Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers Salary
The median pay for a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA is $207,000/year, per BLS data. The range runs from $154K at the entry level to $363K for experienced workers.
So what does $207K get you in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario’s Regional Price Parity (106.4). 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 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
Pay for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $232K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,811/month, 15.7% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.4), so groceries and services cost more too. Lower pay, lower costs, Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario 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 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $365K | , |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $375K | , |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $322K | , |
| Fresno | $195K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
Entry-level airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers (10th percentile) start around $154K. Mid-career wages sit at $207K. Top earners bring in $363K or more, a $210K 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 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
Yes — at the median salary of $207K, rent takes 15.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,811/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 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers typically earn — is $154K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $9,218/month. At HUD’s $1,811/month FMR, rent would take 20% of that take-home — manageable on an entry-level income.
Is airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineer a high-paying job in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $207K here vs. $232K nationally.
How does Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario compare to the national average for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers?
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario pays $207K median vs. the U.S. average of $232K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.4), the purchasing-power equivalent is $195K — below the national median.
How much do airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers make in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA?
The median is $207,000 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $153,630, and experienced airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers can clear $363,200. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $207K enough to live in Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $11,558/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,811/month, which eats 15.7% 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 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario?
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers salary is worth about $194,549 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.