Highest-paying Cities for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers

The top 100 highest paying cities for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment of airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers in those cities are also shown in the table. As shown in the table, with a annual salary of $235,570, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, California is the highest paying city for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers. It is followed by Boise City-Nampa, Idaho (average annual salary $227,690). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in April 2023 [1]. For more salary information of airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers in a specific city, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 100 Highest-paying cities/areas for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers

Rank	City/Area	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, California	$235,570	$96,350	6,170
2	Boise City-Nampa, Idaho	$227,690	$94,370	260
3	Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Michigan	$227,600	$108,590	2,750
4	Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Georgia	$225,350	$98,680	4,090
5	Chicago-Joliet-Naperville (IL-IN-WI Area), Illinois	$225,340	$136,240	6,400
6	New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, New York	$222,890	$107,380	11,380
7	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas	$221,720	$99,330	5,540
8	Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas	$221,160	$89,150	3,120
9	Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida	$212,370	$141,960	1,410
10	San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, California	$206,660	$102,010	2,530
11	Dayton, Ohio	$204,080	$101,210	150
12	Columbus, Ohio	$201,600	$103,340	470
13	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, District of Columbia	$199,950	$91,600	2,570
14	Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, Ohio	$197,380	$126,470	290
15	Tampa-St Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida	$196,490	$81,990	240
16	Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, South Carolina	$187,110	$114,100	1,920
17	Des Moines-West Des Moines, Iowa	$186,010	$95,310	50
18	Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, Arizona	$182,410	$84,930	2,100
19	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	$178,990	$72,320	n/a
20	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, California	$177,020	$84,260	4,230
21	Las Vegas-Paradise, Nevada	$176,940	$91,750	1,320
22	Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, Colorado	$175,690	$107,650	4,620
23	Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Massachusetts	$175,070	$94,730	360
24	Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, West Virginia	$172,510	$80,940	2,490
25	Dover, Delaware	$170,440	$108,680	30
26	Anchorage, Alaska	$167,790	$100,940	290
27	Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, Florida	$166,930	$125,070	4,100
28	Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, Florida	$165,430	$94,240	2,800
29	Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas	$164,050	$77,830	180
30	Jacksonville, Florida	$162,310	$99,310	140
31	New York-White Plains-Wayne, New York	$160,510	$98,190	4,740
32	St Louis, Missouri	$154,710	$71,690	100
33	Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas	$148,080	$109,400	2,560
34	Lansing-East Lansing, Michigan	$146,250	$96,220	210
35	Minneapolis-St Paul-Bloomington, Wisconsin	$145,800	$101,120	2,600
36	San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, California	$145,420	$96,790	2,570
37	Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, Florida	$145,230	$85,360	60
38	Camden, New Jersey	$138,800	$101,130	90
39	Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Massachusetts	$137,180	$87,920	350
40	Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, Louisiana	$134,130	$82,920	40
41	Charleston-North Charleston-Summerville, South Carolina	$130,580	$75,560	40
42	Colorado Springs, Colorado	$127,960	$100,110	110
43	San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos, California	$127,830	$76,970	270
44	Sacramento-Arden-Arcade-Roseville, California	$127,500	$85,580	60
45	Oklahoma City, Oklahoma	$126,380	$87,240	110
46	Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, Virginia	$126,040	$58,400	210
47	Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, Arkansas	$125,610	$57,960	80
48	Wichita, Kansas	$125,380	$100,210	40
49	Chicago-Joliet-Naperville (IL Metropolitan Division), Illinois	$124,860	$47,930	6,830
50	Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, Michigan	$124,390	$72,660	50
51	Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, Washington	$123,810	$90,170	590
52	Huntsville, Alabama	$123,800	$80,900	40
53	Honolulu, Hawaii	$123,340	$44,830	640
54	Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area, Indiana	$122,910	$80,830	30
55	Buffalo-Niagara Falls, New York	$121,150	$98,580	30
56	Newark-Union, Pennsylvania	$118,860	$80,330	n/a
57	Omaha-Council Bluffs, Nebraska	$118,620	$57,880	40
58	Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, California	$118,430	$65,950	2,430
59	Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, California	$115,250	$109,740	570
60	Tucson, Arizona	$114,710	$75,070	80
61	Northeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area, Mississippi	$113,710	$101,040	80
62	Southeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area, Alabama	$113,630	$101,340	220
63	Springfield, Massachusetts	$113,190	$86,530	60
64	Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, Michigan	$112,390	$78,150	2,670
65	Salt Lake City, Utah	$112,380	$76,810	2,080
66	Jackson, Mississippi	$112,090	$77,480	30
67	Kansas City, Missouri	$109,430	$71,520	50
68	Indianapolis-Carmel, Indiana	$109,340	$65,790	260
69	Lafayette, Louisiana	$108,410	$76,470	140
70	Fairbanks, Alaska	$105,890	$79,460	140
71	Richmond, Virginia	$104,900	$82,830	40
72	Barnstable Town, Massachusetts	$104,390	$47,340	30
73	Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, Missouri	$104,110	$49,660	70
74	Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, Wisconsin	$104,000	$50,120	70
75	Springfield, Missouri	$103,790	$54,500	n/a
76	Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, California	$103,180	$53,990	40
77	Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pennsylvania	$102,950	$50,260	1,340
78	Central Missouri nonmetropolitan area, Missouri	$102,380	$80,060	30
79	Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, Tennessee	$101,640	$77,120	80
80	Albuquerque, New Mexico	$101,460	$63,710	40
81	Tulsa, Oklahoma	$100,730	$21,160	60
82	New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, Louisiana	$100,180	$68,790	40
83	Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, Florida	$100,160	$81,990	70
84	Memphis, Tennessee	$100,160	$49,660	60
85	Bend, Oregon	$99,890	$64,080	40
86	Ogden-Clearfield, Utah	$99,560	$80,060	30
87	Montgomery, Alabama	$99,160	$78,750	30
88	Cincinnati-Middletown, Ohio	$98,760	$65,110	910
89	Knoxville, Tennessee	$97,510	$73,760	40
90	Trenton-Ewing, New Jersey	$97,470	$27,620	n/a
91	Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach-Deerfield Beach, Florida	$97,400	$54,240	n/a
92	Madison, Wisconsin	$96,000	$35,610	30
93	West Palm Beach-Boca Raton-Boynton Beach, Florida	$95,970	$58,750	140
94	Savannah, Georgia	$95,200	$61,490	30
95	Alaska nonmetropolitan area, Alaska	$95,010	$45,340	110
96	Columbia, South Carolina	$94,370	$79,350	40
97	Raleigh-Cary, North Carolina	$93,850	$74,910	150
98	San Antonio-New Braunfels, Texas	$92,710	$77,270	150
99	Albany-Schenectady-Troy, New York	$91,040	$32,440	30
100	Charleston, West Virginia	$90,000	$51,160	40

See also: 💰 Highest paying industries for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers.