Salary of Airplane Transport Pilots

Airplane transport pilots must hold a commercial pilot’s license to apply to ATPL certification.

An airplane transport pilot is someone who has passed the Airline Transport Pilot License administered by the Federal Aviation Administration, allowing the individual to pilot planes of larger than 12,500 pounds and with more than nine passenger seats. Pilots need to attain this license to work for major airlines carrying customers. Salary levels for the role are comparable with those of other commercial pilots.

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Average Salary
- For its national survey of employment trends conducted in May 2010, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics classified airline pilots alongside their colleagues co-pilots and flight engineers. It concluded that the mean annual salary across the profession was $115,300, which equates to a monthly income of $9,608 and a weekly wage of $2,217. Airline pilots may also receive additional benefits such as pension provision and health insurance.
Salary by Industry
- The vast majority of airline pilots work within scheduled air transportation, according to the bureau’s research. It gave the mean yearly wage within this sector of the industry as $116,930. Positions within non-scheduled air transportation paid a mean of $89,870, while individuals employed by the federal executive branch earned a yearly wage of $99,640.
Salary by Location
- Where an airplane transport pilot is based can also impact upon his pay level. The bureau listed New York and Kentucky as the states in which pilots were likely to earn the highest wages, with respective yearly means of $142,390 and $138,670. Hawaii and Texas followed with almost identical wage levels — $122,800 and $122,660. California and Illinois had comparable rates of pay, with respective means of $117,210 and $116,000, while Alaska was among the locations with the lowest rates, at a mean of just $94,500 per year.
Outlook
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that employment opportunities for pilots of all kinds will grow by around 12 percent over the period from 2008 to 2018. This compares with a growth rate of between 7 and 13 percent for the country as a whole across all occupations. Population growth should see demand for passenger airline services increase, spurring demand for airplane transport pilots. As a result, wages for the occupation should remain reasonably competitive.