Commercial Pilots Salary
Commercial Pilots in Illinois make a median of $126,100 a year. The range runs from $52K at the entry level to $377K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $134,363 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,407/month, or 18.4% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Illinois. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $126K actually covers in Illinois, month by month
About commercial pilots
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What this looks like in Illinois
Commercial pilots pay in Illinois tracks closely to the national median, $126K locally vs. $123K nationwide, a 2% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,407/month, 18.6% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Illinois
Entry-level commercial pilots (10th percentile) start around $52K. Mid-career wages sit at $126K. Top earners bring in $377K or more, a $325K spread from bottom to top.
Commercial Pilots salary by metro in Illinois
3 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $157K | +25% | 840 |
| Peoria | $102K | -19% | 30 |
| Champaign-Urbana | $68K | -46% | 30 |
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BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Illinois numbers change.
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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a commercial pilot afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?
Yes — at the median salary of $126K, rent takes 18.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,407/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for commercial pilots in Illinois?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new commercial pilots typically earn — is $52K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,430/month. At HUD’s $1,407/month FMR, rent would take 41% 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 Illinois?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $126K locally vs. $123K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Illinois compare to the national average for commercial pilots?
Illinois pays $126K median vs. the U.S. average of $123K — that’s +2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $134K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do commercial pilots make in Illinois?
The median is $126,100 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $51,890, and experienced commercial pilots can clear $376,830. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $126K enough to live in Illinois?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,558/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 18.6% 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 Illinois?
Illinois has a Regional Price Parity of 93.85 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median commercial pilots salary is worth about $134,363 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.