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Pilot Salary in West Virginia (2026)

The average Pilot in West Virginia earns around $219,000/year. After taxes, your estimated take-home is $153,331/year ($12,778/month).

Take-Home Pay Breakdown

CategoryAmount
Annual Take-Home Pay
$153,331
Monthly Take-Home Pay
$12,778
Biweekly Take-Home Pay
$5,897
Hourly Take-Home Pay

based on 2,080 hrs/year

$74/hr
Federal Tax
$41,384
State Tax
$9,500
FICA Taxes
$14,786
Effective Tax Rate

total taxes ÷ gross salary

29.99%
Estimates only — not tax advice. · Full disclaimer →

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Pilot Salary Ranges in West Virginia

Entry Level (0–3 yrs)

$100,000

/year

See tax breakdown →

Mid Level (3–7 yrs)

$219,000

/year

See tax breakdown →

Senior Level (7+ yrs)

$380,000

/year

See tax breakdown →

Not all Pilots earn the same — not even close

West Virginia's pilot market is anchored by the WV Air National Guard 130th Airlift Wing Charleston Yeager Airport (C-130 Hercules tactical airlift unit) + WV Air National Guard 167th Airlift Wing Martinsburg Eastern WV Regional Airport (C-17 Globemaster III strategic airlift unit + the substantial post-2014 167th AW C-17 conversion from C-5 Galaxy), Yeager Airport Charleston (substantial commercial passenger operations + WV's primary commercial airport), Morgantown Municipal Airport (Walter Reuther regional airport), North Central WV Airport Bridgeport, Eastern WV Regional Airport Martinsburg, plus WVU MedFlight + Mon Health WV Air Medical + HealthNet Aeromedical Services HEMS operations + Toyota Motor Manufacturing WV corporate aviation + WV substantial corporate flight departments.

Senior Major Airline Captain (Wide-Body)

$355,000–$655,000+ TC

Senior 777/787/A350 Captain · ALPA scale + tenure · WV-based commuter via CRW + PIT

Senior Major Airline Captain (Narrow-Body)

$255,000–$485,000+ TC

Senior 737/A320 Captain at Delta + United + American + Southwest · CRW + PIT commuter base

Senior 167th AW Pilot (C-17 Martinsburg)

$105,000–$165,000+ flight pay

C-17 Globemaster III Pilot at WV ANG 167th AW Martinsburg · the only WV ANG C-17 unit

Senior 130th AW Pilot (C-130 Charleston)

$95,000–$155,000+ flight pay

C-130 Hercules Pilot at WV ANG 130th AW Charleston Yeager Airport · WV tactical airlift

Senior Corporate / Fractional Pilot

$145,000–$255,000+

NetJets + Flexjet + WV corporate flight departments + WVU + Toyota WV corporate aviation

Senior Regional Airline Captain

$165,000–$255,000+

Senior regional captain at Endeavor + Republic + SkyWest + PSA · CRW + PIT commuter base

Senior Flight Instructor / Check Airman

$95,000–$145,000+

CFI/CFII + Part 141 WV flight schools · ATP-CTP + Type Rating instructor · WVU + Marshall Aviation

Senior Air Medical / HEMS Pilot

$108,000–$155,000+ TC

HealthNet Aeromedical Services + WVU MedFlight · WV HEMS + critical care transport across Appalachia

Senior LifeFlight / Mon Health Air Pilot

$108,000–$155,000+ TC

Mon Health WV Air Medical + HealthNet Aeromedical Services · WV mountain rescue HEMS

First Officer (Major Airline / Regional)

$95,000–$185,000+

FO at major airline CRW-based or regional · ATP + 1500 hr · transitioning to Captain track

Worth knowing: The WV Air National Guard 167th Airlift Wing Martinsburg is the country's most distinctive concentrated US strategic airlift Air National Guard unit + one of the only US C-17 Globemaster III Air National Guard units and a feature most national pilot compensation surveys understate for WV. The WV ANG 167th AW Martinsburg (~1.4K total workforce + the substantial post-2014 167th AW C-17 conversion from C-5 Galaxy + the substantial 167th AW operating 8 C-17 Globemaster III aircraft + the substantial 167th AW strategic airlift mission supporting global US military airlift + the substantial 167th AW partnerships with Air Mobility Command + Pope AFB + Charleston AFB + Travis AFB) supports substantial WV ANG C-17 pilot operations. Senior 167th AW C-17 pilots clear $105-165K+ flight pay. WV ANG 130th Airlift Wing Charleston Yeager Airport (the substantial WV tactical airlift Air National Guard unit + ~1K workforce + the substantial 130th AW operating C-130 Hercules tactical airlift aircraft + the substantial 130th AW domestic + international tactical airlift mission) supports substantial WV ANG C-130 pilot operations. The substantial WV HEMS market (HealthNet Aeromedical Services + WVU MedFlight + Mon Health WV Air Medical + the substantial WV Appalachian mountain rescue + critical care transport + the substantial WV substantial helicopter EMS demand serving WV Coalfields + Appalachian Highlands rural communities + the substantial post-mining injury + opioid overdose + trauma HEMS work) supports substantial WV air medical pilot work. Yeager Airport Charleston + Eastern WV Regional Airport Martinsburg + North Central WV Airport Bridgeport substantial commercial + corporate pilot base. The substantial post-USAF + post-USN WV pilot transitions to major airline + regional + corporate aviation supports substantial WV-based commercial pilot careers. WV progressive 2.36-5.12% top by 2026 + WV RTW since 2016 + WV property tax ~0.55% + no state estate tax + lower WV cost of living anchor the WV pilot proposition. Pilot is an -exempt salaried profession + No Tax on Overtime federal deduction does not apply.

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