Arizona · SOC 53-2012
Commercial Pilots in Arizona
State salary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025)
Geography used: wage and employment figures are BLS state estimates for Arizona; the comparison figure is the United States national estimate.
Median Salary
$103,060
per year in this state
16% below
National Median
$123,220
per year nationally
Hourly Rate
N/A
median hourly
Employment
1,540
jobs in AZ
Salary Range in Arizona
Annual Salary Distribution
What This Means for Commercial Pilots in Arizona
According to BLS OEWS state estimates, Arizona ranks #36 of 49 states and territories for Commercial Pilots pay, the middle tier (73rd percentile) nationally. Commercial Pilots working in Arizona earn a median salary of $103,060, which is 16% below the national median of $123,220. OEWS reports the difference but does not identify its cause. The reported wage distribution runs from $64,290 at the 10th percentile to $201,660 at the 90th. OEWS does not separate how much of that spread comes from experience, specialization, employer, industry, schedule, or local market differences.
This page captures the Commercial Pilots labor market inside Arizona using BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics state estimates from the May 2025 release. Median annual pay lands at $103,060, while the state employs roughly 1,540 workers in this SOC code (53-2012). Relative to the national median of $123,220, the state estimate is 16% below. Explaining that difference would require separate evidence on industry, employer, prices, and worker mix.
Within Arizona, the full pay distribution is wider than the median alone suggests. Workers at the 10th percentile earn $64,290, the 25th earns $93,620, the 75th reaches $133,110, and the 90th hits $201,660. The upper boundary is roughly 3.1× the lower boundary. These bands combine workers across experience levels, credentials, employers, industries, schedules, and specialties; the percentile table does not isolate any one factor's effect.
Use this state-level view as one layer in your research stack, not the full picture. Drill into the specific BLS local wage area within Arizona where the job is located. A state estimate can differ substantially from a local-area estimate; this table does not establish why. Pair the wage here with state-specific cost of living (rent, taxes, energy, groceries) to see how far the paycheck actually goes. OEWS includes tips, commissions, incentive pay, and production bonuses. It excludes employer benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, and nonproduction bonuses, so compare those items separately when reviewing an offer.
Top Paying Jobs in Arizona
Similar Occupations in Arizona
Other roles in the same SOC major group, priced for this state's labor market.
Other states with similar Commercial Pilots pay or employment
Two OEWS peer sets for this SOC code outside Arizona. Same-major-group cards above stay in-state; these neighborhoods are cross-state nearest neighbors.
Similar median pay
Nearest state medians ($103,060 here).
- Commercial Pilots in Missouri · $102,990
- Commercial Pilots in Wyoming · $102,990
- Commercial Pilots in Mississippi · $103,640
- Commercial Pilots in Montana · $103,690
Similar employment scale
Nearest headcount peers (1,540 jobs here; floor 1,000).
- Commercial Pilots in North Carolina · 1,520
- Commercial Pilots in Michigan · 1,390
- Commercial Pilots in Colorado · 1,240
- Commercial Pilots in Illinois · 1,170
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on BLS OEWS state median annual wage and reported employment for SOC 53-2012. Employment peers exclude states already listed in the pay column so the two link sets stay distinct.
Related federal data for Arizona
📊 BLS OEWS - Arizona
Federal wage estimates by occupation
📈 BLS Employment Projections
10-year occupation growth, national
🏢 BLS QCEW state series
Quarterly employment and wage program (BLS)
🏛️ OPM FedScope
Federal workforce data by agency and location
⚖️ OSHA Establishment Search
Federal workplace-safety records
🏠 HUD Fair Market Rents
Federal area-level rent benchmarks
Frequently Asked Questions
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Data Sources
Last updated: May 2025 (BLS OEWS annual release).
Salary and employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release.
Wage estimates include straight-time pay plus items such as tips, commissions, and production bonuses. They exclude employer benefits, overtime premiums, stock compensation, and nonproduction bonuses. Employment figures represent the estimated number of workers in the occupation across all industries in Arizona.
Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. This occupation's Arizona figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS state-level data. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.