,060 | $201,660 |
| Missouri | 670 | $50,790 | $102,990 | $212,000 |
| Wyoming | 190 | $59,990 | $102,990 | $140,320 |
| Iowa | 300 | $77,790 | $101,800 | $199,340 |
| Alabama | 780 | $57,030 | $101,420 | $163,100 |
| Alaska | 1,000 | $49,610 | $100,120 | $163,410 |
| Utah | 540 | $60,060 | $99,610 | $175,000 |
| Rhode Island | 80 | $51,360 | $98,820 | $273,060 |
| Minnesota | 910 | $42,670 | $98,630 | $261,800 |
| New Mexico | 370 | $34,680 | $97,920 | $219,010 |
| Louisiana | 910 | $46,990 | $95,940 | $169,410 |
| Arkansas | 460 | $43,290 | $94,410 | $171,500 |
| South Dakota | 320 | $51,590 | $83,710 | $157,840 |
| Puerto Rico | 70 | $51,230 | $81,070 | $133,930 |
| Massachusetts | 160 | Not available | Not available | Not available |
| New Hampshire | 440 | Not available | Not available | Not available |
Other transportation and material moving occupations
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand
- Stockers and Order Fillers
- Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
- Light Truck Drivers
- Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
- First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors
- Packers and Packagers, Hand
- Driver/Sales Workers
Questions this page answers
What is the national median wage for Commercial Pilots?
In the May 2025 OEWS estimates, the national median annual wage for Commercial Pilots is $123,220. Employment is 47,630.
How does Commercial Pilots pay compare with all occupations?
The national median for Commercial Pilots is 141.7% higher than the all-occupations median of $50,980.
Which metro has the highest published median for Commercial Pilots?
Among metros with a published annual median in the May 2025 tables, Waterbury-Shelton, CT is highest on this page's list at $315,450.