Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers Salary
The median pay for a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA is $364,730/year, per BLS data. The range runs from $179K at the entry level to $428K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 113.57), so that salary is closer to $321,150 in real purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $2,601/month, or 12.8% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $365K get you in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim’s Regional Price Parity (113.57). 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.
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What this looks like in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim sits well above the national pay line for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers, local pay runs about 57% higher than the U.S. median of $232K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $2,601/month, 13.9% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost-of-living overall is 14% above the national average (BEA RPP 113.57), so groceries and services cost more too. Combined with manageable housing costs, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $375K | $324K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $322K | $288K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $207K | $194K |
| Fresno | $195K | $191K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Entry-level airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers (10th percentile) start around $179K. Mid-career wages sit at $365K. Top earners bring in $428K or more, a $248K 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
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Frequently asked questions
Can a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Yes — at the median salary of $365K, rent takes 13.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,601/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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers typically earn — is $179K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $10,756/month. At HUD’s $2,601/month FMR, rent would take 24% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineer a high-paying job in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Local pay is 57% above the national median — $365K here vs. $232K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 14% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim compare to the national average for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers?
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim pays $365K median vs. the U.S. average of $232K — that’s +57%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 113.57), the purchasing-power equivalent is $321K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers make in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA?
The median is $364,730 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $179,270, and experienced airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers can clear $427,660. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $365K enough to live in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $18,744/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,601/month, which eats 13.9% 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 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim?
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim has a Regional Price Parity of 113.57 (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 $321,150 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.