Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers Salary
The median pay for a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers in Lexington-Fayette, KY is $208,770/year, per BLS data. The range runs from $100K at the entry level to $376K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.89), which stretches that salary to about $224,750 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,272/month, or 10.3% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $209K get you in Lexington-Fayette?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lexington-Fayette’s Regional Price Parity (92.89). 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 Lexington-Fayette
Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers pay in Lexington-Fayette tracks closely to the national median, $209K locally vs. $232K nationwide, a 10% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,272/month, 10.4% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers in metros near Lexington-Fayette, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | $171K | $179K |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $293K | $283K |
| Cincinnati | $351K | $368K |
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin | $144K | $149K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lexington-Fayette, KY
Entry-level airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers (10th percentile) start around $100K. Mid-career wages sit at $209K. Top earners bring in $376K or more, a $276K 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 Lexington-Fayette numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Frequently asked questions
Can a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lexington-Fayette?
Yes — at the median salary of $209K, rent takes 10.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,272/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 Lexington-Fayette?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers typically earn — is $100K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,999/month. At HUD’s $1,272/month FMR, rent would take 21% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineer a high-paying job in Lexington-Fayette?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $209K locally vs. $232K nationally, a 10% difference.
How does Lexington-Fayette compare to the national average for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers?
Lexington-Fayette pays $209K median vs. the U.S. average of $232K — that’s -10%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $225K — below the national median.
How much do airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers make in Lexington-Fayette, KY?
The median is $208,770 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $99,990, and experienced airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers can clear $375,710. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $209K enough to live in Lexington-Fayette?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $12,254/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,272/month, which eats 10.4% 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 Lexington-Fayette?
Lexington-Fayette has a Regional Price Parity of 92.89 (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 $224,750 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.