Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers Salary
The median pay for a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL is $216,070/year, per BLS data. The range runs from $128K at the entry level to $357K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 114.16), so that salary is closer to $189,269 in real purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $2,436/month, or 17.9% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $216K get you in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach’s Regional Price Parity (114.16). 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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach
Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers pay in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach tracks closely to the national median, $216K locally vs. $232K nationwide, a 7% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $2,436/month, 18.2% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost-of-living overall is 14% above the national average (BEA RPP 114.16), so groceries and services cost more too. 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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $229K | $227K |
| Jacksonville | $151K | $152K |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent | $122K | $125K |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell | $618K | $618K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
Entry-level airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers (10th percentile) start around $128K. Mid-career wages sit at $216K. Top earners bring in $357K or more, a $229K 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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
Yes — at the median salary of $216K, rent takes 18.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,436/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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers typically earn — is $128K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $7,690/month. At HUD’s $2,436/month FMR, rent would take 32% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineer a high-paying job in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $216K locally vs. $232K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach compare to the national average for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers?
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach pays $216K median vs. the U.S. average of $232K — that’s -7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 114.16), the purchasing-power equivalent is $189K — below the national median.
How much do airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers make in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL?
The median is $216,070 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $128,170, and experienced airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers can clear $356,680. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $216K enough to live in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $13,372/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,436/month, which eats 18.2% 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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach has a Regional Price Parity of 114.16 (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 $189,269 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.