Commercial Pilots Salary
Commercial Pilots in Raleigh-Cary, NC make a median of $130,600 a year. The range runs from $64K at the entry level to $264K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.16), that's roughly $133,048 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,750/month, or 21.6% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $131K get you in Raleigh-Cary?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Raleigh-Cary’s Regional Price Parity (98.16). 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 Raleigh-Cary
Commercial pilots pay in Raleigh-Cary tracks closely to the national median, $131K locally vs. $123K nationwide, a 6% difference. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,750/month, 22.3% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost of living (RPP 98.16) 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 Raleigh-Cary, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $145K | $149K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $134K | $144K |
| Fayetteville | $128K | $139K |
| Wilmington | $172K | $179K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Raleigh-Cary, NC
Entry-level commercial pilots (10th percentile) start around $64K. Mid-career wages sit at $131K. Top earners bring in $264K or more, a $200K 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 Raleigh-Cary numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Frequently asked questions
Can a commercial pilot afford a 2BR apartment alone in Raleigh-Cary?
Yes — at the median salary of $131K, rent takes 22.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,750/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for commercial pilots in Raleigh-Cary?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new commercial pilots typically earn — is $64K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,832/month. At HUD’s $1,750/month FMR, rent would take 46% 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 Raleigh-Cary?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $131K locally vs. $123K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Raleigh-Cary compare to the national average for commercial pilots?
Raleigh-Cary pays $131K median vs. the U.S. average of $123K — that’s +6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.16), the purchasing-power equivalent is $133K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do commercial pilots make in Raleigh-Cary, NC?
The median is $130,600 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $63,860, and experienced commercial pilots can clear $264,180. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $131K enough to live in Raleigh-Cary?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $7,845/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,750/month, which eats 22.3% 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 Raleigh-Cary?
Raleigh-Cary has a Regional Price Parity of 98.16 (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 $133,048 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.