Occupation salary profile

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers

SOC 53-2011 BLS OEWS May 2025 H-1B LCAs, last 12 months

Pilot and navigate the flight of fixed-wing aircraft, usually on scheduled air carrier routes, for the transport of passengers and cargo. Requires Federal Air Transport certificate and rating for specific aircraft type used. Includes regional, national, and international airline pilots and flight instructors of airline pilots. Excludes “Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians” (17-3024).

National median · BLS
$232,140
▲ +2.44% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
$243,360
▲ +20.43% YoY · 206 LCAs
Average salary · BLS
$288,650
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
103,560
Jobs (BLS)
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Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation; H-1B covers 206 certified Labor Condition Applications filed by sponsoring employers in the last 12 months.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS) H-1B sponsored
10th — entry pay$106,710$147,380
25th$182,280$197,538
Median (50th)$232,140$243,360
75th$384,440$343,200
90th — top pay$463,830$357,448
H-1B sponsors pay a median of $243,360 for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers — 4.8% above the BLS national median of $232,140.

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Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers

BLS projects employment of airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers to grow 8.3% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 11,200 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
104,600 → 113,300
+8,700 jobs
Projected change
+8.3%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
11,200
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
Plus less than 5 years experience
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 4)
Considerable Preparation Needed. Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a bachelor's degree →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035 · BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook →

H-1B sponsored pay

Pay by H-1B wage level

Employers assign every H-1B filing a Department of Labor prevailing-wage level, from Level I (entry) to Level IV (fully competent). Pay rises steeply with level.

H-1B median $243,360
Change vs prior year +20.43%
After inflation (CPI-U) +16.77%
Wage level LCAs Share P25 Median P75
Level II 19 9.2% $166,900 $230,974 $246,979
H-1B job titles

Salaries by job title in Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers

The 5 most-filed job titles inside SOC 53-2011, from 206 H-1B filings. Seniority words and level numbers are grouped (“Senior Data Engineer II” counts as Data Engineer). Tap a title for its full range, wage levels and the exact titles employers used.

Job title LCAs Share P25 Median P75 YoY
Captain 61 29.61% $316,971 $336,440 $357,448 +1.5%
Airline Pilot 59 28.64% $202,072 $215,384 $351,000 +6.59%
First Officer 31 15.05% $124,977 $243,360 $246,979 +0%
Pilot, First Officer 19 9.22% $187,200 $197,538 $197,538 +4.48%
Pilot 10 4.85% $133,112 $229,198 $255,525 +59.76%

Titles are cleaned from the employer's own LCA text (codes and typos removed, nothing invented). Rows need 10+ filings in this SOC.

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Operation and Control4.9
  • Operations Monitoring4.6
  • Active Listening4.1
  • Critical Thinking4.1
  • Monitoring4.1
  • Judgment and Decision Making4.0
  • Reading Comprehension3.9
  • Time Management3.9
  • Active Learning3.8
  • Speaking3.8
Top knowledge areas
  • Transportation4.8
  • English Language3.9
  • Public Safety and Security3.7
  • Geography3.7
  • Mechanical3.7
  • Mathematics3.4
  • Computers and Electronics3.4
  • Physics3.3
Software and technology used
RMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft VisioMicrosoft WordAeroPlannerAirline Pilots Daily Aviation Log PPCAirSmith FlightPromptCoPilot Flight Planning & E6BDocument Object Model DOM ScriptingdoXstor Flight Level LogbookElectronic aircraft information databasesIFT-ProMJICCS PilotLogNavzillaNimblefeet Technologies Captain's Keeper

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers do

  • Use instrumentation to guide flights when visibility is poor.
  • Start engines, operate controls, and pilot airplanes to transport passengers, mail, or freight, adhering to flight plans, regulations, and procedures.
  • Work as part of a flight team with other crew members, especially during takeoffs and landings.
  • Respond to and report in-flight emergencies and malfunctions.
  • Inspect aircraft for defects and malfunctions, according to pre-flight checklists.
  • Contact control towers for takeoff clearances, arrival instructions, and other information, using radio equipment.
  • Monitor engine operation, fuel consumption, and functioning of aircraft systems during flights.
  • Monitor gauges, warning devices, and control panels to verify aircraft performance and to regulate engine speed.
Also called
Airline CaptainCaptainFirst Officer (FO)PilotAirbus CaptainAirline PilotCheck AirmanCo-PilotCommercial Airline PilotLine Pilot
More job titles for this occupation (16)
Air Force PilotAircraft CaptainAircraft PilotAirline Pilot Flight InstructorAirline Transport PilotAirplane PilotArmy Helicopter PilotCopilotFacilities Flight Check PilotFighter PilotFirst Officer Pilot (FO Pilot)Helicopter PilotJet PilotMilitary PilotNavy Fighter PilotRegional Airline Pilot

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.