Airline Pilots and Copilots: Salaries

• The average salary of airline pilots and copilots in the United States was $117,060 as of May 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Most worked in the industry of scheduled air transportation for the average income of $119,520 a year, while those working in support activities for air transportation earned less at $88,440 on average. The mean income of airline pilots and copilots employed by the federal executive branch was $97,280 a year, while those working for technical and trade schools earned an average of $83,330.
  
  

Airline Pilots and Copilots: Location and Higher Wages

• The bureau states that Florida was the nation's top paying state for airline pilots and copilots as of 2009 with a salary average of $148,940 a year, followed by New Jersey at $137,930. They may seek higher wages in working privately; the average income of an airline pilot working in the industry of employment services was $121,750 a year. Experience and building flight hours is the best way for pilots to advance, with most moving from first officer or copilot to captain after 5 to 15 years.
  
  

Commercial Pilots: Salaries

• Commercial pilots flying small planes or helicopters for crop dusting, emergency response or transporting cargo or passengers to locations airlines do not travel to earned an average income of $73,060 a year as of 2009, according to the bureau. Those working in support activities for air transportation earned an average wage of $64,950 a year, while technical and trade schools offered an average salary of $57,880 and the industry of ambulatory health care services offered an average of $63,170.
  
  

Commercial Pilots: Location and Higher Wages

• The top paying state for commercial pilots was Georgia with a salary average of $124,390 as of 2009, according to the bureau. Hawaii followed with an average of $108,220. Commercial pilots working in the industry of spectator sports earned a salary average of $96,250 a year, while those employed by wired telecommunications carriers earned an average of $104,180 and those working in aerospace product and parts manufacturing earned an average of $106,130.