Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| Illinois | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $293,490 | $294,133 | +0% |
| Median hourly wage | $141.10 | $141.41 | +0% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $293,490.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a Airline Pilot in Illinois is $293,490, or about $141.10 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Airline Pilots is $294,133. Illinois is +0% above the national median.
Entry-level airline pilots in Illinois typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 6,460 airline pilot jobs on record and a median salary of $293,490, Illinois offers above-average pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, airline pilots rank 8 of the 747 occupations reported in Illinois — higher than 99% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Air Traffic Controllers at $181,560, Commercial Pilots at $126,100, Hoist and Winch Operators at $118,210 — all figures are median annual wages for Illinois.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. Illinois levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 100.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, airline pilots rank 8 of the 747 occupations reported in Illinois — higher than 99% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in Illinois | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Air Traffic Controllers | $181,560 | $990 |
| Commercial Pilots | $126,100 | $1,170 |
| Hoist and Winch Operators | $118,210 | $320 |
| Ship Engineers | $115,310 | $110 |
| Locomotive Engineers | $93,320 | $2,340 |
| Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers | $92,310 | $50 |
Illinois levies a state income tax, so take-home pay is lower than the gross figures shown here. The state's cost of living index is 100.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 747 occupations in Illinois.