Airline Pilot.
St. Louis.
$142,000
median salary, 10% below the national average
$88,000 to $214,000. Updated for 2026.
The numbers.
Everything you need to negotiate with confidence.
St. Louis is 10% cheaper than the national average. For Airline Pilots, that shakes out to a median of $142,000, with the full range spanning $88,000 to $214,000. Airline size, aircraft type rating, and seniority number are the primary pay drivers. Know the range before you walk in.
Salary range
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How St. Louis compares
St. Louis, MO
$142,000
Cost of living: 10% below average
National Average
$158,000
St. Louis is $16,000 below
What you should know
The Airline Pilot landscape in St. Louis is not what most salary sites will tell you. St. Louis offers one of the most affordable major metro areas in the country, with a strong base in healthcare, financial services, and manufacturing. The region's anchor employers include Boeing, Centene, and Washington University's medical campus. A growing biotech and plant sciences corridor centered on the Cortex Innovation District is attracting new investment and talent. Airline size, aircraft type rating, and seniority number are the primary pay drivers. Captains at major carriers earn roughly double what regional first officers make. International long-haul routes and widebody type ratings command the highest premiums.
Regional first officers start at $55,000 to $98,000. Upgrading to captain at a regional brings $100,000 to $140,000. Transitioning to a major airline as a first officer pays $150,000 to $200,000, with captains earning $238,000 to $400,000 at top seniority. In St. Louis, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Total compensation includes per diem allowances, profit sharing up to 15 to 20% of base, 401(k) matching, and flight-benefit travel. Major carriers also offer retention bonuses of $50,000 to $100,000. And on the tax side: missouri's top income tax rate is about 4.8%, and St. Louis City adds a 1% earnings tax. The low base cost of living means your after tax salary still stretches further than in most metros. When someone quotes you $142,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Emphasize your willingness to work in person at Cortex or the BJC campus. St. Louis employers offer higher packages for candidates who commit to the local innovation hubs. The range for Airline Pilots in St. Louis runs from $88,000 to $214,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Top industries in St. Louis
Negotiating in St. Louis
Emphasize your willingness to work in person at Cortex or the BJC campus. St. Louis employers offer higher packages for candidates who commit to the local innovation hubs.