Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers salary in North Carolina
The average Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers salary in North Carolina is $153,500 per year on WePayFairly's 2026 basis. The 25th-to-75th-percentile range is $102,500 to $206,500. Based on BLS state wage data, aged to 2026.
The following occupation, experience, industry and career information describes the role nationally. For North Carolina pay, use the state figures above and the state salary questions below.
Total cash compensation
Base salary plus target annual bonus. Target bonus opportunity scales with role level, so a higher base carries a higher target percentage.
Long-term incentive is not shown for this role. Equity awards are only disclosed publicly for the named executive officers of public companies, so no market figure exists for most jobs. See executive pay disclosures.
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About this role
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers is a professional role within the function in the Transportation and Material Moving job family.
Typical entry preparation: Bachelor's Degree and up to 2 years of related work experience, per O*NET occupational data. Advancement typically requires additional years in role.
What Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineerss do
Typical education: Bachelor's Degree
Use instrumentation to guide flights when visibility is poor.
Start engines, operate controls, and pilot airplanes to transport passengers, mail, or freight, adhering to flight plans, regulations, and procedures.
Work as part of a flight team with other crew members, especially during takeoffs and landings.
Respond to and report in-flight emergencies and malfunctions.
Inspect aircraft for defects and malfunctions, according to pre-flight checklists.
Top skills:Operation and ControlOperations MonitoringMonitoringCritical ThinkingActive ListeningJudgment and Decision Making
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers pay by experience level
Entry level$110,500
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$188,500
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$240,500
Mid-career median pay
Senior$398,000
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$480,000
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
+3.9%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
11,700
projected openings per year
Growing about as fast as average
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers salary by industry
Air Transportation
91,010 workers
$307,000
Scheduled Air Transportation
90,840 workers
$307,500
Couriers and Messengers
5,730 workers
$295,500
Couriers and Express Delivery Services
5,730 workers
$295,500
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS
2,730 workers
$148,000
Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation)
2,720 workers
$148,000
Support Activities for Transportation
2,570 workers
$242,500
Support Activities for Air Transportation
2,570 workers
$242,500
Management of Companies and Enterprises
600 workers
$202,000
Management of Companies and Enterprises
600 workers
$202,000
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
Pay trend
National median annual wage, 2020 to 2025: $160,970 to $232,140.
+44.2% over this period
Medians as published each May in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics national estimates. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS.
Pay by experience level
How annual pay for this occupation spreads from newcomers to the highest paid, aged to 2026.
Entry10th percentile
$110,500
Early career25th percentile
$188,500
Median50th percentile
$240,500
Experienced75th percentile
$398,000
Top earners90th percentile
$480,000
Bands are the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages for this occupation nationally. Percentiles reflect the full mix of tenure, employer, and location, so they approximate but do not equal years of experience. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates.
Where this job pays most
Top-paying states for this occupation, average annual wage aged to 2026.
State averages for this occupation from the BLS OEWS state estimates. Cost of living differs by state; a higher wage does not always mean more buying power.
The abilities employers and analysts most associate with this occupation.
Operation and ControlOperations MonitoringMonitoringCritical ThinkingActive ListeningJudgment and Decision Making
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET occupational database.
Typical duties and FLSA status
Core duties
Use instrumentation to guide flights when visibility is poor.
Start engines, operate controls, and pilot airplanes to transport passengers, mail, or freight, adhering to flight plans, regulations, and procedures.
Work as part of a flight team with other crew members, especially during takeoffs and landings.
Respond to and report in-flight emergencies and malfunctions.
Inspect aircraft for defects and malfunctions, according to pre-flight checklists.
FLSA classification (typical)
Typically Non-exempt · Service, trades, or production work
Occupations in this SOC group are typically classified as Non-exempt and eligible for overtime pay under FLSA rules. Actual classification depends on the specific job duties, salary basis, and any applicable state or local rules. The current federal salary threshold for exemption is $684 per week ($35,568 per year), per the 2020 Department of Labor rule; the 2024 rule that would have raised the threshold was struck down by federal court in November 2024.
Pay outlook
Five-year pay outlook for this title
2026$299,000
2027$309,500
2028$320,500
2029$331,500
2030$343,000
2031$355,000
Projection assumes market wages keep rising about 3.5% a year, consistent with recent wage growth measured by the BLS Employment Cost Index. It reflects market movement for the title, not individual raises or promotions, which vary.
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Sources and assumptions
Modeled market estimate, aged to 2026. Underlying source families are BLS OEWS May 2025 for BLS-mapped occupations and the 2018–19 collection for corporate titles. Annual aging is compounded at approximately 3–4%; geographic, industry and company-size repricing are modeled. See the role details and methodology for the applicable source and assumptions.
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Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers pays 333% above the average across 53 roles in the Transportation and Material Moving job family (family average $69,000).
Similar-paying roles in Transportation and Material Moving
Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
North Carolina salary questions
How much does a Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers make in North Carolina?
The average base salary for a Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers in North Carolina is $153,500 per year, or about $73.80 per hour, on WePayFairly's 2026 basis.
What is the median Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers salary in North Carolina?
The median is $157,000 per year on the same 2026 basis. The median is the middle wage in the state distribution; the average is $153,500.
What is the typical Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers salary range in North Carolina?
The 25th-to-75th-percentile range in North Carolina is $102,500 to $206,500 per year on the 2026 basis. These percentiles describe the state wage distribution; individual pay varies by employer and experience.
How does Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers pay in North Carolina compare with the national average?
The North Carolina average of $153,500 is $145,500 (48.7%) below the national average of $299,000. Both figures use WePayFairly's 2026 basis.
Where do these North Carolina salary figures come from?
The state figures come from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics state data. WePayFairly applies the same compounded market movement factor used elsewhere on this page to express the published figures on a 2026 basis. They are estimates, not a guarantee of a particular offer.
Need a defensible market price for this role? WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.
Need Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
