Commercial Pilots Career, Salary and Skills
Commercial Pilots have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $123,220 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 47,630. Wage data is published for 206 locations.
Occupation description
Pilot and navigate the flight of fixed-wing aircraft on nonscheduled air carrier routes, or helicopters. Requires Commercial Pilot certificate. Includes charter pilots with similar certification, and air ambulance and air tour pilots. Excludes regional, national, and international airline pilots.
O*NET code
53-2012.00
Job zone
3
Typical education
Post-Secondary Certificate
Experience
Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$123,220
Hourly median
Not published
Employment
47,630
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Operation and Control | 4.75 | 5.25 |
| Operations Monitoring | 4.38 | 4.75 |
| Monitoring | 4.12 | 4.00 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.00 | 4.00 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.88 | 3.75 |
| Active Listening | 3.88 | 4.12 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.75 | 4.12 |
| Speaking | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.62 | 3.62 |
| Active Learning | 3.62 | 4.00 |
Typical tasks
- Co-pilot aircraft or perform captain's duties, as required.
- Consider airport altitudes, outside temperatures, plane weights, and wind speeds and directions to calculate the speed needed to become airborne.
- Use instrumentation to pilot aircraft when visibility is poor.
- Monitor engine operation, fuel consumption, and functioning of aircraft systems during flights.
- Order changes in fuel supplies, loads, routes, or schedules to ensure safety of flights.
- Contact control towers for takeoff clearances, arrival instructions, and other information, using radio equipment.
- Plan flights according to government and company regulations, using aeronautical charts and navigation instruments.
- Check aircraft prior to flights to ensure that the engines, controls, instruments, and other systems are functioning properly.
Technology
- Adobe Creative Cloud software
- Aeronautical charts
- AeroPlanner
- Airdata
- Airline Pilots Daily Aviation Log PPC
- AirSmith FlightPrompt
- ArduPilot Mission Planner
- Calibration software
- CloudCompare
- doXstor Flight Level Logbook
- Electronic aircraft information databases
- ESRI Site Scan for ArcGIS
- Flight simulation software
- FLIR Thermal Studio Suite
Commercial Pilots salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Commercial Pilots Salary in FLMedian $121,890 · Employment 6,340
- Commercial Pilots Salary in CAMedian $165,590 · Employment 4,900
- Commercial Pilots Salary in TXMedian $137,960 · Employment 4,120
- Commercial Pilots Salary in Miami, FLMedian $127,360 · Employment 3,440
- Commercial Pilots Salary in OHMedian $150,330 · Employment 2,680
- Commercial Pilots Salary in Dallas, TXMedian $160,160 · Employment 1,810
- Commercial Pilots Salary in AZMedian $103,060 · Employment 1,540
- Commercial Pilots Salary in NCMedian $127,310 · Employment 1,520
- Commercial Pilots Salary in Columbus, OHMedian $175,690 · Employment 1,410
- Commercial Pilots Salary in MIMedian $126,670 · Employment 1,390
- Commercial Pilots Salary in COMedian $139,680 · Employment 1,240
- Commercial Pilots Salary in New York, NYMedian $225,900 · Employment 1,210
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Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.