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Pilot Salary in Missouri (2026)

Average Pilot pay in Missouri

$110,610/year

≈ $53/hour before tax

Middle 50% earn $60,920–$143,580

US average: $288,650

Source: BLS, May 2025 · Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers

After tax (single filer)

$82,419/year

$6,868/month · effective tax rate 25.49%

  • Federal $15,504
  • State $4,225
  • FICA $8,462
  • Take-home

Pay by role in Missouri

  • Boeing Defense Flight Test Pilot$185,000–$325,000+ TC
  • Mainline Captain (Delta/AAL/UAL, off-base)$320,000–$465,000+ TC
  • Mainline FO (off-base)$95,000–$215,000
  • Corporate / Charter Pilot (Senior)$135,000–$245,000
  • Regional / Cargo Pilot$85,000–$185,000
  • Boeing Defense Senior Test Engineer (Pilot)$215,000–$345,000
See all 10 roles with notes
See the full tax breakdown
CategoryAmount
Annual Take-Home Pay
$82,419
Monthly Take-Home Pay
$6,868
Biweekly Take-Home Pay
$3,170
Hourly Take-Home Pay

based on 2,080 hrs/year

$40/hr
Federal Tax
$15,504
State Tax
$4,225
FICA Taxes
$8,462
Effective Tax Rate

total taxes ÷ gross salary

25.49%
Estimates only — not tax advice. · Full disclaimer →

Not all Pilots earn the same — not even close

Missouri's pilot market is unusual — there's no major mainline carrier crew base in MO (the legacy TWA St. Louis hub closed in 2003 after the American Airlines acquisition), so most senior commercial MO-resident pilots commute to out-of-state hubs (Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago O'Hare, Memphis). However Boeing Defense, Space & Security STL maintains substantial flight-test pilot operations (F-15EX + F/A-18 Super Hornet + T-7A Red Hawk programs), Spirit AeroSystems Kansas City (~5,000 employees, aerospace manufacturing) supports adjacent aviation operations, and corporate flight departments at AB InBev + Edward Jones + Hallmark + Express Scripts add IN niche corporate pilot demand. 49 USC 40116 federal preemption applies for IN-resident airline pilots.

Boeing Defense Flight Test Pilot

$185,000–$325,000+ TC

F-15EX + F/A-18 Super Hornet + T-7A Red Hawk test pilots · STL Boeing Defense · DoD security clearance

Mainline Captain (Delta/AAL/UAL, off-base)

$320,000–$465,000+ TC

MO-resident pilots commuting to ATL/DFW/ORD/MEM · 49 USC 40116 preemption applies

Mainline FO (off-base)

$95,000–$215,000

MO-resident first officers commuting to out-of-state mainline hubs · jumpseat + non-rev pass travel

Corporate / Charter Pilot (Senior)

$135,000–$245,000

AB InBev flight dept · Edward Jones aviation · Hallmark + Express Scripts corporate · Gulfstream G650 premium

Regional / Cargo Pilot

$85,000–$185,000

Republic Airways routes through KC + STL · Atlas Air cargo · UPS feeder ops · regional carrier presence

Boeing Defense Senior Test Engineer (Pilot)

$215,000–$345,000

Senior flight-test engineering + pilot dual qualification · classified DoD programs · senior IC

Corporate / Charter Pilot (Mid-Level)

$95,000–$165,000

NetJets Kansas City operations · Wheels Up · charter carrier mid-career

Flight Instructor (CFI / CFII)

$55,000–$95,000

Mizzou aviation · St. Louis Univ Parks College · path to regional cargo / corporate

Helicopter EMS Pilot

$95,000–$165,000

Mercy Life Line · BJC Air Med · Ground EMS aviation · 24/7 critical care transport

Senior Test Pilot (Mid-Career, 8-15 yrs)

$155,000–$245,000

Boeing Defense + Spirit AeroSystems + private test pilot programs · classified work premium

Worth knowing: Boeing Defense, Space & Security St. Louis is the structural feature most national pilot-career surveys understate. The Boeing Defense STL campus (Mascoutah-Hazelwood-Berkeley complex, ~14,000 employees including ~700 test pilots and flight-test engineers) operates one of the country's largest single-site test pilot organizations — F-15EX Eagle II, F/A-18 Super Hornet, T-7A Red Hawk trainer, and MQ-25 Stingray unmanned tanker programs all maintain active flight test from the STL campus. Senior test pilots $185-345K TC plus DoD security clearance premium. The legacy TWA St. Louis mainline hub closed in 2003 after American Airlines acquired TWA's assets; American maintains operations at STL but doesn't anchor a major crew base. Most senior MO-resident commercial pilots commute to mainline hubs at Atlanta (Delta), Dallas-Fort Worth (American), Chicago O'Hare (United), or Memphis (FedEx Express). 49 USC 40116(f)(2) federal preemption routes commercial airline pilot wages through legal-residence-state taxation only — MO-resident pilots pay Missouri tax (4.7% top rate) regardless of crew base. The 1% city earnings tax in St. Louis applies to Boeing Defense pilots based at the STL campus only if the specific Boeing facility sits within STL city limits — the Mascoutah-Hazelwood-Berkeley complex is in St. Louis County (outside STL city limits), so those pilots pay Missouri's 4.7% top rate without the additional 1% city tax.

Sources & Methodology

Salary figures are market estimates for Pilots in Missouri and vary by employer, specialty, seniority, and metro. Take-home math assumes a single filer with no dependents, the standard deduction, and Missouri 2026 state rates. Local taxes, insurance premiums, and pre-tax contributions will move your number — run the calculator for your own situation.

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