Commercial Pilots Salary
Commercial Pilots in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI make a median of $126,550 a year. The range runs from $46K at the entry level to $312K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 104.82), that's roughly $120,731 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,709/month, or 22.9% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $127K get you in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington’s Regional Price Parity (104.82). 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 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington
Commercial pilots pay in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington tracks closely to the national median, $127K locally vs. $123K nationwide, a 3% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,709/month, 22.8% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 104.82) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for commercial pilots in metros near Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee-Waukesha | $178K | $183K |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines | $121K | $132K |
| Sioux Falls | $112K | $124K |
| Fargo | $132K | $145K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI
Entry-level commercial pilots (10th percentile) start around $46K. Mid-career wages sit at $127K. Top earners bring in $312K or more, a $266K 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 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Frequently asked questions
Can a commercial pilot afford a 2BR apartment alone in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington?
Yes — at the median salary of $127K, rent takes 22.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,709/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for commercial pilots in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new commercial pilots typically earn — is $46K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,752/month. At HUD’s $1,709/month FMR, rent would take 62% 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 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $127K locally vs. $123K nationally, a 3% difference.
How does Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington compare to the national average for commercial pilots?
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington pays $127K median vs. the U.S. average of $123K — that’s +3%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 104.82), the purchasing-power equivalent is $121K — below the national median.
How much do commercial pilots make in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI?
The median is $126,550 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,870, and experienced commercial pilots can clear $311,940. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $127K enough to live in Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,494/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,709/month, which eats 22.8% 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 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington?
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington has a Regional Price Parity of 104.82 (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 $120,731 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.