Commercial Pilots Salary
Commercial Pilots in Kansas make a median of $105,440 a year. The range runs from $49K at the entry level to $176K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 89.54), which stretches that salary to about $117,757 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,066/month, or 16% of estimated take-home pay.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Kansas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
Where the paycheck goes
What $105K actually covers in Kansas, month by month
About commercial pilots
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What this looks like in Kansas
Pay for commercial pilots in Kansas runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $123K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,066/month, 16.6% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 89.54 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Kansas can be a reasonable trade-off for commercial pilots who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Kansas
Entry-level commercial pilots (10th percentile) start around $49K. Mid-career wages sit at $105K. Top earners bring in $176K or more, a $127K spread from bottom to top.
Commercial Pilots salary by metro in Kansas
2 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wichita | $106K | +1% | 370 |
| Topeka | $105K | -1% | 40 |
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BLS updates this data annually. We'll email you when Kansas 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 Kansas?
Yes — at the median salary of $105K, rent takes 16.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,066/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for commercial pilots in Kansas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new commercial pilots typically earn — is $49K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,277/month. At HUD’s $1,066/month FMR, rent would take 33% 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 Kansas?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $105K here vs. $123K nationally. Cost of living is 10% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Kansas compare to the national average for commercial pilots?
Kansas pays $105K median vs. the U.S. average of $123K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 89.54), the purchasing-power equivalent is $118K — below the national median.
How much do commercial pilots make in Kansas?
The median is $105,440 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $49,060, and experienced commercial pilots can clear $175,820. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $105K enough to live in Kansas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,434/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,066/month, which eats 16.6% 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 Kansas?
Kansas has a Regional Price Parity of 89.54 (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 $117,757 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.