Based on the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data — updated September 10, 2026.
| Kentucky | National | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual salary | $350,950 | $294,133 | +19% |
| Median hourly wage | $168.73 | $141.41 | +19% |
Adjusted for local price levels (100 = national average), the cost-adjusted median is $389,080.
| City | Median | Entry Level | Experienced | Cost of Living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City-level data coming soon. | ||||
The median annual salary for a Airline Pilot in Kentucky is $350,950, or about $168.73 per hour, according to BLS OEWS data.
The national median for Airline Pilots is $294,133. Kentucky is +19% above the national median.
Entry-level airline pilots in Kentucky typically earn from varies by experience depending on the city and employer.
With 6,260 airline pilot jobs on record and a median salary of $350,950, Kentucky offers above-average pay compared to the rest of the country.
By median annual wage, airline pilots rank 2 of the 699 occupations reported in Kentucky — higher than 100% of them.
Among occupations in the same job family, Commercial Pilots at $129,990, Air Traffic Controllers at $127,800, Airfield Operations Specialists at $123,290 — all figures are median annual wages for Kentucky.
No. Every figure on this page is a gross (pre-tax) wage. Kentucky 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 89.0 (100 = national average).
By median annual wage, airline pilots rank 2 of the 699 occupations reported in Kentucky — higher than 100% of them.
| Occupation in the same job family | Median in Kentucky | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Commercial Pilots | $129,990 | $800 |
| Air Traffic Controllers | $127,800 | $230 |
| Airfield Operations Specialists | $123,290 | $290 |
| Ship Engineers | $120,550 | — |
| Transportation Inspectors | $83,970 | $260 |
| Locomotive Engineers | $77,620 | $540 |
Kentucky 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 89.0 (100 = national average).
Ranking and comparison figures come from the same BLS OEWS release as the rest of this page, which covers 699 occupations in Kentucky.