Commercial Pilots Salary
Commercial Pilots in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL make a median of $127,360 a year. The range runs from $70K at the entry level to $292K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 114.16), so that salary is closer to $111,563 in real purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $2,436/month, or 29.7% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $127K get you in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach’s Regional Price Parity (114.16). 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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach
Commercial pilots pay in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach tracks closely to the national median, $127K locally vs. $123K nationwide, a 3% difference. Rent runs $2,436/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 29.9% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost-of-living overall is 14% above the national average (BEA RPP 114.16), so groceries and services cost more too. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for commercial pilots in metros near Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Ocala | $100K | $105K |
| Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor | $45K | $46K |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $118K | $116K |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $106K | $106K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
Entry-level commercial pilots (10th percentile) start around $70K. Mid-career wages sit at $127K. Top earners bring in $292K or more, a $223K 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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Frequently asked questions
Can a commercial pilot afford a 2BR apartment alone in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
Yes — at the median salary of $127K, rent takes 29.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,436/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for commercial pilots in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new commercial pilots typically earn — is $70K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,187/month. At HUD’s $2,436/month FMR, rent would take 58% 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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $127K locally vs. $123K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach compare to the national average for commercial pilots?
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach pays $127K median vs. the U.S. average of $123K — that’s +3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 114.16), the purchasing-power equivalent is $112K — below the national median.
How much do commercial pilots make in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL?
The median is $127,360 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $69,780, and experienced commercial pilots can clear $292,330. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $127K enough to live in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $8,150/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,436/month, which eats 29.9% 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 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach?
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach has a Regional Price Parity of 114.16 (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 $111,563 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.