Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers Salary in Los Angeles, CA
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area earn a median $239,200+ a year — 57% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $221,298 take-home, or $18,442 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers salary in Los Angeles, CA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$90,790
- Social Security (6.2%)$11,439
- Medicare (1.45%)$6,771
- California income tax$29,690
- CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$4,741
- Take-home pay$221,298
Marginal rate: 35% federal + 9.30% state
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers pay by experience in Los Angeles, CA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $179,270 | $86.19 | $119,024 | $9,919 |
| 25th percentile | $208,070 | $100.03 | $137,045 | $11,420 |
| Median (50th) | $364,730+ | $175.35 | $221,298 | $18,442 |
| 75th percentile | $379,100+ | $182.26 | $228,757 | $19,063 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $427,660+ | $205.61 | $253,547 | $21,129 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, California resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $239,200+ buys in Los Angeles, CA
Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 13.6% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.70× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers's $221,298 take-home pay has the buying power of $194,863 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Los Angeles, CA 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
Los Angeles, CA ranks #6 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.
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers salaries elsewhere in California
- San Francisco, CA — $239,200+
Frequently asked questions
How much does a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers make in Los Angeles, CA?
The median airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers salary in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area is $239,200+ a year, or about $175.35 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $208,070 and $239,200+.
What is a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers’s take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA?
On the median $239,200+ salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $221,298 a year ($18,442 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $34,432 in California taxes in 2026.
Is Los Angeles, CA a good place to work as a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers?
Pay here is 57% above the national median of $232,140. Local prices are 13.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $194,863 would in a typical U.S. city. Los Angeles, CA ranks #6 of 13 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers afford rent in Los Angeles, CA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Los Angeles, CA is $2,245 a month ($2,755 for two bedrooms) — 12% 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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