Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers Salary
The median pay for a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD is $180,330/year, per BLS data. The range runs from $90K at the entry level to $390K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 102.55), that's roughly $175,846 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,810/month, or 16.8% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $180K get you in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington’s Regional Price Parity (102.55). 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
Pay for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington runs about 22% below the U.S. median of $232K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,810/month, 16.9% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 102.55) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Lower pay, lower costs, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $335K | $298K |
| Cincinnati | $351K | $368K |
| Akron | $162K | $173K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
Entry-level airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers (10th percentile) start around $90K. Mid-career wages sit at $180K. Top earners bring in $390K or more, a $301K 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
Yes — at the median salary of $180K, rent takes 16.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,810/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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers typically earn — is $90K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $5,375/month. At HUD’s $1,810/month FMR, rent would take 34% 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
Local pay runs 22% below the national median — $180K here vs. $232K nationally.
How does Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington compare to the national average for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers?
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington pays $180K median vs. the U.S. average of $232K — that’s -22%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 102.55), the purchasing-power equivalent is $176K — below the national median.
How much do airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers make in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD?
The median is $180,330 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $89,580, and experienced airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers can clear $390,340. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $180K enough to live in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $10,728/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,810/month, which eats 16.9% 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 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington?
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington has a Regional Price Parity of 102.55 (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 $175,846 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.