Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2004

53-2011 Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers

Pilot and navigate the flight of multi-engine aircraft in regularly scheduled service for the transport of passengers and cargo. Requires Federal Air Transport rating and certification in specific aircraft type used. Include aircraft instructors with similar certification.

National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
State profile for this occupation
Metropolitan area profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
78,490 2.0 % (4) $129,620 3.0 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Annual Wage (2) $45,310 $73,090 $129,250 (5) (5)
  (4)

Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage
Scheduled air transportation 63,680 (4) $140,370
Nonscheduled air transportation 6,210 (4) $84,650
Federal government (OES designation) 2,500 (4) $81,240
Support activities for air transportation 1,380 (4) $75,590
Couriers 900 (4) $48,500

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage
Scheduled air transportation 63,680 (4) $140,370
Power generation and supply 40 (4) $126,210
Insurance carriers 80 (4) $106,250
Aerospace product and parts manufacturing 250 (4) $100,960
Newspaper, book, and directory publishers 40 (4) $90,730

State profile for this occupation: Top

States with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation:

State Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of State employment
Alaska 1,510 (4) $134,620 0.515%
Wyoming 450 (4) $67,380 0.184%
Colorado 2,560 (4) $96,040 0.121%
Kentucky 2,080 (4) $109,380 0.120%
Illinois 6,520 (4) $142,240 0.114%

Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of State employment
Illinois 6,520 (4) $142,240 0.114%
Ohio 1,870 (4) $140,300 0.035%
Massachusetts 1,480 (4) $139,420 0.047%
Texas 9,980 (4) $138,910 0.107%
Alaska 1,510 (4) $134,620 0.515%

Metropolitan area profile for this occupation: Top

Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation:

MSA Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of MSA employment
Anchorage, AK MSA 1,220 (4) $150,500 0.875%
Denver, CO PMSA 2,510 (4) $96,500 0.221%
Memphis, TN-AR-MS MSA 930 (4) $107,660 0.163%
Chicago, IL PMSA 6,390 (4) $144,040 0.160%
New York, NY PMSA 3,710 (4) $87,930 0.093%

Top paying Metropolitan areas for this occupation:

MSA Employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage Percent of MSA employment
Boston, MA-NH PMSA 1,280 (4) $152,930 0.067%
Anchorage, AK MSA 1,220 (4) $150,500 0.875%
Chicago, IL PMSA 6,390 (4) $144,040 0.160%
Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA PMSA 3,060 (4) $140,530 0.077%
York, PA MSA (7) (4) $139,010 (7)

About May 2004 National, State, and Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors in metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas in every State and the District of Columbia. The top five employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable Excel files(XLS).

Percentile wage estimates show the percentage of workers in an occupation that earn less than a given wage and the percentage that earn more. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(4) Hourly wage rates for occupations where workers typically work fewer than 2,080 hours per year are not available.

(5) This wage is equal to or greater than $70.00 per hour or $145,600 per year.

(7) Estimates not released.

All Transportation and Material Moving Occupations

May 2004 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2004 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2004 Metropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2004 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2004 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped Excel files

Technical notes

 

Last Modified Date: May 5, 2005