Commercial Pilots Salary
Commercial Pilots in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA make a median of $274,730 a year. The range runs from $75K at the entry level to $306K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 107.78), so that salary is closer to $254,899 in real purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $2,827/month, or 18.7% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $275K get you in Santa Rosa-Petaluma?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Santa Rosa-Petaluma’s Regional Price Parity (107.78). 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 Santa Rosa-Petaluma
Santa Rosa-Petaluma sits well above the national pay line for commercial pilots, local pay runs about 123% higher than the U.S. median of $123K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $2,827/month, 19.2% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Cost-of-living overall is 8% above the national average (BEA RPP 107.78), so groceries and services cost more too. Combined with manageable housing costs, Santa Rosa-Petaluma offers a genuinely strong financial position for commercial pilotss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for commercial pilots in metros near Santa Rosa-Petaluma, 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, Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA
Entry-level commercial pilots (10th percentile) start around $75K. Mid-career wages sit at $275K. Top earners bring in $306K or more, a $231K 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 Santa Rosa-Petaluma numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Frequently asked questions
Can a commercial pilot afford a 2BR apartment alone in Santa Rosa-Petaluma?
Yes — at the median salary of $275K, rent takes 19.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,827/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for commercial pilots in Santa Rosa-Petaluma?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new commercial pilots typically earn — is $75K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $4,519/month. At HUD’s $2,827/month FMR, rent would take 63% 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 Santa Rosa-Petaluma?
Local pay is 123% above the national median — $275K here vs. $123K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 8% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does Santa Rosa-Petaluma compare to the national average for commercial pilots?
Santa Rosa-Petaluma pays $275K median vs. the U.S. average of $123K — that’s +123%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 107.78), the purchasing-power equivalent is $255K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do commercial pilots make in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA?
The median is $274,730 a year. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $75,320, and experienced commercial pilots can clear $306,270. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $275K enough to live in Santa Rosa-Petaluma?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $14,751/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,827/month, which eats 19.2% 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 Santa Rosa-Petaluma?
Santa Rosa-Petaluma has a Regional Price Parity of 107.78 (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 $254,899 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.