Airline Captains


Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics > Airline Captains > Wages & Trends
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Airline Captains

Airline Captains - Wages & Trends

Wages for airplane pilots depend on the type and size of the airplane flown. Pilots may earn extra pay for night and international flights.

Most airline pilots are members of a union. Those who work for one major airline join the Allied Pilots Association. The rest belong to the Airline Pilots Association, International. Some flight engineers join the Flight Engineers' International Association.

Pilots usually receive benefits such as life and health insurance and a retirement plan. Pilots receive an expense allowance for every hour they are away from home. Airlines may provide allowances to purchase and clean uniforms. Pilots and their immediate family members may receive free airline travel.

Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers (SOC 53-2011)
Location
Pay Period
25%
Median
75%
Illinois Hourly (1) (1) (1)
Yearly $143,323 $234,419 (1)
    Cook County Hourly (1) (1) (1)
Yearly $144,409 $234,486 (1)
United States Hourly (1) (1) (1)
Yearly $129,520 $211,790 (2)
(1) Wage estimate isn't available.(2) Wages are greater than $115/hour or $239,200/year.

Commercial pilots (SOC 53-2012)

Location
Pay Period
25%
Median
75%
Illinois Hourly (1) (1) (1)
Yearly $68,508 $80,285 $109,897
    Cook County Hourly (1) (1) (1)
Yearly $43,057 $100,085 $138,280
    Edwardsville Area Hourly (1) (1) (1)
Yearly $80,233 $81,996 $86,607
    Kankakee-Morris-Pontiac Area Hourly (1) (1) (1)
Yearly $77,288 $78,512 $81,964
    Lake County Hourly (1) (1) (1)
Yearly $73,337 $85,501 $126,282
    Mt. Vernon-Marion-Carbondale Area Hourly (1) (1) (1)
Yearly $75,757 $77,288 $82,169
    Northwest Illinois Area Hourly (1) (1) (1)
Yearly $68,508 $78,276 $99,754
    Peoria-Bloomington Area Hourly (1) (1) (1)
Yearly $68,831 $79,503 $82,072
    Quincy-Macomb-Galesburg Area Hourly (1) (1) (1)
Yearly $57,453 $77,287 $80,932
    Springfield Area Hourly (1) (1) (1)
Yearly $77,164 $80,479 $98,243
    St. Louis-Belleville Area Hourly (1) (1) (1)
Yearly $70,420 $82,001 $119,929
United States Hourly (1) (1) (1)
Yearly $76,320 $103,910 $149,170
(1) Wage estimate isn't available.

Source: Illinois Career Information System (CIS) brought to you by Illinois Department of Employment Security.