First Officer
First Officer Salary
$63K - $81K
13% of jobs
$95.2K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$81K - $99K
15% of jobs
$99K - $117K
2% of jobs
$117K - $135K
12% of jobs
$135K - $153K
0% of jobs
The median wage is $169.4K / yr.
$153K - $171K
8% of jobs
$171K - $189K
17% of jobs
$198.1K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$189K - $207K
14% of jobs
$207K - $225K
13% of jobs
$225K - $243K
0% of jobs
$243K - $261K
5% of jobs
$63K
$175.5K
$262K
$161,372
/year
$77.58
/hour
First Officer Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$161,372
Columbus
Ohio
$155,869
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How much does a First Officer make?
As of Aug 2, 2026, the average annual pay for a First Officer in the United States is $161,372 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $77.58 an hour. This is the equivalent of $3,103/week or $13,447/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $262,000 and as low as $63,000, the majority of First Officer salaries currently range between $84,500 (25th percentile) to $206,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $262,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a First Officer varies greatly (by as much as 121500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A First Officer in your area makes on average $155,869 per year, or $5,503 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $161,372. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for First Officer salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for First Officer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a First Officer on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for First Officer Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a First Officer job is above the national average. Topping the list is Nome, AK, , with Berkeley, CA, and Sitka, AK, close behind in the second and third positions. Sitka, AK, beats the national average by $33,030 (20.5%), and Nome, AK, furthers that trend with another $38,809 (24.0%) above the $161,372 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a First Officer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 6% between Nome, AK, and El Cerrito, CA, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a First Officer role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Nome, AK | $200,181 | $96.24 |
Berkeley, CA | $197,590 | $95.00 |
Sitka, AK | $194,402 | $93.46 |
Wyoming, WY | $192,457 | $92.53 |
Los Altos, CA | $191,114 | $91.88 |
San Francisco, CA | $190,124 | $91.41 |
Santa Clara, CA | $189,521 | $91.12 |
Livermore, CA | $189,287 | $91.00 |
San Jose, CA | $189,127 | $90.93 |
El Cerrito, CA | $187,602 | $90.19 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related First Officer Jobs in the U.S.
Analyzing some similar jobs related to the First Officer job category, we found that Information Security Officer jobs have average salaries similar than First Officer jobs.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Information Security Officer | $94,926 | $45.64 |
Security Driver | $46,734 | $22.47 |
Airport Security | $42,530 | $20.45 |
Corporate Security Officer | $37,729 | $18.14 |
Gate Guard | $35,208 | $16.93 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
