Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers Salary
The median pay for a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN is $171,260/year, per BLS data. The range runs from $84K at the entry level to $338K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.7), that's roughly $178,955 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,473/month, or 13.9% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $171K get you in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood’s Regional Price Parity (95.7). 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 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood
Pay for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood runs about 26% below the U.S. median of $232K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,473/month, 14.4% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 95.7) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Lower pay, lower costs, Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood 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 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $429K | $427K |
| Lexington-Fayette | $209K | $225K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $293K | $283K |
| Cincinnati | $351K | $368K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN
Entry-level airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers (10th percentile) start around $84K. Mid-career wages sit at $171K. Top earners bring in $338K or more, a $255K 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 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood?
Yes — at the median salary of $171K, rent takes 14.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,473/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 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers typically earn — is $84K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,021/month. At HUD’s $1,473/month FMR, rent would take 29% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineer a high-paying job in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood?
Local pay runs 26% below the national median — $171K here vs. $232K nationally.
How does Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood compare to the national average for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers?
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood pays $171K median vs. the U.S. average of $232K — that’s -26%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $179K — below the national median.
How much do airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers make in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN?
The median is $171,260 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $83,680, and experienced airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers can clear $338,390. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $171K enough to live in Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $10,216/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,473/month, which eats 14.4% 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 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood?
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood has a Regional Price Parity of 95.7 (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 $178,955 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.