Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers Salary
The median pay for a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA is $160,990/year, per BLS data. The range runs from $87K at the entry level to $295K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.7), which stretches that salary to about $175,562 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,318/month, or 13.5% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $161K get you in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Des Moines-West Des Moines’s Regional Price Parity (91.7). 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines
Pay for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers in Des Moines-West Des Moines runs about 31% below the U.S. median of $232K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,318/month, 14.1% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.7 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Des Moines-West Des Moines can be a reasonable trade-off for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineerss who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers in metros near Des Moines-West Des Moines, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $293K | $283K |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $211K | $202K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA
Entry-level airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers (10th percentile) start around $87K. Mid-career wages sit at $161K. Top earners bring in $295K or more, a $208K 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 |
| Mississippi | $144K | -38% | 360 |
| Kansas | $144K | -38% | 80 |
| South Carolina | $144K | -38% | 110 |
| Tennessee | $144K | -38% | 110 |
| 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 with published data
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 Des Moines-West Des Moines numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Frequently asked questions
Can a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Yes — at the median salary of $161K, rent takes 14.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,318/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 Des Moines-West Des Moines?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers typically earn — is $87K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,194/month. At HUD’s $1,318/month FMR, rent would take 25% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineer a high-paying job in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Local pay runs 31% below the national median — $161K here vs. $232K nationally. Cost of living is 8% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Des Moines-West Des Moines compare to the national average for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers?
Des Moines-West Des Moines pays $161K median vs. the U.S. average of $232K — that’s -31%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $176K — below the national median.
How much do airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers make in Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA?
The median is $160,990 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $86,570, and experienced airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers can clear $294,570. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $161K enough to live in Des Moines-West Des Moines?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $9,337/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,318/month, which eats 14.1% 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 Des Moines-West Des Moines?
Des Moines-West Des Moines has a Regional Price Parity of 91.7 (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 $175,562 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.