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Pilot Salary in the USA
11 airlines based in the United States, compared on captain and first officer averages and ranges. Civil aviation authority: FAA.
Pilot salary by airline in the USA
Sorted by captain average, highest first. Click an airline for its pay breakdown, fleet, hiring requirements and reviews from working pilots.
| Airline | Captain avg | Captain range | F/O avg | F/O range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines | $398K | $338K〜$537K | $243K | $113K〜$328K |
| Delta Air Lines | $388K | $311K〜$547K | $221K | $106K〜$316K |
| American Airlines | $373K | $315K〜$541K | $216K | $108K〜$331K |
| Alaska Airlines | $308K | $239K〜$365K | $179K | $107K〜$226K |
| Southwest Airlines | $303K | $260K〜$447K | $164K | $104K〜$254K |
| JetBlue Airways | $264K | $220K〜$296K | $151K | $94K〜$189K |
| Spirit Airlines | $233K | $182K〜$296K | $126K | $82K〜$189K |
| Breeze Airways | $214K | $201K〜$277K | $120K | $104K〜$157K |
| Frontier Airlines | $208K | $164K〜$271K | $110K | $69K〜$138K |
| Allegiant Air | $189K | $164K〜$226K | $107K | $57K〜$151K |
| Solairus Aviation | $151K | $116K〜$201K | $107K | $82K〜$138K |
Where the USA sits worldwide
Captain averages side by side. The USA sits at $276K against a $156K average across all 112 airlines — about 77% above. That places it 1st of the 51 countries covered.
Country figures are the unweighted mean of captain averages for the airlines we list there. World first officer average: $88K across 112 airlines.
Compare other countries
To see the whole region at once, go to pilot salary in North America — 14 airlines across 2 countries, captains averaging $259K.
Frequently asked questions
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