Commercial Pilots Salary
Commercial Pilots in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX make a median of $160,160 a year. The range runs from $81K at the entry level to $267K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.09), that's roughly $155,359 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,931/month, or 18.7% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $160K get you in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington’s Regional Price Parity (103.09). 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 commercial pilots
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What this looks like in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington sits well above the national pay line for commercial pilots, local pay runs about 30% higher than the U.S. median of $123K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,931/month, 19.3% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 103.09) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Combined with manageable housing costs, Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington offers a genuinely strong financial position for commercial pilotss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for commercial pilots in metros near Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $131K | $133K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $118K | $125K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $132K | $135K |
| El Paso | $95K | $105K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
Entry-level commercial pilots (10th percentile) start around $81K. Mid-career wages sit at $160K. Top earners bring in $267K or more, a $186K spread from bottom to top.
Commercial Pilots pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Commercial Pilots salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | $232K | +88% | 460 |
| New Jersey | $227K | +84% | 670 |
| New York | $177K | +44% | 1,070 |
| California | $166K | +34% | 4,900 |
| Delaware | $164K | +33% | 220 |
| Ohio | $150K | +22% | 2,680 |
| Georgia | $145K | +18% | 1,020 |
| Colorado | $140K | +13% | 1,240 |
| Texas | $138K | +12% | 4,120 |
| Vermont | $138K | +12% | 40 |
| Pennsylvania | $134K | +9% | 530 |
| North Dakota | $133K | +8% | 370 |
| Maryland | $131K | +6% | 360 |
| Kentucky | $130K | +5% | 800 |
| Wisconsin | $130K | +5% | 1,090 |
| North Carolina | $127K | +3% | 1,520 |
| Michigan | $127K | +3% | 1,390 |
| Oklahoma | $126K | +2% | 540 |
| Illinois | $126K | +2% | 1,170 |
| Florida | $122K | -1% | 6,340 |
| Oregon | $121K | -2% | 670 |
| Washington | $118K | -4% | 890 |
| Maine | $118K | -5% | 100 |
| Tennessee | $117K | -5% | 1,030 |
| Hawaii | $113K | -8% | 350 |
| Idaho | $110K | -11% | 310 |
| West Virginia | $106K | -14% | 40 |
| South Carolina | $106K | -14% | 290 |
| Kansas | $105K | -14% | 680 |
| Nevada | $105K | -15% | 1,100 |
| Virginia | $105K | -15% | 1,130 |
| Nebraska | $105K | -15% | 290 |
| Indiana | $104K | -15% | 960 |
| Montana | $104K | -16% | 330 |
| Mississippi | $104K | -16% | 240 |
| Arizona | $103K | -16% | 1,540 |
| Wyoming | $103K | -16% | 190 |
| Missouri | $103K | -16% | 670 |
| Iowa | $102K | -17% | 300 |
| Alabama | $101K | -18% | 780 |
| Alaska | $100K | -19% | 1,000 |
| Utah | $100K | -19% | 540 |
| Rhode Island | $99K | -20% | 80 |
| Minnesota | $99K | -20% | 910 |
| New Mexico | $98K | -21% | 370 |
| Louisiana | $96K | -22% | 910 |
| Arkansas | $94K | -23% | 460 |
| South Dakota | $84K | -32% | 320 |
Showing 1–10 of 48 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track commercial pilots salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a commercial pilot afford a 2BR apartment alone in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
Yes — at the median salary of $160K, rent takes 19.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,931/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for commercial pilots in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new commercial pilots typically earn — is $81K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,840/month. At HUD’s $1,931/month FMR, rent would take 40% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is commercial pilot a high-paying job in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
Local pay is 30% above the national median — $160K here vs. $123K nationally.
How does Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington compare to the national average for commercial pilots?
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington pays $160K median vs. the U.S. average of $123K — that’s +30%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.09), the purchasing-power equivalent is $155K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do commercial pilots make in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX?
The median is $160,160 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $80,660, and experienced commercial pilots can clear $266,620. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $160K enough to live in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $10,019/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,931/month, which eats 19.3% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a commercial pilots salary go in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington?
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington has a Regional Price Parity of 103.09 (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 commercial pilots salary is worth about $155,359 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do commercial pilots 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.