Airline Pilot Salary Calculator: Your Take-Home Pay

Airline Pilot pay

What a airline pilot earns — and takes home — in 2026

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of about $171,210 for airline pilots, copilots and flight engineers (May 2024); commercial pilots (charter, cargo, corporate) earn a median nearer $122,670.

Airline pilot pay is driven by hourly flight-pay rates that climb steeply with seniority and aircraft size. A senior wide-body captain at a major carrier can earn over $250,000, while a first-officer at a regional airline starts much lower before upgrading.

Because much pilot compensation is high, a large share falls in the 32%–37% federal brackets — see how the Additional Medicare Tax and bracket math work on your gross. Many pilots also max out a 401(k); model that with our 401(k) calculator.

Per-diem for trips is partly tax-free, similar to flight attendants. Enter your taxable W-2 gross above for the most accurate net.

Where the airline pilot's paycheck goes on $171,210

On the $171,210 median, a single filer pays about $29,824 in federal income tax (after the $16,100 standard deduction) and $13,098 in Social Security and Medicare, leaving roughly $128,288 before any state income tax. Airline pilots earn the most when based in major-carrier hubs in Texas, Georgia, Illinois and Washington, where wide-body captain pay is highest.

$171,210 a year, broken down by pay period

Here is how the $171,210 median airline pilot salary splits across common pay periods (gross, before tax). Most US employers pay bi-weekly — 26 checks a year — so the bi-weekly figure is usually what lands in your account before deductions.

Pay period	Gross amount
Annual	$171,210
Monthly	$14,268
Bi-weekly (26/yr)	$6,585
Weekly	$3,292
Hourly (2,080 hrs)	$82.31/hr

To turn any of these gross figures into take-home, the calculator at the top of this page applies 2026 federal brackets, the $16,100 single standard deduction, Social Security (6.2% to the $184,500 wage base) and Medicare (1.45%, plus 0.9% above $200,000), then your selected state's income tax. For a deeper walk-through of each line on your stub, see our paycheck deductions guide and gross-to-net explainer.

How a airline pilot can earn above the median

The fastest levers on airline pilot pay are experience, credentials and location. Moving to a higher-paying employer or metro, picking up specialized certifications, and — where the role allows — overtime or a side practice all raise gross pay. Before you compare two offers, run both through this calculator: a job in a no-income-tax state such as Texas, Florida or Washington can beat a higher headline salary in a high-tax state on take-home alone. You can also model maxing out a 401(k) to cut your taxable income.

Compare with other careers

See how airline pilot pay compares with a registered nurse, an accountant or a electrician — or check your exact net in Texas, California or Florida.