Pilots

Salaries vary widely depending on a number of factors, including the specific airline, type of aircraft flown, number of years with a company, and level of experience. Airline pilots are also paid more for international and nighttime flights.

Airline pilots are among the highest paid workers in the country. The U.S. Department of Labor reports that mean annual earnings of airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers were $250,050 in 2023. The mean annual salary for workers in all careers was $65,470. The lowest 10 percent of airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers earned $ 101,710 or less. Commercial pilots had median annual earnings of $79,440 in 2023. The lowest 10 percent earned $56,260 or less, and the top 25 percent earned $168,700 or more annually.

The most experienced pilots who fly with the “big three” airlines in the United States—American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines—earned upward of $500,000 per year in 2025, according to Flying magazine.

Pilots with commercial airlines receive life and health insurance and retirement benefits; if they fail their FAA physical exam during their career, they are eligible to receive disability benefits. Some airlines give pilots allowances for buying and cleaning their uniforms. Pilots and their families may usually fly free or at reduced fares on their own or other airlines.