Average Salary

• According to the BLS, 68,580 people were employed as airline pilots, flight engineers and copilots as of May 2010. The bureau also indicates that 29,900 individuals were employed as commercial pilots. The average salary of airline pilots reported by the bureau was $115,300 in 2010. By contrast, commercial airline pilots made an average salary of $73,490.
  
  

Pay Scale

• According to the BLS, commercial pilots made a median salary of $67,500 in 2010. The majority of commercial pilots made between $48,390 and $89,970, with the highest pay in the industry exceeding $119,650 per year. On the other hand, airline pilots, copilots and flight engineers made between $80,130 and $139,330, with a median salary of $103,210 per year. The highest paid airline pilots made more than $166,400 per year.
  
  

Location

• Location also provides an indicator of the salary that airline and commercial pilots can expect. The BLS indicates that the highest paying state for airline pilots in 2010 was New York, with an average annual salary of $142,390 per year. Pilots in Kentucky and Hawaii earned $138,670 and $122,800 per year, respectively. Commercial pilots in New Hampshire made the highest annual salary in 2010 at $113,020, according to the bureau. The next highest paying states were Connecticut at $106,130, New York at $95,240 and Pennsylvania at $92,370.
  
  

Employers

• Which industry or employer a pilot has also determines the average salary they obtain. For instance, the 58,540 pilots working in scheduled air transportation (airline pilots) made an average of $116,930 per year in 2010, according to the BLS. Those working for the federal government, on the other hand, made an average salary of $99,640 per year. By contrast, commercial pilots making the highest average salary were those in non-scheduled air transport, who made $75,460 per year. Those working sightseeing and scenic transportation made $74,840 per year and those working as instructors for technical and trade schools made a salary of $62,280 per year.