Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers Salary
The median pay for a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI is $211,470/year, per BLS data. The range runs from $130K at the entry level to $353K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 104.82), that's roughly $201,746 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,709/month, or 14.1% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $211K get you in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington’s Regional Price Parity (104.82). 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 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington
Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers pay in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington tracks closely to the national median, $211K locally vs. $232K nationwide, a 9% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,709/month, 14.3% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 104.82) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. 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 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $161K | $176K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
Entry-level airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers (10th percentile) start around $130K. Mid-career wages sit at $211K. Top earners bring in $353K or more, a $223K 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 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Frequently asked questions
Can a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington?
Yes — at the median salary of $211K, rent takes 14.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,709/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 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers typically earn — is $130K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $7,825/month. At HUD’s $1,709/month FMR, rent would take 22% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineer a high-paying job in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $211K locally vs. $232K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington compare to the national average for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers?
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington pays $211K median vs. the U.S. average of $232K — that’s -9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 104.82), the purchasing-power equivalent is $202K — below the national median.
How much do airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers make in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI?
The median is $211,470 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $130,420, and experienced airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers can clear $353,410. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $211K enough to live in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $11,927/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,709/month, which eats 14.3% 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 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington?
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington has a Regional Price Parity of 104.82 (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 $201,746 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.