# SOC 53-2011: Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers

> Occupation profile: https://www.xh1b.org/soc/53-2011

Employers submitted 126 certified H-1B applications for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers (53-2011) roles, requesting 397 workers. The average offered wage is $134,735/yr, 42% below the BLS national median ($232,140/yr). (2025, SOC 53-2011) The largest filers are SkyWest Airlines, PSA Airlines, Inc. and Spirit Airlines.

| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total filings | 126 |
| Total workers | 397 |
| Average offered wage | $135K |
| Average prevailing wage | $125K |
| BLS median wage | $232K |
| Latest BLS year in scope | 2025 |
| Profile benchmark SOC | 53-2011 |
| BLS area | U.S. |

Filing wage badges use the latest national BLS median. Their detail shows the benchmark code and year. A mapped comparator can use a different occupation from the direct-code profile benchmark above. It is a screening comparison, not a claim that the occupations are identical.

| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Offered vs BLS benchmark | -42% |

## Top employers (of 112)

| Employer | Filings | Workers | Avg wage | BLS median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [SkyWest Airlines](https://www.xh1b.org/org/skywest-airlines-17997e4556) | 545 | 4,074 | $144K | $232K |
| [PSA Airlines, Inc.](https://www.xh1b.org/org/psa-airlines-inc-51ef74f63f) | 195 | 195 | $162K | $232K |
| [Spirit Airlines](https://www.xh1b.org/org/spirit-airlines-e7f8d25419) | 169 | 208 | $174K | $232K |
| [Champlain ENTERPRISES, LLC](https://www.xh1b.org/org/champlain-enterprises-llc-c8cb483053) | 113 | 137 | $85K | $232K |
| [Gojet Airlines LLC](https://www.xh1b.org/org/gojet-airlines-llc-3e282dc88d) | 100 | 196 | $195K | $232K |
| [Mesa Airlines, Inc.](https://www.xh1b.org/org/mesa-airlines-inc-e728471df8) | 85 | 85 | $111K | $232K |
| [Frontier Airlines](https://www.xh1b.org/org/frontier-airlines-f877471529) | 79 | 80 | $234K | $232K |
| [Atlas Air, Inc.](https://www.xh1b.org/org/atlas-air-inc-3a5a4faae2) | 69 | 1,501 | $200K | $232K |
| [Air Wisconsin Airlines LLC](https://www.xh1b.org/org/air-wisconsin-airlines-llc-5754c537f9) | 57 | 117 | $123K | $232K |
| [Piedmont Airlines, Inc.](https://www.xh1b.org/org/piedmont-airlines-inc-01cb76b36d) | 57 | 91 | $175K | $232K |

## Filing trend

| Year | Filings | Workers | Median offered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 2 | 2 | $99K |
| 2012 | 4 | 6 | $91K |
| 2013 | 7 | 7 | $67K |
| 2014 | 7 | 7 | $80K |
| 2015 | 2 | 2 | - |
| 2017 | 4 | 4 | $84K |
| 2018 | 3 | 3 | $73K |
| 2019 | 4 | 4 | $77K |
| 2020 | 3 | 3 | $97K |
| 2021 | 2 | 2 | $71K |
| 2022 | 3 | 3 | $93K |
| 2023 | 2 | 2 | $197K |
| 2024 | 4 | 4 | $203K |
| 2025 | 4 | 23 | $99K |

## State filing trends (2015 to 2026)

| State | Total filings | 2026 filings | 2026 filings per 100k residents |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Florida](https://www.xh1b.org/state/fl) | 301 | 20 | 0.1 |
| [Illinois](https://www.xh1b.org/state/il) | 223 | 5 | 0.0 |
| [Utah](https://www.xh1b.org/state/ut) | 195 | 2 | 0.1 |
| [Ohio](https://www.xh1b.org/state/oh) | 175 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [Missouri](https://www.xh1b.org/state/mo) | 128 | 2 | 0.0 |
| [Colorado](https://www.xh1b.org/state/co) | 111 | 2 | 0.0 |
| [Texas](https://www.xh1b.org/state/tx) | 100 | 5 | 0.0 |
| [Georgia](https://www.xh1b.org/state/ga) | 98 | 5 | 0.0 |
| [Arizona](https://www.xh1b.org/state/az) | 88 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [New Jersey](https://www.xh1b.org/state/nj) | 73 | 1 | 0.0 |
| [Wisconsin](https://www.xh1b.org/state/wi) | 63 | 1 | 0.0 |
| [California](https://www.xh1b.org/state/ca) | 62 | 1 | 0.0 |
| [Michigan](https://www.xh1b.org/state/mi) | 55 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [Virginia](https://www.xh1b.org/state/va) | 39 | 1 | 0.0 |
| [Maryland](https://www.xh1b.org/state/md) | 36 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [North Carolina](https://www.xh1b.org/state/nc) | 34 | 5 | 0.0 |
| [Nevada](https://www.xh1b.org/state/nv) | 32 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [Minnesota](https://www.xh1b.org/state/mn) | 29 | 1 | 0.0 |
| [Pennsylvania](https://www.xh1b.org/state/pa) | 27 | 7 | 0.1 |
| [Massachusetts](https://www.xh1b.org/state/ma) | 16 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [Tennessee](https://www.xh1b.org/state/tn) | 12 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [New York](https://www.xh1b.org/state/ny) | 9 | 1 | 0.0 |
| [Indiana](https://www.xh1b.org/state/in) | 5 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [Montana](https://www.xh1b.org/state/mt) | 5 | 1 | 0.1 |
| [Washington](https://www.xh1b.org/state/wa) | 4 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [Connecticut](https://www.xh1b.org/state/ct) | 3 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [Puerto Rico](https://www.xh1b.org/state/pr) | 3 | 1 | 0.1 |
| [Arkansas](https://www.xh1b.org/state/ar) | 2 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [Hawaii](https://www.xh1b.org/state/hi) | 2 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [Idaho](https://www.xh1b.org/state/id) | 2 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [Kentucky](https://www.xh1b.org/state/ky) | 2 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [New Hampshire](https://www.xh1b.org/state/nh) | 2 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [Alaska](https://www.xh1b.org/state/ak) | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [Delaware](https://www.xh1b.org/state/de) | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [Louisiana](https://www.xh1b.org/state/la) | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [Nebraska](https://www.xh1b.org/state/ne) | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [Oregon](https://www.xh1b.org/state/or) | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [Vermont](https://www.xh1b.org/state/vt) | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| [West Virginia](https://www.xh1b.org/state/wv) | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |


Per 100k residents uses the U.S. Census Bureau annual population estimate for that state and year; years after the latest published estimate carry that estimate forward. The latest filing year may be a partial period.

## More

- Full page (charts, tables, interactive): https://www.xh1b.org/soc/53-2011
- JSON API: https://www.xh1b.org/api/soc-employers?code=53-2011
- JSON API: https://www.xh1b.org/api/soc-filings?code=53-2011


## References

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1. Dataset documentation · DOL OFLC. [LCA public disclosure record layout (FY2026 Q3)](https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/oflc/pdfs/FY26Q3/LCA_Record_Layout_FY2026_Q3.pdf). Pages 1–4: application, DOL outcome and dates, requested positions, employer, representatives, worksites and pay units. This layout covers determinations issued October 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. It documents employer-provided application fields and DOL decisions, not USCIS decisions, payroll verification, legal bills or worker-linked moves. Older layouts can differ. Checked 2026-10-17.

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2. Dataset documentation · BLS. [OEWS technical notes (May 2025)](https://www.bls.gov/oes/2025/may/oes_tec.htm). Scope of the survey; occupational coding; concepts and estimation methodology. Documents occupation and geographic wage estimates, not an individual worker’s pay. Use the estimate year and geography stated by the site; older releases can differ. Checked 2026-10-17.

<a id="reference-data-lca-data-bls-data-soc-system-calculation-method-indicators-method-soc-system"></a>

3. Guidance · BLS. [Standard Occupational Classification](https://www.bls.gov/soc/finding_soc_code.htm). Classification Principles 1–2 and Coding Guideline 2; job duties, not job titles. Checked 2026-10-08.

<a id="reference-data-lca-data-bls-data-soc-system-calculation-method-indicators-method-calculation-method"></a>
<a id="reference-data-lca-data-bls-data-soc-system-calculation-method-indicators-method-indicators-method"></a>

4. XH1B method or registry · XH1B. [Calculation and Matching Methods; Reading Public Records and Derived Indicators](https://www.xh1b.org/data-sources). Filing units, annualization, weighting, wage comparisons, and inference limits; Reading records: units, source coverage, wage gaps, entity links, and inference limits. These are the site's review methods, not validated predictions of wrongdoing. Inspect underlying records and alternative explanations.