Commands twin-aisle jets such as the Boeing 777, 787, or Airbus A350 on long-haul and international routes for a major airline. MiGFlug Afterburner, from ALPA pilot contracts puts typical pay at $420,000 a year (2026). BLS does not publish separate figures for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers; it counts them within airline pilot (SOC 53-2011), whose median pay is $232,140 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 53-2011
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Widebody Airline Captain in four numbers
- Median pay
- $232,140a yearBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $107KTop 10% $464K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +8.3%Much faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+8.3%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +8.3% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 11,200104,600 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025104.6K
- Projected 2035113.3K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 104.6K Projected 2035 113.3K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school8%
- High school18.2%
- Certificate5.1%
- Some college1.5%
- Associate's6.3%
- Bachelor's61%
Highest education held by airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers Segment Value Less than high school 8% High school 18.2% Certificate 5.1% Some college 1.5% Associate's 6.3% Bachelor's 61%
Also advertised as: Widebody Captain, Long-Haul Captain, International Captain, 777 Captain, 787 Captain, A350 Captain.
Pay
How much do Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers make?
Industry-reported pay
$420,000
Estimated annual base pay for a 12-year widebody captain at Delta, United, or American (about 900 paid hours a year at the contract hourly rate, before profit sharing); high is total W-2 earnings for the most senior widebody captains.
- Top earners
- $550,000
Source: MiGFlug Afterburner, from ALPA pilot contracts, 2026 (estimate from several industry sources). This is not a BLS figure: BLS counts airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers within airline pilot, whose pay is shown below. MiGFlug: $465 an Hour, the Big 3 Just Rewrote U.S. Airline Pilot Pay · ThrustFlight: United Airlines Pilot Salary
Every widebody airline captain in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$232,140
Middle half earn $182,280 to $384,440
- 10th
- $106,710
- 25th
- $182,280
- 75th
- $384,440
- 90th
- $463,830
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $106,710 |
| 25th | $182,280 |
| Median | $232,140 |
| 75th | $384,440 |
| 90th | $463,830 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $232,140
- Median hourly wage
- N/A
- Mean annual wage
- $288,650
- People employed
- 103,560
Versus all US occupations
At $232,140, Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers earn 355% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $181,160 a year.
Versus transportation and material moving occupations
Inside the Transportation and Material Moving group, where the middle occupation pays $62,840, this is 269% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $463,830 or more while the bottom 10% earn $106,710, a gap of 4.3×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 97% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Georgia pays the most at $618,090, and still leads at $641,885 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Georgia | $618,090 | $641,885 | 8,770 |
| 2Idaho | $507,640 | $531,594 | 330 |
| 3Michigan | $428,570 | $445,420 | N/A |
| 4California | $353,900 | $319,635 | 10,670 |
| 5Kentucky | $350,950 | $389,257 | 6,260 |
| 6Colorado | $307,490 | $298,383 | 5,830 |
| 7Illinois | $293,490 | $293,613 | 6,460 |
| 8New York | $255,240 | $236,506 | 6,900 |
| 9Alaska | $232,140 | $226,790 | 1,350 |
| 10Washington | $229,900 | $214,834 | 3,450 |
Job outlook
Is Widebody Airline Captain a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Much faster than average. +8.3% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | +8.3% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers to change 8.3% over 2025–2035, roughly 2.4× the 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 8,700 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 11,200 openings are projected each year, 10.7% of the 104,600 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Widebody Airline Captain
Every airline captain holds an FAA airline transport pilot (ATP) certificate, a type rating for the aircraft, and a first-class medical certificate. Most pilots train through a university aviation program, a flight school, or the military, build hours as flight instructors or at regional airlines, and then move to a major airline as a first officer.
At the major airline, pilots bid for aircraft and seats by seniority. A pilot might fly narrowbody jets as a first officer, upgrade to captain, and only later hold a widebody captain seat after many years. Each move requires airline training and a checkride, and captains repeat recurrent training and checks throughout their careers.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
Less than 5 years
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers.
- Bachelor's Degree61%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)18.2%
- Less than a High School Diploma8%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree6.3%
- Post-Secondary Certificate5.1%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 61% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 18.2% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 8% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 6.3% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 5.1% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Widebody Airline Captain do?
Widebody captains sit in the left seat of the largest passenger jets a major airline flies, usually on international and long domestic routes. They are responsible for the safety of the flight, the crew, and hundreds of passengers. Before departure they review the flight plan, weather, fuel, and maintenance status with the dispatcher and first officers, then lead the crew through the flight.
Long-haul flights bring their own demands. Captains manage augmented crews with relief pilots, plan rest breaks, handle oceanic and polar procedures, and make decisions about diversions and medical emergencies far from land. Because airline seniority decides who flies which aircraft, widebody captain is typically one of the last steps in an airline pilot's career.
Day-to-day tasks
- Review flight plans, weather, fuel, and aircraft status before departure
- Command the flight crew and brief cabin crew on the flight
- Fly the aircraft and supervise first officers and relief pilots
- Manage crew rest on long-haul and ultra-long-haul flights
- Follow oceanic, polar, and international air traffic procedures
- Decide on diversions, weather deviations, and emergency responses
- Complete recurrent training, simulator checks, and medical exams
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Widebody captains fly long trips that cross time zones and include layovers abroad, with night departures and jet lag as part of the routine. Schedules are bid monthly by seniority, and senior captains often have more control over trips and days off. The job requires passing regular medical exams and simulator checks.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely seriousMistakes carry very serious consequences.
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Active Listening4.1
- Critical Thinking4.1
- Monitoring4.1
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Speaking3.8
- Active Learning3.8
- Writing3.1
- Mathematics3.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.1 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.1 |
| Monitoring | 4.1 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.9 |
| Speaking | 3.8 |
| Active Learning | 3.8 |
| Writing | 3.1 |
| Mathematics | 3.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Operation and Control4.9
- Operations Monitoring4.6
- Judgment and Decision Making4.0
- Time Management3.9
- Coordination3.6
- Complex Problem Solving3.6
- Social Perceptiveness3.3
- Systems Analysis3.3
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Operation and Control | 4.9 |
| Operations Monitoring | 4.6 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 4.0 |
| Time Management | 3.9 |
| Coordination | 3.6 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.6 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.3 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Object or component oriented development software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Process mapping and design software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Analytical or scientific software
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Information retrieval or search software
- Route navigation software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Widebody Airline Captain?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code RCE) built on O*NET's Airline Pilot profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Widebody Airline Captain |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 5 |
| Investigative | 3 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 3 |
| Enterprising | 4 |
| Conventional | 5 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Realistic5.1
- Conventional4.9
- Enterprising4.1
- Investigative3.1
- Social2.5
- Artistic1.4
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Widebody Airline Captain
O*NET related occupations
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Transportation and Material Moving
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- Transportation and Material Moving
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Captain, Mate, and Pilot of Water Vessels
$92,460median a year
Most earn $47K to $171K
+4.0%Certificate
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More transportation and material moving careers
Median annual pay, with airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers highlighted
- Airline Pilot$232,140
- Widebody Airline Captain$232,140
- Commercial Pilot$123,220
- Locomotive Engineer$81,410
- Railroad Conductor and Yardmaster$78,000
- Crane and Tower Operator$68,080
- Flight Attendant$63,580
- Truck Driver$58,640
- Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector$49,690
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Airline Pilot | $232,140 |
| Widebody Airline Captain | $232,140 |
| Commercial Pilot | $123,220 |
| Locomotive Engineer | $81,410 |
| Railroad Conductor and Yardmaster | $78,000 |
| Crane and Tower Operator | $68,080 |
| Flight Attendant | $63,580 |
| Truck Driver | $58,640 |
| Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector | $49,690 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Widebody Airline Captain appears on
Questions
Widebody Airline Captain: frequently asked questions
How much do Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers make?
MiGFlug Afterburner, from ALPA pilot contracts reports $420,000 (estimated annual base pay for a 12-year widebody captain at Delta, United, or American (about 900 paid hours a year at the contract hourly rate, before profit sharing); high is total W-2 earnings for the most senior widebody captains, 2026), with top earners around $550,000. BLS does not publish a separate wage for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers. It counts them within airline pilot, whose median pay is $232,140 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $182,280 and $384,440, and the top 10% earn $463,830 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Widebody Airline Captain?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. Employers typically expect less than 5 years of related work experience first. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 61.0% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Widebody Airline Captain a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 8.3% over 2025–2035, more than double the 3.5% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 11,200 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Widebody Airline Captain do?
Widebody captains sit in the left seat of the largest passenger jets a major airline flies, usually on international and long domestic routes. A typical task: review flight plans, weather, fuel, and aircraft status before departure. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Object or component oriented development software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers the most?
The highest state medians for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers are Georgia ($618,090), Idaho ($507,640), Michigan ($428,570) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Widebody Airline Captain?
O*NET scores Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers highest on the Realistic, Conventional and Enterprising interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ISTJ, ESTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.