Highest-paying cities for commercial pilots
Waterbury, CT leads at $315,450 a year. Pay is not adjusted for local prices; see each page for the cost-of-living view.
| Place | Median | 25th–75th |
|---|---|---|
| Waterbury, CT | $315,450 | $224,700–$321,270 |
| Kiryas Joel, NY | $280,630 | $161,800–$303,510 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $274,730 | $125,240–$306,270 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $232,600 | $125,340–$330,520 |
| New York, NY | $225,900 | $118,540–$290,800 |
| Hartford, CT | $211,350 | $99,710–$232,810 |
| Trenton, NJ | $205,700 | $124,370–$258,320 |
| Midland, TX | $198,480 | $102,690–$198,570 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY | $193,940 | $125,460–$355,390 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $177,730 | $102,730–$269,990 |
| Columbus, OH | $175,690 | $92,980–$216,270 |
| Port St. Lucie, FL | $173,100 | $103,100–$277,230 |
| San Francisco, CA | $173,070 | $120,380–$238,310 |
| Wilmington, NC | $172,320 | $84,720–$206,360 |
| Lexington Park, MD | $171,560 | $134,040–$211,380 |
| Allentown, PA | $170,600 | $124,960–$218,820 |
| Cleveland, OH | $166,520 | $85,520–$210,020 |
| Boulder, CO | $165,780 | $62,300–$177,370 |
| Dallas, TX | $160,160 | $108,690–$259,690 |
| San Jose, CA | $159,420 | $73,710–$276,630 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $158,670 | $124,180–$198,380 |
| Chicago, IL | $157,420 | $72,090–$227,840 |
| Manchester, NH | $157,210 | $106,030–$187,700 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $156,760 | $97,400–$195,320 |
| Buffalo, NY | $153,210 | $109,430–$232,990 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $149,200 | $83,550–$226,670 |
| Atlanta, GA | $146,880 | $108,440–$180,770 |
| Fort Collins, CO | $145,210 | $74,930–$211,470 |
| Charlotte, NC | $144,750 | $107,610–$220,520 |
| Modesto, CA | $140,920 | $81,060–$235,370 |
| Mobile, AL | $137,960 | $98,970–$151,120 |
| Bismarck, ND | $137,510 | $92,880–$285,690 |
| Tulsa, OK | $137,490 | $98,040–$176,920 |
| Bozeman, MT | $137,430 | $95,250–$247,730 |
| Winston, NC | $137,180 | $75,020–$178,200 |
| New Orleans, LA | $135,950 | $95,940–$147,840 |
| Redding, CA | $135,340 | $72,270–$207,230 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $134,030 | $98,210–$167,340 |
| Greensboro, NC | $133,870 | $101,820–$174,870 |
| Reading, PA | $133,240 | $93,200–$200,910 |
| Detroit, MI | $133,220 | $85,130–$171,770 |
| Naples, FL | $132,980 | $106,650–$221,500 |
| Denver, CO | $132,810 | $98,660–$218,440 |
| Austin, TX | $132,400 | $102,530–$167,840 |
| Fargo, ND | $131,950 | $105,730–$198,860 |
| Nashville, TN | $131,590 | $74,770–$189,320 |
| Houston, TX | $131,420 | $96,580–$172,230 |
| Kansas City, MO | $131,000 | $72,690–$169,800 |
| Boise City, ID | $130,900 | $97,420–$186,150 |
| Chattanooga, TN | $130,630 | $96,880–$159,260 |
Data period: BLS OEWS May 2025.