Commercial Pilots pay range in Denver
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $57,100 a year or less, while the top 10% make $285,550 or more. The middle half of commercial pilots in Denver earn between $98,660 and $218,440.
- $57K10th
- $99K25th
- $133KMedian
- $218K75th
- $286K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $158,080 | $13,173 | — |
| Median | $132,810 | $11,068 | — |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $98,660 | $8,222 | — |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $218,440 | $18,203 | — |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year (BLS publishes this job's pay as annual only).
Commercial Pilots salary after taxes in Denver
On the average salary of $158,080, a single filer in Denver takes home about $113,067 a year, or $9,422 a month and $4,349 every two weeks. Taxes take 28% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Colorado's FAMLI premium and the flat monthly occupational privilege taxes of Denver, Aurora and a few other cities are not included.
Is Denver a good place for commercial pilots? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Denver area are 6% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 105.8), so the average $158,080 buys what about $149,439 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 2.1 times the median wage of all jobs in Denver ($62,320). A typical home costs $573,221, or 3.6 years of this average salary before tax.
Commercial Pilots salary in other Colorado cities
Denver ranks 1st of 5 Colorado metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.
- Denver$158,080
- Colorado Springs$156,170
- Fort Collins$146,510
- Boulder$139,720
- Greeley$136,830
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 Denver: questions
What is the entry-level commercial pilots salary in Denver?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $57,100 a year and the 25th percentile is $98,660, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the commercial pilots take-home pay in Denver?
About $113,067 a year ($9,422 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $158,080. Colorado's FAMLI premium and the flat monthly occupational privilege taxes of Denver, Aurora and a few other cities are not included.
Do commercial pilots earn more in Denver than elsewhere?
The average here is 8% more than 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 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO (19740). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 6.4%.
- 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 (2026 rules). Colorado's FAMLI premium and the flat monthly occupational privilege taxes of Denver, Aurora and a few other cities are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 1.44, this job is 1.4 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.
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