Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers Salary
The median pay for a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers in Alabama is $136,990/year, per BLS data. The range runs from $109K at the entry level to $177K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 88.36), which stretches that salary to about $155,036 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,085/month, or 13% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Alabama. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $137K get you in Alabama?
About airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers
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What this looks like in Alabama
Pay for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers in Alabama runs about 41% below the U.S. median of $232K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,085/month, 13.3% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 88.36 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 12% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Alabama can be a reasonable trade-off for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineerss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Alabama
Entry-level airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers (10th percentile) start around $109K. Mid-career wages sit at $137K. Top earners bring in $177K or more, a $68K spread from bottom to top.
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers salary by metro in Alabama
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile | $177K | +29% | 30 |
Compare to other states
Track airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Alabama numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Alabama?
Yes — at the median salary of $137K, rent takes 13.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,085/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers in Alabama?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers typically earn — is $109K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $6,533/month. At HUD’s $1,085/month FMR, rent would take 17% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineer a high-paying job in Alabama?
Local pay runs 41% below the national median — $137K here vs. $232K nationally. Cost of living is 12% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Alabama compare to the national average for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers?
Alabama pays $137K median vs. the U.S. average of $232K — that’s -41%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 88.36), the purchasing-power equivalent is $155K — below the national median.
How much do airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers make in Alabama?
The median is $136,990 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $108,890, and experienced airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers can clear $176,620. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $137K enough to live in Alabama?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $8,142/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,085/month, which eats 13.3% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers salary go in Alabama?
Alabama has a Regional Price Parity of 88.36 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers salary is worth about $155,036 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.