Pay by state · 49 states
Commercial Pilot Salary by State (2026)
Commercial Pilots earn the most in Connecticut at $232,160 a year and the least in Puerto Rico at $81,070 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $123,220. All 49 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $232,160Connecticut
- National median
- $123,220BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $81,070Puerto Rico
- States reporting
- 49of 54 OEWS areas
All states
Commercial Pilot salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of commercial pilots OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CTConnecticut | $232,160 | $172,500 | $315,450 | 460 | $224,071 |
| 2 | NJNew Jersey | $226,710 | $121,730 | $321,550 | 670 | $208,364 |
| 3 | NYNew York | $177,430 | $103,390 | $257,810 | 1,070 | $164,407 |
| 4 | CACalifornia | $165,590 | $85,020 | $278,940 | 4,900 | $149,557 |
| 5 | DEDelaware | $163,600 | $124,180 | $198,380 | 220 | $163,915 |
| 6 | OHOhio | $150,330 | $82,440 | $211,620 | 2,680 | $162,039 |
| 7 | GAGeorgia | $145,100 | $102,090 | $173,870 | 1,020 | $150,686 |
| 8 | COColorado | $139,680 | $98,050 | $210,470 | 1,240 | $135,543 |
| 9 | TXTexas | $137,960 | $101,090 | $196,400 | 4,120 | $142,143 |
| 10 | VTVermont | $137,810 | $65,090 | $191,690 | 40 | $140,683 |
| 11 | PAPennsylvania | $134,030 | $96,780 | $200,910 | 530 | $137,365 |
| 12 | NDNorth Dakota | $133,010 | $92,870 | $234,990 | 370 | $149,518 |
| 13 | MDMaryland | $131,210 | $81,620 | $173,790 | 360 | $125,011 |
| 14 | KYKentucky | $129,990 | $91,570 | $193,940 | 800 | $144,179 |
| 15 | WIWisconsin | $129,860 | $91,750 | $257,050 | 1,090 | $138,009 |
| 16 | NCNorth Carolina | $127,310 | $79,670 | $175,900 | 1,520 | $134,968 |
| 17 | MIMichigan | $126,670 | $82,160 | $156,940 | 1,390 | $131,650 |
| 18 | OKOklahoma | $126,180 | $95,990 | $164,370 | 540 | $143,643 |
| 19 | ILIllinois | $126,100 | $64,370 | $200,440 | 1,170 | $126,153 |
| 20 | FLFlorida | $121,890 | $98,460 | $202,340 | 6,340 | $117,866 |
| 21 | OROregon | $120,760 | $80,100 | $163,810 | 670 | $116,833 |
| 22 | WAWashington | $117,730 | $84,540 | $200,480 | 890 | $110,015 |
| 23 | MEMaine | $117,560 | $95,790 | $217,110 | 100 | $121,133 |
| 24 | TNTennessee | $117,480 | $82,770 | $169,920 | 1,030 | $127,876 |
| 25 | HIHawaii | $113,030 | $65,670 | $148,550 | 350 | $102,800 |
| 26 | IDIdaho | $109,620 | $82,760 | $174,750 | 310 | $114,793 |
| 27 | WVWest Virginia | $105,950 | $76,810 | $150,990 | 40 | $118,384 |
| 28 | SCSouth Carolina | $105,740 | $77,710 | $127,170 | 290 | $112,791 |
| 29 | KSKansas | $105,440 | $59,850 | $135,150 | 680 | $117,067 |
| 30 | NVNevada | $105,340 | $62,590 | $175,770 | 1,100 | $105,362 |
| 31 | VAVirginia | $104,890 | $80,160 | $156,660 | 1,130 | $103,745 |
| 32 | NENebraska | $104,780 | $57,240 | $130,290 | 290 | $116,289 |
| 33 | INIndiana | $104,160 | $88,730 | $144,990 | 960 | $111,605 |
| 34 | MTMontana | $103,690 | $87,190 | $131,360 | 330 | $109,557 |
| 35 | MSMississippi | $103,640 | $88,100 | $131,650 | 240 | $119,191 |
| 36 | AZArizona | $103,060 | $93,620 | $133,110 | 1,540 | $102,367 |
| 37 | MOMissouri | $102,990 | $66,850 | $165,990 | 670 | $113,404 |
| 38 | WYWyoming | $102,990 | $96,110 | $117,100 | 190 | $111,111 |
| 39 | IAIowa | $101,800 | $91,550 | $159,040 | 300 | $115,996 |
| 40 | ALAlabama | $101,420 | $86,500 | $133,520 | 780 | $114,182 |
| 41 | AKAlaska | $100,120 | $80,170 | $128,760 | 1,000 | $97,813 |
| 42 | UTUtah | $99,610 | $80,480 | $134,080 | 540 | $100,755 |
| 43 | RIRhode Island | $98,820 | $66,180 | $166,380 | 80 | $96,617 |
| 44 | MNMinnesota | $98,630 | $60,610 | $164,150 | 910 | $100,009 |
| 45 | NMNew Mexico | $97,920 | $71,970 | $131,240 | 370 | $106,190 |
| 46 | LALouisiana | $95,940 | $63,270 | $135,950 | 910 | $108,767 |
| 47 | ARArkansas | $94,410 | $60,250 | $102,880 | 460 | $108,596 |
| 48 | SDSouth Dakota | $83,710 | $59,420 | $113,430 | 320 | $94,496 |
| 49 | PRPuerto Rico | $81,070 | $73,470 | $102,890 | 70 | N/A |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Commercial Pilots, that changes the ranking: Connecticut leads on raw pay at $232,160, while Connecticut leads once prices are taken into account at $224,071.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Commercial Pilot pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Commercial Pilots the most?
Connecticut reports the highest median wage for Commercial Pilots at $232,160 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by New Jersey ($226,710) and New York ($177,430).
Which state pays Commercial Pilots the least?
Puerto Rico reports the lowest median for Commercial Pilots at $81,070 a year, $151,090 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Commercial Pilots earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts Connecticut first at $224,071 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $232,160. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.