Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

53-2011 Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers

Pilot and navigate the flight of fixed-wing, multi-engine 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.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic 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)
Mean wage
RSE (3)
68,350 4.3 % (4) $118,070 2.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Annual Wage (2) $57,420 $81,910 $105,580 $140,650 (5)
  (4)

Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Scheduled Air Transportation 58,630 14.31 (4) $119,180
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 3,350 0.16 (4) $96,920
Nonscheduled Air Transportation 1,300 3.16 (4) $90,480
Support Activities for Air Transportation 720 0.44 (4) $89,370
Technical and Trade Schools 220 0.14 (4) $77,510

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Scheduled Air Transportation 58,630 14.31 (4) $119,180
Nonscheduled Air Transportation 1,300 3.16 (4) $90,480
Support Activities for Air Transportation 720 0.44 (4) $89,370
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 3,350 0.16 (4) $96,920
Technical and Trade Schools 220 0.14 (4) $77,510

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Scheduled Air Transportation 58,630 14.31 (4) $119,180
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services 140 0.01 (4) $99,240
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 3,350 0.16 (4) $96,920
Nonscheduled Air Transportation 1,300 3.16 (4) $90,480
Support Activities for Air Transportation 720 0.44 (4) $89,370


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 7,690 0.75 1.40 (4) $137,430
California 6,620 0.47 0.89 (4) $117,050
Illinois 6,180 1.11 2.08 (4) $119,340
New York 4,930 0.59 1.10 (4) $145,080
Florida 4,210 0.59 1.10 (4) $133,880




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 1,020 3.27 6.13 (4) $127,450
Arizona 2,820 1.19 2.22 (4) $104,970
Utah 1,340 1.15 2.15 (4) $91,580
Hawaii 650 1.12 2.10 (4) $146,040
Illinois 6,180 1.11 2.08 (4) $119,340




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Hawaii 650 1.12 2.10 (4) $146,040
New York 4,930 0.59 1.10 (4) $145,080
Kentucky (8) (8) (8) (4) $142,870
Texas 7,690 0.75 1.40 (4) $137,430
Washington 1,100 0.40 0.76 (4) $135,780





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 5,650 1.58 2.96 (4) $124,860
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 4,740 0.94 1.76 (4) $149,550
Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ 2,650 1.56 2.93 (4) $106,440
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 2,620 0.69 1.29 (4) $114,320
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 2,330 1.01 1.89 (4) $104,740
Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO 2,140 1.78 3.34 (4) $75,720
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 1,840 1.92 3.60 (4) $114,030
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 1,500 0.73 1.38 (4) $176,890
Salt Lake City, UT 1,300 2.16 4.05 (4) $91,330
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 970 0.71 1.33 (4) $139,200




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Anchorage, AK 900 5.37 10.07 (4) $133,430
Salt Lake City, UT 1,300 2.16 4.05 (4) $91,330
San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA Metropolitan Division 1,840 1.92 3.60 (4) $114,030
Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO 2,140 1.78 3.34 (4) $75,720
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 5,650 1.58 2.96 (4) $124,860
Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, AZ 2,650 1.56 2.93 (4) $106,440
Memphis, TN-MS-AR 900 1.55 2.90 (4) $96,400
Honolulu, HI 600 1.42 2.66 (4) $148,840
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 2,330 1.01 1.89 (4) $104,740
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 4,740 0.94 1.76 (4) $149,550




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 1,500 0.73 1.38 (4) $176,890
Louisville-Jefferson County, KY-IN (8) (8) (8) (4) $153,180
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 4,740 0.94 1.76 (4) $149,550
Honolulu, HI 600 1.42 2.66 (4) $148,840
Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division 970 0.71 1.33 (4) $139,200
Anchorage, AK 900 5.37 10.07 (4) $133,430
Cincinnati-Middletown, OH-KY-IN (8) (8) (8) (4) $127,980
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 5,650 1.58 2.96 (4) $124,860
Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, MI Metropolitan Division (8) (8) (8) (4) $115,770
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 2,620 0.69 1.29 (4) $114,320

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Railbelt / Southwest Alaska nonmetropolitan area 80 1.05 1.97 (4) $72,550

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Railbelt / Southwest Alaska nonmetropolitan area 80 1.05 1.97 (4) $72,550

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) (4) $92,110
Railbelt / Southwest Alaska nonmetropolitan area 80 1.05 1.97 (4) $72,550


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. 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) Wages for some occupations that do not generally work year-round, full time, are reported either as hourly wages or annual salaries depending on how they are typically paid.

(5) This wage is equal to or greater than $90.00 per hour or $187,199 per year.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012