SOC 53-2011 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers — Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN · 1 metro areas compared
In Cincinnati, OH the median wage for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers reaches $350,950 a year.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow about as fast as average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +3.9%
- Openings per year
- 11,700
- Typical entry-level education
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
In Cincinnati, OH the median wage for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers reaches $350,950 a year. That is 51.2% more than the national median of $232,140. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $219,760 and $407,760. The lowest tenth earn under $182,780, while the highest tenth earn more than $463,830.
Employment stands at 3,330, or 3.0 jobs per thousand held locally. Akron leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $161,720. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 4th of 647 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $182,780 | −21.3% |
| 25th | $219,760 | −5.3% |
| Median (50th) | $350,950 | +51.2% |
| 75th | $407,760 | +75.7% |
| 90th | $463,830 | +99.8% |
| Mean | $315,590 | +35.9% |
Other metro areas in Ohio
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Akron | $161,720 | 40 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Cincinnati run 4.6% below the national average, so the median of $350,950 goes as far as $367,872 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 58.5% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$350,950as reported by BLSLocal price level
95.4US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$367,872US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $350,950 a year, 51.2% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $182,780 to $463,830 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 3,330 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Akron, at $161,720.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers in Cincinnati, OH?
The median annual wage is $350,950, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $232,140, so pay in Cincinnati, OH is 51.2% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Cincinnati, OH earns more than $463,830 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $182,780 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Akron, at $161,720 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 3,330 jobs in this occupation in Cincinnati, OH. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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