Commercial Pilots pay range in Chico
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $62,780 a year or less, while the top 10% make $299,990 or more. The middle half of commercial pilots in Chico earn between $76,110 and $205,440.
- $63K10th
- $76K25th
- $124KMedian
- $205K75th
- $300K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $150,150 | $12,512 | — |
| Median | $123,880 | $10,323 | — |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $76,110 | $6,342 | — |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $205,440 | $17,120 | — |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year (BLS publishes this job's pay as annual only).
Commercial Pilots salary after taxes in Chico
On the average salary of $150,150, a single filer in Chico takes home about $104,022 a year, or $8,668 a month and $4,001 every two weeks. Taxes take 31% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is Chico a good place for commercial pilots? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Chico area are in line with the U.S. average (BEA price parity 101.2), so the average $150,150 buys what about $148,374 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.6 times the median wage of all jobs in Chico ($48,050). A typical home costs $401,581, or 2.7 years of this average salary before tax.
Commercial Pilots salary in other California cities
Chico ranks 8th of 16 California metro areas for this job; Santa Rosa pays the most ($218,810).
- Santa Rosa$218,810
- San Francisco$181,600
- San Jose$177,010
- Modesto$176,410
- Santa Maria$161,510
- San Diego$156,890
- Bakersfield$150,610
- Chico$150,150
- Redding$149,700
- Sacramento$146,350
Highest-paying cities for commercial pilots
Waterbury, CT pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($267,680).
- Waterbury, CT$267,680
- Kiryas Joel, NY$226,850
- Bridgeport, CT$226,590
- Santa Rosa, CA$218,810
- Louisville, KY$210,350
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Commercial Pilots salary in Chico: questions
What is the entry-level commercial pilots salary in Chico?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $62,780 a year and the 25th percentile is $76,110, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the commercial pilots take-home pay in Chico?
About $104,022 a year ($8,668 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $150,150. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do commercial pilots earn more in Chico than elsewhere?
The average here is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($146,776).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 53-2012; area Chico, CA (17020). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 8.7%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.86, this job is 1.9 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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