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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2018

53-2012 Commercial Pilots

Pilot and navigate the flight of fixed-wing aircraft on nonscheduled air carrier routes, or helicopters. Requires Commercial Pilot certificate. Includes charter pilots with similar certification, and air ambulance and air tour pilots. Excludes regional, National, and international 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)
37,870 2.9 % (4) $96,530 3.2 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Annual Wage (2) $44,660 $61,950 $82,240 $115,280 $160,480
  (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)
Nonscheduled Air Transportation 12,320 27.33 (4) $94,450
Technical and Trade Schools 4,420 3.28 (4) $86,480
Support Activities for Air Transportation 4,140 1.91 (4) $96,610
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services 3,890 1.26 (4) $85,760
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 1,180 0.24 (4) $122,530

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Nonscheduled Air Transportation 12,320 27.33 (4) $94,450
Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Other 680 22.37 (4) $88,540
Technical and Trade Schools 4,420 3.28 (4) $86,480
Support Activities for Air Transportation 4,140 1.91 (4) $96,610
Other Ambulatory Health Care Services 3,890 1.26 (4) $85,760

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Support Activities for Water Transportation 140 0.15 (4) $143,810
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing 80 0.02 (4) $142,360
Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities 170 0.02 (4) $127,170
Scientific Research and Development Services 120 0.02 (4) $126,790
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (8) (8) (4) $123,640


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 4,800 0.40 1.51 (4) $104,680
Florida 4,170 0.48 1.85 (4) $110,540
California 3,380 0.20 0.76 (4) $97,720
Ohio 1,740 0.32 1.23 (4) $88,830
Arizona 1,410 0.51 1.93 (4) $80,000




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 690 2.18 8.33 (4) $91,850
North Dakota 370 0.89 3.39 (4) $82,880
South Dakota 310 0.73 2.80 (4) $63,090
Montana 330 0.71 2.70 (4) $82,290
Delaware 280 0.63 2.40 (4) $97,420




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Georgia 1,030 0.24 0.90 (4) $130,760
Connecticut 310 0.19 0.71 (4) $127,950
New York 1,020 0.11 0.41 (4) $127,590
Florida 4,170 0.48 1.85 (4) $110,540
Maryland 330 0.12 0.47 (4) $110,240





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)
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 2,840 0.80 3.04 (4) $109,130
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 1,890 0.73 2.79 (8) (8)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 1,510 0.25 0.94 (4) $102,070
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 1,010 0.11 0.41 (8) (8)
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ 960 0.47 1.79 (4) $82,230
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 810 0.66 2.53 (4) $80,830
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 690 0.35 1.32 (4) $126,200
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 560 0.12 0.46 (4) $107,640
Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 540 0.37 1.40 (4) $94,930
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 530 0.27 1.02 (4) $80,000




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)
Houma-Thibodaux, LA 320 3.77 14.41 (4) $76,290
Savannah, GA 400 2.26 8.63 (4) $126,330
Anchorage, AK 380 2.20 8.39 (4) $92,150
Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL 90 1.78 6.79 (8) (8)
Pueblo, CO 100 1.73 6.63 (4) $84,530
Flagstaff, AZ 100 1.68 6.41 (4) $66,450
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL 310 1.59 6.08 (4) $59,770
Ann Arbor, MI 330 1.50 5.75 (4) $72,590
Grand Forks, ND-MN 60 1.27 4.86 (4) $69,460
Sioux Falls, SD 190 1.24 4.73 (4) $63,380




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)
Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Beaufort, SC 60 0.75 2.87 (4) $128,600
Savannah, GA 400 2.26 8.63 (4) $126,330
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 690 0.35 1.32 (4) $126,200
Bakersfield, CA 100 0.33 1.28 (4) $120,550
Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR-MO 40 0.18 0.68 (4) $119,660
Spartanburg, SC (8) (8) (8) (4) $115,310
Lake Charles, LA 110 0.95 3.64 (4) $113,190
Charleston-North Charleston, SC (8) (8) (8) (4) $112,350
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 140 0.10 0.38 (4) $112,170
Wilmington, NC 30 0.25 0.95 (4) $111,560

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)
Southeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area 630 7.46 28.50 (4) $96,920
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 310 2.91 11.13 (8) (8)
Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area 170 1.74 6.65 (4) $70,350
East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area 160 2.27 8.68 (8) (8)
Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 130 1.18 4.50 (8) (8)

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)
Southeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area 630 7.46 28.50 (4) $96,920
Alaska nonmetropolitan area 310 2.91 11.13 (8) (8)
East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area 160 2.27 8.68 (8) (8)
Eastern Washington nonmetropolitan area 170 1.74 6.65 (4) $70,350
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 120 1.23 4.68 (4) $109,610

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)
Nevada nonmetropolitan area 70 0.74 2.81 (4) $113,880
Maryland nonmetropolitan area 40 0.61 2.34 (4) $113,790
Southeast Mississippi nonmetropolitan area 50 0.31 1.17 (4) $111,500
Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area 120 1.23 4.68 (4) $109,610
East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area 50 0.48 1.83 (4) $105,630


About May 2018 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 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.

(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 2018 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2018 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 29, 2019