Pilot Salary in Louisiana (2026)
The average Pilot in Louisiana earns around $219,000/year. After taxes, your estimated take-home is $157,877/year ($13,156/month).
Take-Home Pay Breakdown
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
Annual Take-Home Pay | $157,877 |
Monthly Take-Home Pay | $13,156 |
Biweekly Take-Home Pay | $6,072 |
Hourly Take-Home Pay based on 2,080 hrs/year | $76/hr |
Federal Tax | $41,384 |
State Tax | $4,953 |
FICA Taxes | $14,786 |
Effective Tax Rate total taxes ÷ gross salary | 27.91% |
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Pilot Salary Ranges in Louisiana
Not all Pilots earn the same — not even close
Louisiana's pilot market is anchored by Barksdale Air Force Base Bossier City (~9K total workforce including B-52 Stratofortress + Air Force Global Strike Command HQ + 2nd Bomb Wing + 8th Air Force Numbered Air Force Headquarters), the substantial Gulf of Mexico offshore helicopter operations (ERA Aviation + PHI Aviation Lafayette + Bristow Group US + Rotorcraft Leasing Lafayette + Edison Chouest Air — the world's largest offshore helicopter operations supporting LA offshore oil + gas + LNG), Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans Belle Chasse (~6K total workforce + multiple reserve squadrons), Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport MSY (substantial commercial passenger operations) + Lakefront Airport + BR Metropolitan + Lafayette Regional + Shreveport Regional + Alexandria International, plus Fort Johnson (formerly Fort Polk) US Army Joint Readiness Training Center aviation operations + LA Air National Guard 159th Fighter Wing NAS JRB NOLA.
Senior Major Airline Captain (Wide-Body)
$385,000–$695,000+ TC
Senior 777/787/A350 Captain · ALPA scale + tenure + base premium · LA-based commuter via MSY
Senior Major Airline Captain (Narrow-Body)
$285,000–$525,000+ TC
Senior 737/A320 Captain at Delta + United + American + Southwest MSY pilot base · LA-based commuter
Senior Gulf Offshore Helicopter Captain
$155,000–$245,000+ TC
PHI Aviation Lafayette + ERA + Bristow · S-92 + AW139 + S-76 · offshore oil + gas + LNG support
Senior Air Force B-52 Pilot (Barksdale)
$115,000–$195,000+ flight pay
B-52 Stratofortress Pilot at 2nd Bomb Wing + 11th Bomb Squadron + 20th Bomb Squadron Barksdale
Senior Navy / Marine Reserve Pilot (NAS JRB)
$95,000–$165,000+ flight pay
NAS JRB Belle Chasse Navy + Marine + LA Air National Guard 159th FW reserve · F-15 + helicopter
Senior Corporate / Fractional Pilot
$155,000–$285,000+
NetJets + Flexjet + LA corporate flight departments + Lamar + Albemarle + Entergy corporate aviation
Senior Regional Airline Captain
$185,000–$285,000+
Senior regional captain at Endeavor + Republic + SkyWest + PSA · LA MSY commuter base
Senior Flight Instructor / Check Airman
$115,000–$185,000+
CFI/CFII + Part 141 LA flight schools · ATP-CTP + Type Rating instructor · LSU Aviation Program
Senior Air Medical / HEMS Pilot
$125,000–$185,000+ TC
PHI Air Medical Lafayette + Air Evac Lifeteam + Acadian Air Med · LA HEMS + critical care transport
First Officer (Major Airline / Regional)
$108,000–$215,000+
FO at major airline MSY-based or regional · ATP + 1500 hr · transitioning to Captain track
Worth knowing: Louisiana's Gulf of Mexico offshore helicopter operations are the world's most distinctive concentrated US offshore helicopter pilot market and a feature most national pilot compensation surveys understate for LA. The Lafayette + Houma + New Iberia + Morgan City heliport cluster operates the world's largest concentrated offshore helicopter operations supporting LA + TX Gulf of Mexico offshore oil + gas + LNG industry with ~500+ active offshore helicopters across PHI Aviation Lafayette (Fortune private, ~$700M revenue, the country's largest US offshore helicopter operator + Lafayette-HQ'd) + ERA Aviation (post-Bristow + ERA Group merger) + Bristow Group US + Rotorcraft Leasing Lafayette + Edison Chouest Air. Senior Gulf offshore Captains flying S-92 + AW139 + S-76 + Bell 407 + Bell 412 supporting offshore oil + gas platform transport clear $155-245K+ TC. Barksdale AFB Bossier City (the country's largest US B-52 Stratofortress operations + Air Force Global Strike Command HQ + 2nd Bomb Wing + 11th Bomb Squadron + 20th Bomb Squadron + Bomber Task Force operations + nuclear deterrent operations + ~9K total Barksdale workforce) supports substantial Air Force B-52 pilot operations. NAS Joint Reserve Base New Orleans Belle Chasse + LA Air National Guard 159th Fighter Wing (the country's only LA Air National Guard F-15 Eagle fighter unit + the only LA Air National Guard combat-coded fighter wing) supports substantial Navy + Marine + Air National Guard reserve pilot operations. Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport MSY supports substantial Delta + United + American + Southwest commercial pilot base + commuter operations. LA's flat 3% (post-2024 Act 11) + LA RTW since 1976 + no state estate tax (repealed 2008) + Lafayette + Bossier-Shreveport + NOLA cost of living advantage anchor the LA pilot proposition. Pilot is an -exempt salaried profession + No Tax on Overtime federal deduction does not apply.
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More on Louisiana
Salaries by profession, top-paying roles by industry, and an economic breakdown for Louisiana in 2026.
Tax brackets, standard deductions, and take-home estimates for Louisiana in 2026.
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