Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers Salary in New York, NY
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area earn a median $239,200+ a year — 44% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $217,470 take-home, or $18,122 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers salary in New York, NY. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$80,479
- Social Security (6.2%)$11,439
- Medicare (1.45%)$6,079
- New York income tax$19,803
- Take-home pay$217,470
Marginal rate: 35% federal + 6.85% state
Living in New York City? City residents also pay New York City’s city income tax — about $12,560 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $204,910 ($17,076 a month). Choose “New York City” under City income tax in the calculator. Suburban residents usually don’t pay it.
The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro spans New York, New Jersey. Pick the state you live in — state income tax follows your residence.
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers pay by experience in New York, NY
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $121,220 | $58.28 | $87,997 | $7,333 |
| 25th percentile | $185,910 | $89.38 | $128,494 | $10,708 |
| Median (50th) | $335,270+ | $161.19 | $217,470 | $18,122 |
| 75th percentile | $427,470+ | $205.51 | $268,918 | $22,410 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $475,690+ | $228.70 | $295,824 | $24,652 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, New York resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $239,200+ buys in New York, NY
Prices in New York, NY are 12.6% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.49× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers's $217,470 take-home pay has the buying power of $193,198 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
New York, NY has 1.6× the national concentration of airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.
Best-paying cities for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers, adjusted for cost of living
New York, NY ranks #7 of 13 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlanta, GA | $239,200+ | $383,004 | $382,782 |
| 2 | Cincinnati, OH | $239,200+ | $238,228 | $249,794 |
| 3 | Houston, TX | $239,200+ | $219,995 | $223,053 |
| 4 | San Francisco, CA | $239,200+ | $226,477 | $195,893 |
| 5 | Denver, CO | $239,200+ | $207,048 | $195,731 |
| 6 | Los Angeles, CA | $239,200+ | $221,298 | $194,863 |
| 7 | New York, NY | $239,200+ | $217,470 | $193,198 |
| 8 | Chicago, IL | $239,200+ | $196,715 | $189,889 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 13 metros →
About the job: airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers
Pilot and navigate the flight of fixed-wing aircraft, usually on scheduled air carrier routes, for the transport of passengers and cargo. Requires Federal Air Transport certificate and rating for specific aircraft type used.
- Typical education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience
- Less than 5 years
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +8.3% (faster than average)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers make in New York, NY?
The median airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers salary in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area is $239,200+ a year, or about $161.19 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $185,910 and $239,200+.
What is a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers’s take-home pay in New York, NY?
On the median $239,200+ salary, a single filer living in New York takes home about $217,470 a year ($18,122 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $19,803 in New York taxes in 2026.
Is New York, NY a good place to work as a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers?
Pay here is 44% above the national median of $232,140. Local prices are 12.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $193,198 would in a typical U.S. city. New York, NY ranks #7 of 13 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers afford rent in New York, NY?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in New York, NY is $2,378 a month ($2,697 for two bedrooms) — 13% of a median airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
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