Pilot Salary in Minnesota (2026)
The average Pilot in Minnesota earns around $219,000/year. After taxes, your estimated take-home is $148,461/year ($12,372/month).
Take-Home Pay Breakdown
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
Annual Take-Home Pay | $148,461 |
Monthly Take-Home Pay | $12,372 |
Biweekly Take-Home Pay | $5,710 |
Hourly Take-Home Pay based on 2,080 hrs/year | $71/hr |
Federal Tax | $41,384 |
State Tax | $14,369 |
FICA Taxes | $14,786 |
Effective Tax Rate total taxes ÷ gross salary | 32.21% |
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Pilot Salary Ranges in Minnesota
Not all Pilots earn the same — not even close
Minnesota's pilot market is anchored by Delta Air Lines Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) — Delta's 8th-largest hub by daily departures (~400+ flights/day) supporting ~1,800 MSP-based Delta pilots, plus Delta Connection regional carrier Endeavor Air HQ Minneapolis (~2,000 pilots, Delta-owned regional), Sun Country Airlines HQ Minneapolis (~120 mainline 737 pilots, post-2018 Apollo private-equity ownership), United + American + Southwest MSP operations, FedEx + UPS MSP cargo, plus Cirrus Aircraft Duluth (the country's largest piston single-engine manufacturer with substantial test pilot + flight ops).
Delta Captain (MSP Hub)
$315,000–$485,000+ TC
Delta Air Lines MSP hub captain · widebody (A330/A350/767) + 737/A321 fleet · senior longevity
Delta First Officer (MSP)
$98,000–$215,000
Delta Air Lines MSP hub FO · post-2024 contract base pay reset · most MSP growth
Mainline Captain (American / United, off-base)
$315,000–$465,000+ TC
MN-resident pilots commuting to ATL/DFW/IAD/ORD · 49 USC 40116 preemption applies · MN pays 9.85% top
Sun Country Captain (MSP HQ)
$215,000–$345,000
Sun Country MSP HQ · 737-800 fleet · ULCC + cargo + charter operations · post-2018 PE-owned
Endeavor Air Captain (MSP Delta Connection)
$135,000–$235,000
Endeavor Air Mpls HQ · CRJ-700/900 regional · Delta-owned + Delta flow-through agreement
FedEx / UPS Cargo Captain (MSP)
$315,000–$485,000+ TC
FedEx Express + UPS MSP cargo operations · widebody freighter · cargo carrier scale
Corporate / Charter Pilot (Senior)
$125,000–$235,000
Cargill corporate flight · Target corporate flight · NetJets MSP · Gulfstream G650 premium
Cirrus Aircraft Test Pilot (Duluth)
$135,000–$235,000
Cirrus Aircraft Duluth · SR22 + Vision Jet · piston single-engine + light jet manufacturer test pilot
Regional Cargo / Pt. 135 Pilot
$78,000–$165,000
Part 135 charter · Pinnacle + Compass + Air Wisconsin · regional carrier presence
Flight Instructor (CFI / CFII)
$58,000–$95,000
U of ND Aerospace + Mankato State Aviation + Crystal Airport · path to regional/cargo
Worth knowing: 49 USC 40116(f)(2) federal preemption is the structural feature most national pilot-market surveys understate for MN — but for MN-resident pilots it cuts the OTHER way vs SD/TX/FL pilots. 49 USC 40116(f)(2) federal preemption routes airline pilot wages through legal-residence-state taxation only, regardless of where the pilot is based — so MN-resident pilots flying any major US carrier (Delta MSP, Delta ATL, American DFW, United ORD, Southwest MSP, FedEx Memphis) pay the full MN 9.85% top bracket on senior captain TC, while SD/TX/FL-resident pilots flying out of MSP pay 0% state income tax on the same comp. For a senior MSP Delta widebody captain at $385K TC, MN state tax adds ~$32-35K/year vs SD/TX/FL residency. Senior MN-resident pilots commonly relocate to SD (no state income tax) or FL (no state income tax) at retirement to preserve pension distributions — MN does tax pension distributions including airline pension at the full progressive rate. Delta MSP is Delta's 8th-largest hub (~400+ daily departures, ~1,800 MSP-based pilots) and the densest mainline pilot employment cluster in the upper Midwest. Sun Country Airlines HQ MSP (~120 mainline pilots, post-2018 Apollo PE-owned) supports niche ULCC + cargo + charter operations.
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More on Minnesota
Salaries by profession, top-paying roles by industry, and an economic breakdown for Minnesota in 2026.
Tax brackets, standard deductions, and take-home estimates for Minnesota in 2026.
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