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Are you thinking of becoming an airline pilot and really want to work at SkyWest Airlines? Turns out, your chances to become an airline pilot are better in some states than others.Turns out, the median salary for the highest 10% of airline pilots in America is $110,000.
Oregon is the best state for jobs for airline pilots, and Illinois is the worst. The most common pay in Oregon is $117,208, while the median pay in Illinois is $74,095.We found that Oregon is the best state for airline pilot jobs, whereas Illinois is the worst.
10 best states for airline pilots in 2024
1. Oregon
Total Airline Pilot Jobs:
17 Average Annual Salary: $117,208 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $84,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $162,000 Location Quotient: 1.48Location Quotient is a measure used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to determine how concentrated a certain industry is in a single state compared to the nation as a whole. You can read more about how BLS calculates location quotients here
Airline Pilot Jobs in Oregon
2. Alabama
Total Airline Pilot Jobs:
25 Average Annual Salary: $97,630 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $73,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 2.05Location Quotient is a measure used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to determine how concentrated a certain industry is in a single state compared to the nation as a whole. You can read more about how BLS calculates location quotients here
Airline Pilot Jobs in Alabama
3. Nevada
Total Airline Pilot Jobs:
15 Average Annual Salary: $97,176 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $68,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $136,000 Location Quotient: 2.59Location Quotient is a measure used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to determine how concentrated a certain industry is in a single state compared to the nation as a whole. You can read more about how BLS calculates location quotients here
Airline Pilot Jobs in Nevada
4. Florida
Total Airline Pilot Jobs:
63 Average Annual Salary: $97,184 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $72,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $129,000 Location Quotient: 1.46Location Quotient is a measure used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to determine how concentrated a certain industry is in a single state compared to the nation as a whole. You can read more about how BLS calculates location quotients here
Airline Pilot Jobs in Florida
5. Alaska
Total Airline Pilot Jobs:
6 Average Annual Salary: $95,636 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $76,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $120,000 Location Quotient: 2.59Location Quotient is a measure used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to determine how concentrated a certain industry is in a single state compared to the nation as a whole. You can read more about how BLS calculates location quotients here
Airline Pilot Jobs in Alaska
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6. Montana
Total Airline Pilot Jobs:
3 Average Annual Salary: $99,101 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $69,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $140,000 Location Quotient: 0.94Location Quotient is a measure used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to determine how concentrated a certain industry is in a single state compared to the nation as a whole. You can read more about how BLS calculates location quotients here
Airline Pilot Jobs in Montana
7. Virginia
Total Airline Pilot Jobs:
26 Average Annual Salary: $101,654 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $78,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $131,000 Location Quotient: 1Location Quotient is a measure used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to determine how concentrated a certain industry is in a single state compared to the nation as a whole. You can read more about how BLS calculates location quotients here
Airline Pilot Jobs in Virginia
8. Hawaii
Total Airline Pilot Jobs:
7 Average Annual Salary: $105,147 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $88,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $125,000 Location Quotient: 3.02Location Quotient is a measure used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to determine how concentrated a certain industry is in a single state compared to the nation as a whole. You can read more about how BLS calculates location quotients here
Airline Pilot Jobs in Hawaii
9. Texas
Total Airline Pilot Jobs:
57 Average Annual Salary: $95,442 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $70,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $130,000 Location Quotient: 1.02Location Quotient is a measure used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to determine how concentrated a certain industry is in a single state compared to the nation as a whole. You can read more about how BLS calculates location quotients here
Airline Pilot Jobs in Texas
10. Pennsylvania
Total Airline Pilot Jobs:
11 Average Annual Salary: $102,342 Lowest 10 Percent Earn: $78,000 Highest 10 Percent Earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 0.34Location Quotient is a measure used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to determine how concentrated a certain industry is in a single state compared to the nation as a whole. You can read more about how BLS calculates location quotients here
Airline Pilot Jobs in Pennsylvania
Airline Pilot JobsNear Ashburn, VA
How Zippia determines the best states to be an airline pilot
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated
here.
Detailed list of the best states for an airline pilot
| Rank | State | Average Salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $117,208 | $84,000 | 4,142,776 | 17 |
| 2 | Alabama | $97,630 | $73,000 | 4,874,747 | 25 |
| 3 | Nevada | $97,176 | $68,000 | 2,998,039 | 15 |
| 4 | Florida | $97,184 | $72,000 | 20,984,400 | 63 |
| 5 | Alaska | $95,636 | $76,000 | 739,795 | 6 |
| 6 | Montana | $99,101 | $69,000 | 1,050,493 | 3 |
| 7 | Virginia | $101,654 | $78,000 | 8,470,020 | 26 |
| 8 | Hawaii | $105,147 | $88,000 | 1,427,538 | 7 |
| 9 | Texas | $95,442 | $70,000 | 28,304,596 | 57 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $102,342 | $78,000 | 12,805,537 | 11 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $97,058 | $73,000 | 5,576,606 | 16 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $99,623 | $77,000 | 10,273,419 | 16 |
| 13 | Utah | $91,667 | $64,000 | 3,101,833 | 15 |
| 14 | South Carolina | $89,860 | $69,000 | 5,024,369 | 26 |
| 15 | Wyoming | $100,360 | $71,000 | 579,315 | 0 |
| 16 | Louisiana | $91,250 | $67,000 | 4,684,333 | 13 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $96,631 | $74,000 | 9,005,644 | 18 |
| 18 | Iowa | $89,122 | $66,000 | 3,145,711 | 14 |
| 19 | Kansas | $88,812 | $66,000 | 2,913,123 | 12 |
| 20 | Colorado | $89,978 | $65,000 | 5,607,154 | 30 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $90,373 | $69,000 | 1,815,857 | 2 |
| 22 | Ohio | $89,558 | $68,000 | 11,658,609 | 19 |
| 23 | New York | $96,587 | $74,000 | 19,849,399 | 17 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $88,362 | $67,000 | 4,454,189 | 7 |
| 25 | New Mexico | $83,061 | $60,000 | 2,088,070 | 12 |
| 26 | Mississippi | $84,851 | $63,000 | 2,984,100 | 8 |
| 27 | South Dakota | $88,121 | $65,000 | 869,666 | 1 |
| 28 | Idaho | $82,078 | $58,000 | 1,716,943 | 9 |
| 29 | California | $89,844 | $63,000 | 39,536,653 | 98 |
| 30 | Nebraska | $81,635 | $60,000 | 1,920,076 | 8 |
| 31 | Maryland | $88,344 | $67,000 | 6,052,177 | 18 |
| 32 | Missouri | $82,302 | $61,000 | 6,113,532 | 23 |
| 33 | North Dakota | $77,782 | $58,000 | 755,393 | 6 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $77,637 | $57,000 | 3,930,864 | 26 |
| 35 | Arizona | $80,378 | $58,000 | 7,016,270 | 21 |
| 36 | Washington | $87,822 | $62,000 | 7,405,743 | 9 |
| 37 | Delaware | $82,920 | $63,000 | 961,939 | 3 |
| 38 | Massachusetts | $82,717 | $65,000 | 6,859,819 | 20 |
| 39 | Rhode Island | $83,146 | $65,000 | 1,059,639 | 0 |
| 40 | Connecticut | $83,198 | $64,000 | 3,588,184 | 6 |
| 41 | District of Columbia | $82,003 | $62,000 | 693,972 | 6 |
| 42 | New Hampshire | $81,941 | $64,000 | 1,342,795 | 2 |
| 43 | Michigan | $79,140 | $60,000 | 9,962,311 | 9 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $76,836 | $57,000 | 3,004,279 | 5 |
| 45 | Tennessee | $77,801 | $59,000 | 6,715,984 | 6 |
| 46 | Georgia | $78,595 | $59,000 | 10,429,379 | 19 |
| 47 | Vermont | $80,627 | $63,000 | 623,657 | 0 |
| 48 | Indiana | $70,914 | $54,000 | 6,666,818 | 13 |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $71,550 | $54,000 | 5,795,483 | 11 |
| 50 | Maine | $73,298 | $58,000 | 1,335,907 | 2 |
| 51 | Illinois | $74,095 | $56,000 | 12,802,023 | 15 |
Highest paying states for airline pilots
| Rank | State | Avg. Airline Pilot Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $117,208 |
| 2 | Alabama | $97,630 |
| 3 | Nevada | $97,176 |
| 4 | Florida | $97,184 |
| 5 | Alaska | $95,636 |
| 6 | Montana | $99,101 |
| 7 | Virginia | $101,654 |
| 8 | Hawaii | $105,147 |
| 9 | Texas | $95,442 |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $102,342 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $97,058 |
| 12 | North Carolina | $99,623 |
| 13 | Utah | $91,667 |
| 14 | South Carolina | $89,860 |
| 15 | Wyoming | $100,360 |
| 16 | Louisiana | $91,250 |
| 17 | New Jersey | $96,631 |
| 18 | Iowa | $89,122 |
| 19 | Kansas | $88,812 |
| 20 | Colorado | $89,978 |
| 21 | West Virginia | $90,373 |
| 22 | Ohio | $89,558 |
| 23 | New York | $96,587 |
| 24 | Kentucky | $88,362 |
| 25 | New Mexico | $83,061 |
| 26 | Mississippi | $84,851 |
| 27 | South Dakota | $88,121 |
| 28 | Idaho | $82,078 |
| 29 | California | $89,844 |
| 30 | Nebraska | $81,635 |
| 31 | Maryland | $88,344 |
| 32 | Missouri | $82,302 |
| 33 | North Dakota | $77,782 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $77,637 |
| 35 | Arizona | $80,378 |
| 36 | Washington | $87,822 |
| 37 | Delaware | $82,920 |
| 38 | Massachusetts | $82,717 |
| 39 | Rhode Island | $83,146 |
| 40 | Connecticut | $83,198 |
| 41 | District of Columbia | $82,003 |
| 42 | New Hampshire | $81,941 |
| 43 | Michigan | $79,140 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $76,836 |
| 45 | Tennessee | $77,801 |
| 46 | Georgia | $78,595 |
| 47 | Vermont | $80,627 |
| 48 | Indiana | $70,914 |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $71,550 |
| 50 | Maine | $73,298 |
| 51 | Illinois | $74,095 |
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Expert opinions on the best states for airline pilots
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Airline Pilots to find work opportunities?
Russ Leighton
Vice President/Director of Safety, CAPA
The cargo airline sector is the least affected by the pandemic, so far. In fact, they have gained business during this time period. Entry-level pilot jobs at small cargo airlines will be today's graduate's best opportunities to break into the professional pilot career. Large cargo airlines like UPS, FedEx, DHL, and Amazon will become the more sought-after, long-term careers due to the stability they offer.
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Updated July 21, 2023
