Commercial Pilots Salary in the US
A commercial pilots earns a national median of $123,220 a year (mean $146,080) — BLS OEWS May 2025, ranked #75 of 825.
How much does a commercial pilots earn in the US?
A commercial pilots in the United States earns a median of $123,220 a year (mean $146,080), per BLS OEWS May 2025. That is 142% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980. About 47,630 people work in this occupation (SOC 53-2012), ranked #75 of 825 by national median pay. Updated annually from BLS OEWS.
Median
$123,220
per year
Mean
$146,080
per year
Employment
47,630
US workers
National rank
#75
of 825 by median
What a commercial pilots earns in the US
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025 national estimates, a commercial pilots (SOC 53-2012) earns a median annual wage of $123,220 and a mean (average) of $146,080. The median is the midpoint — half of commercial pilots earn more and half earn less — and is 142% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980. The mean is higher than the median when a minority of very high earners pull the average up.
Note: BLS top-codes any annual wage at or above $239,200/year, so occupations at that ceiling share the same figure.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the average salary for a commercial pilots in the US?
- The BLS OEWS May 2025 national annual median wage for commercial pilots is $123,220, and the mean (average) is $146,080. The median is the midpoint — half of commercial pilots earn more and half earn less.
- How does commercial pilots pay compare to the US average?
- At $123,220, a commercial pilots earns 142% above the US all-occupations median of $50,980 (BLS OEWS May 2025). The all-occupations US median is $50,980.
- How many commercial pilots are employed in the US?
- BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates about 47,630 commercial pilots employed nationally (SOC 53-2012), across all industries.
- Where does this commercial pilots salary data come from?
- From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025 national release — cross-industry, all-ownership estimates, SOC code 53-2012. As US federal government work it is public domain. GeraJobs publishes the figures verbatim; suppressed cells are shown as "—", never estimated.
Compare nearby occupations
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- Economics Teachers, Postsecondary$123,920
- Medical and Health Services Managers$123,860
- Engineers, All Other$122,930
- Nuclear Power Reactor Operators$122,890
- Physical Scientists, All Other$122,570
- Electrical Engineers$120,630
- Data Scientists$120,230
- Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers$117,860
Find commercial pilots jobs with salary ranges
GeraJobs lists live US vacancies with employer-stated salary ranges — see which commercial pilots roles pay above the BLS benchmark.
Data source
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) · May 2025 national estimates · SOC 53-2012 · Public domain (U.S. federal government work)
Published verbatim by GeraJobs. Last updated: 2026-06-27. ← All US salaries