Prevailing Wage for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
Prevailing wage for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers is set by the DOL using Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys across hundreds of U.S. metro areas. Whether your offer is for an Airline Captain, Co-Pilot, or Check Airman position, DOL establishes four experience levels, and the wage floor shifts considerably depending on where the worksite is located.
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Entry-level pilots new to scheduled air carrier operations, typically with limited turbine or airline-specific hours beyond initial type rating requirements. Scope is closely supervised line flying with minimal independent decision-making authority beyond standard crew resource management.
Qualified pilots with a solid base of airline operating hours and demonstrated type-rating proficiency. Level 2 is the most common filing level for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers, reflecting first officers with consistent line experience at a regional or mainline carrier.
Experienced pilots who hold or are transitioning to captain upgrades, with broad route familiarity and responsibility for check rides, mentoring junior crew members, or operating complex international or long-haul routes with significant autonomous judgment.
Fully competent senior captains, check airmen, or flight instructors of airline pilots who set operational standards, conduct line checks, and carry fleet-wide or system-wide authority. Level 4 applies to those at the top of a carrier's pilot hierarchy.
Prevailing Wage for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
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See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for this role and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
Search visa-sponsored jobsPrevailing Wage Guide for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
Confirm your worksite reflects your actual base airport
LCA wage levels are tied to the worksite listed on the filing, which must be your assigned base airport, not airline headquarters. Pilots based at Detroit Metro face a different wage floor than those based in San Juan, and the gap between those metros is substantial.
Watch how signing bonuses affect the wage floor
Airlines frequently offer large signing bonuses to new hires, but DOL prevailing wage compliance is measured against annualized base salary, not total compensation. A bonus that amortizes below the L2 floor in year two can create compliance exposure at renewal.
Verify your SOC code matches the certificate you hold
Employers occasionally file LCAs under broader transportation SOC codes rather than SOC 53-2011, which carries its own wage floor. If your offer requires an Air Transport certificate and a specific type rating, the filing should reference Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers specifically.
Use Migrate Mate to find carriers with proven sponsorship history
Mainline and regional carriers vary widely in willingness to sponsor international pilots. Migrate Mate shows which employers have historically sponsored this occupation, so you can focus applications on carriers that have already navigated the H-1B or green card process for flight crew.
Jobs for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for this rolePrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 53-2011.00 alongside Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Airbus Captain Prevailing Wage
Airbus Captain Prevailing Wage
Airbus Captain positions fall under SOC 53-2011.00 (Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Airline Captain Prevailing Wage
Airline Captain Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Airline Captain for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 53-2011.00 (Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Airline Pilot Prevailing Wage
Airline Pilot Prevailing Wage
Airline Pilot is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 53-2011.00 (Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Captain Prevailing Wage
Captain Prevailing Wage
Captain positions fall under SOC 53-2011.00 (Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Check Airman Prevailing Wage
Check Airman Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Check Airman for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 53-2011.00 (Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Co-Pilot Prevailing Wage
Co-Pilot Prevailing Wage
Co-Pilot is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 53-2011.00 (Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Commercial Airline Pilot Prevailing Wage
Commercial Airline Pilot Prevailing Wage
Commercial Airline Pilot positions fall under SOC 53-2011.00 (Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
First Officer (FO) Prevailing Wage
First Officer (FO) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a First Officer (FO) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 53-2011.00 (Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Line Pilot Prevailing Wage
Line Pilot Prevailing Wage
Line Pilot is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 53-2011.00 (Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Pilot Prevailing Wage
Pilot Prevailing Wage
Pilot positions fall under SOC 53-2011.00 (Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas nationwide. For SOC 53-2011, DOL calculates four wage levels by applying percentile cutoffs to the local wage distribution. Employers must obtain a certified Labor Condition Application from OFLC confirming the offered wage meets or exceeds the applicable level before filing with USCIS.
What do the four wage levels mean and how do I know which one applies to my offer?
DOL assigns Level 1 to entry-level positions requiring minimal experience, Level 2 to qualified workers performing standard duties, Level 3 to experienced workers with broader responsibilities, and Level 4 to fully competent senior professionals. Your level should reflect your actual scope of work, hours, and supervisory role, not just your job title. Employers who intentionally file at a lower level than the duties warrant face compliance risk.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same airline pilot role vary so much from city to city?
DOL pulls wage data from regional Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics surveys, so the floor reflects local labor market conditions rather than a national rate. The worksite listed on the LCA determines which metro's wage applies, and that must be the airport where you are actually based. High-cost hubs like Los Angeles and San Francisco report significantly higher floors than smaller markets, so a transfer or base change can shift your employer's compliance obligations.
What happens if my job offer is below the prevailing wage for a sponsored position?
OFLC will not certify the LCA if the offered wage falls below the prevailing wage for the worksite and experience level. Without a certified LCA, USCIS cannot approve the H-1B or other work visa petition. If an offer is below the floor, the employer must either increase the base salary to comply or file at a lower experience level that genuinely reflects the role's duties. Misclassifying duties to reduce the wage level is a DOL compliance violation.
How do I find and verify the prevailing wage for an Airline Pilot, Copilot, or Flight Engineer position at a specific U.S. location?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool, which lets you look up SOC 53-2011 wage levels by metropolitan area. Select the metro that corresponds to your assigned base airport, not the airline's corporate headquarters. You can also cross-reference with the O*NET occupation profile for SOC 53-2011 to confirm the role description matches your position before accepting a sponsored offer.
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