Commercial Pilots Salary
Commercial Pilots in Salinas, CA make a median of $102,580 a year. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $222K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 109.04), so that salary is closer to $94,076 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,684/month, about 42.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $103K get you in Salinas?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Salinas’s Regional Price Parity (109.04). 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 Salinas
Pay for commercial pilots in Salinas runs about 17% below the U.S. median of $123K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,684/month, which is 43% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 9% above the national average (BEA RPP 109.04), so groceries and services cost more too. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for commercial pilotss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for commercial pilots in metros near Salinas, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $173K | $150K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $128K | $114K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $112K | $106K |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $159K | $144K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Salinas, CA
Entry-level commercial pilots (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $103K. Top earners bring in $222K or more, a $182K 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 Salinas numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Frequently asked questions
Can a commercial pilot afford a 2BR apartment alone in Salinas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $103K, rent takes 43% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,684/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for commercial pilots in Salinas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new commercial pilots typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,404/month. At HUD’s $2,684/month FMR, rent would take 112% 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 Salinas?
Local pay runs 17% below the national median — $103K here vs. $123K nationally.
How does Salinas compare to the national average for commercial pilots?
Salinas pays $103K median vs. the U.S. average of $123K — that’s -17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 109.04), the purchasing-power equivalent is $94K — below the national median.
How much do commercial pilots make in Salinas, CA?
The median is $102,580 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,060, and experienced commercial pilots can clear $221,740. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $103K enough to live in Salinas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $6,239/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,684/month, which eats 43% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a commercial pilots salary go in Salinas?
Salinas has a Regional Price Parity of 109.04 (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 $94,076 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.