Commercial Pilots Salary
Commercial Pilots in Lake Charles, LA make a median of $99,600 a year. The range runs from $51K at the entry level to $159K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 85.85), which stretches that salary to about $116,016 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,217/month, or 19.3% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $100K actually covers in Lake Charles, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lake Charles’s Regional Price Parity (85.85). 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 Lake Charles
Pay for commercial pilots in Lake Charles runs about 19% below the U.S. median of $123K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,217/month, 19.5% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 85.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Lower pay, lower costs, Lake Charles can be a reasonable trade-off for commercial pilots who value affordability over top-dollar markets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for commercial pilots in metros near Lake Charles, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Lafayette | $79K | $91K |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux | $98K | $115K |
| New Orleans-Metairie | $136K | $147K |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $160K | $155K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lake Charles, LA
Entry-level commercial pilots (10th percentile) start around $51K. Mid-career wages sit at $100K. Top earners bring in $159K or more, a $108K 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 annually. We'll email you when Lake Charles numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a commercial pilot afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lake Charles?
Yes — at the median salary of $100K, rent takes 19.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,217/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for commercial pilots in Lake Charles?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new commercial pilots typically earn — is $51K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,441/month. At HUD’s $1,217/month FMR, rent would take 35% 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 Lake Charles?
Local pay runs 19% below the national median — $100K here vs. $123K nationally. Cost of living is 14% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Lake Charles compare to the national average for commercial pilots?
Lake Charles pays $100K median vs. the U.S. average of $123K — that’s -19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 85.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $116K — below the national median.
How much do commercial pilots make in Lake Charles, LA?
The median is $99,600 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $50,820, and experienced commercial pilots can clear $158,820. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $100K enough to live in Lake Charles?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,234/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,217/month, which eats 19.5% 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 Lake Charles?
Lake Charles has a Regional Price Parity of 85.85 (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 $116,016 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.