Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers Salary
The median pay for a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN is $293,490/year, per BLS data. The range runs from $180K at the entry level to $429K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.59), that's roughly $283,319 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,781/month, or 10.7% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $293K get you in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Chicago-Naperville-Elgin’s Regional Price Parity (103.59). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers
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What this looks like in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin sits well above the national pay line for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers, local pay runs about 26% higher than the U.S. median of $232K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,781/month, 10.9% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 103.59) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin offers a genuinely strong financial position for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineerss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers in metros near Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | $171K | $179K |
| Lexington-Fayette | $209K | $225K |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $161K | $176K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
Entry-level airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers (10th percentile) start around $180K. Mid-career wages sit at $293K. Top earners bring in $429K or more, a $249K spread from bottom to top.
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | $618K | +166% | 8,770 |
| Idaho | $508K | +119% | 330 |
| Michigan | $429K | +85% | N/A |
| California | $354K | +52% | 10,670 |
| Kentucky | $351K | +51% | 6,260 |
| Colorado | $307K | +32% | 5,830 |
| Illinois | $293K | +26% | 6,460 |
| New York | $255K | +10% | 6,900 |
| Alaska | $232K | +0% | 1,350 |
| Washington | $230K | -1% | 3,450 |
| Arizona | $228K | -2% | 2,200 |
| Florida | $225K | -3% | 7,760 |
| Texas | $215K | -7% | 10,930 |
| Minnesota | $211K | -9% | 2,960 |
| Ohio | $204K | -12% | 1,550 |
| Connecticut | $200K | -14% | 80 |
| Nevada | $192K | -17% | 2,160 |
| Utah | $175K | -25% | 1,880 |
| Oregon | $173K | -25% | 750 |
| Indiana | $171K | -26% | N/A |
| Arkansas | $169K | -27% | 250 |
| Pennsylvania | $165K | -29% | 2,270 |
| Rhode Island | $165K | -29% | 40 |
| North Carolina | $152K | -35% | 2,240 |
| Maine | $148K | -36% | 40 |
| Tennessee | $144K | -38% | 110 |
| South Carolina | $144K | -38% | 110 |
| Mississippi | $144K | -38% | 360 |
| Kansas | $144K | -38% | 80 |
| New Mexico | $137K | -41% | 50 |
| Alabama | $137K | -41% | 360 |
| Oklahoma | $134K | -42% | 180 |
| Iowa | $132K | -43% | 100 |
| Nebraska | $132K | -43% | 60 |
| Louisiana | $121K | -48% | 150 |
| New Hampshire | $99K | -57% | 50 |
| Missouri | $98K | -58% | 120 |
Showing 1–10 of 37 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Chicago-Naperville-Elgin numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Frequently asked questions
Can a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Yes — at the median salary of $293K, rent takes 10.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,781/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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers typically earn — is $180K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $10,790/month. At HUD’s $1,781/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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Local pay is 26% above the national median — $293K here vs. $232K nationally.
How does Chicago-Naperville-Elgin compare to the national average for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin pays $293K median vs. the U.S. average of $232K — that’s +26%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.59), the purchasing-power equivalent is $283K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers make in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?
The median is $293,490 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $179,840, and experienced airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers can clear $429,040. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $293K enough to live in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $16,327/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,781/month, which eats 10.9% 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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin has a Regional Price Parity of 103.59 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers salary is worth about $283,319 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.