What are the main factors that influence an First Officer's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change an First Officer's salary?

An First Officer's salary grows with experience: starting around $149,983 for beginners, reaching about $153,413 at mid-level, and approach $162,848 for experts.

What are the highest paying cities for an First Officer?

First Officer salary varies significantly by city. The top 3 highest paying cities in Virginia for First Officer roles are San Jose $179,500, San Francisco $177,700, Oakland $173,800.

How much do different types of First Officer roles make?

Salaries for First Officer level roles vary by specialization: First Officer Pilot: $162,662; Aircraft First Officer: $153,674; airline pilot first officer: $140,775; First Mate: $110,926; Petty Officer First Class: $94,405.

What specialized skills increase an First Officer's salary?

Skills with high demand and low supply, such as Communicates Effectively (up to 8% premium), Scheduling (up to 8% premium), Leadership (up to 3% premium), directly translate to higher compensation. Employers pay more for these capabilities to gain a competitive edge.

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First Officer Salary in Ruby, VA

How much does an First Officer make in Ruby, VA?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for an First Officer in Ruby, VA is $156,800 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $75.

However, an First Officer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $187,749
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $141,600 to $173,000
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $127,761

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First Officer Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$173,000	$14,417	$3,327	$83
Average	$156,800	$13,067	$3,015	$75
25th Percentile	$141,600	$11,800	$2,723	$68

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Key Factors That Influence First Officer Salaries

An First Officer's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, skills and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects First Officer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an First Officer's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $149,983
Early Career (1-2 years): $151,126
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $153,413
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $156,843
Expert (over 8 years): $162,848

Levels	Salary
Entry Level First Officer	$149,983
Intermediate Level First Officer	$151,126
Senior Level First Officer	$153,413
Specialist Level First Officer	$156,843
Expert Level First Officer	$162,848

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Top Paying Cities for First Officers

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $179,500
San Francisco: $177,700
Oakland: $173,800

San Jose, CA $179,500

San Francisco, CA $177,700

Oakland, CA $173,800

New York, NY $164,900

Queens Village, NY $163,800

Paramus, NJ $162,700

Passaic, NJ $162,600

Bergenfield, NJ $162,400

Stamford, CT $162,200

Huntington, NY $162,100

Newark, NJ $161,100

Bridgeport, CT $160,900

New Brunswick, NJ $160,400

Vallejo, CA $160,100

Middlesex, NJ $160,000

Somerset, NJ $159,900

Petaluma, CA $159,500

Santa Cruz, CA $159,000

Boston, MA $158,700

Monterey, CA $158,000

Fairbanks, AK $157,900

Los Angeles, CA $157,600

Washington, DC $157,600

Seattle, WA $157,300

Santa Rosa, CA $157,300

Juneau, AK $156,900

Orange, CA $156,400

Anchorage, AK $156,100

Anaheim, CA $156,000

Santa Ana, CA $155,800

Nassau, NY $155,700

Long Beach, CA $155,700

Danbury, CT $155,600

Santa Maria, CA $155,100

Everett, WA $155,100

Bremerton, WA $154,400

Trenton, NJ $154,200

Sacramento, CA $154,100

Brockton, MA $154,000

San Diego, CA $154,000

Tacoma, WA $153,900

Santa Barbara, CA $153,700

Lowell, MA $153,100

New Suffolk, NY $153,100

Nashua, NH $152,900

Lompoc, CA $152,700

Ventura, CA $152,500

Stockton, CA $152,500

New Haven, CT $152,200

Atlantic City, NJ $151,800

Hartford, CT $151,500

Modesto, CA $151,500

Poughkeepsie, NY $151,200

New Britain, CT $151,100

Olympia, WA $150,900

Kennewick, WA $150,900

New London, CT $150,900

Norwich, CT $150,800

Lawrence, MA $150,700

Bakersfield, CA $150,300

Riverside, CA $150,100

New Bedford, MA $150,100

Richland, WA $150,000

Portsmouth, NH $149,900

Vineland, NJ $149,900

San Bernardino, CA $149,700

Boulder, CO $149,300

Worcester, MA $149,200

Portland, OR $149,100

Saint Paul, MN $148,900

Minneapolis, MN $148,900

Philadelphia, PA $148,700

Honolulu, HI $148,000

Springfield, MA $147,500

Providence, RI $147,500

Chicago, IL $147,100

Bellingham, WA $146,900

Baltimore, MD $146,700

Chico, CA $146,400

Wilmington, DE $146,100

Pittsfield, MA $146,000

Manchester, NH $145,700

Spokane, WA $145,100

Denver, CO $145,100

Albany, NY $144,400

Troy, NY $144,400

Schenectady, NY $144,100

Burlington, VT $143,700

Portland, ME $143,200

Salem, OR $143,100

Yakima, WA $143,100

Ann Arbor, MI $143,100

Rochester, MN $142,700

Fresno, CA $142,600

Reno, NV $142,600

Milwaukee, WI $142,500

Allentown, PA $142,300

Carson City, NV $142,300

Detroit, MI $142,300

Houston, TX $142,000

Colorado Springs, CO $142,000

Syracuse, NY $142,000

Eugene, OR $141,700

Bismarck, ND $141,500

Gary, IN $141,500

Galveston, TX $141,500

Springfield, OR $141,400

Medford, OR $141,100

Fort Collins, CO $141,000

Austin, TX $140,900

Mesa, AZ $140,600

Phoenix, AZ $140,600

Dallas, TX $140,500

Reading, PA $140,400

Saint Cloud, MN $140,400

Concord, NH $140,300

Madison, WI $140,200

Utica, NY $139,800

Las Vegas, NV $139,700

Raleigh, NC $139,700

Rochester, NY $139,600

Des Moines, IA $139,600

Atlanta, GA $139,300

Battle Creek, MI $139,300

Salt Lake City, UT $139,300

Lancaster, PA $139,000

Champaign, IL $139,000

Harrisburg, PA $138,800

Fort Worth, TX $138,700

Kansas City, KS $138,700

Durham, NC $138,700

Kansas City, MO $138,700

Boca Raton, FL $138,600

Cleveland, OH $138,600

Columbus, OH $138,600

Richmond, VA $138,500

Pittsburgh, PA $138,500

Indianapolis, IN $138,500

Cincinnati, OH $138,300

Petersburg, VA $138,100

Billings, MT $137,800

Lansing, MI $137,800

Huntsville, AL $137,800

Lebanon, PA $137,700

Dayton, OH $137,700

Pueblo, CO $137,700

Appleton, WI $137,700

Racine, WI $137,600

Buffalo, NY $137,600

Charlotte, NC $137,500

Saint Louis, MO $137,500

Springfield, IL $137,400

Elkhart, IN $137,400

York, PA $137,400

Gastonia, NC $137,400

Benton Harbor, MI $137,400

Lorain, OH $137,300

Beaumont, TX $137,300

Binghamton, NY $137,200

Toledo, OH $137,200

Rock Hill, SC $137,100

Rockford, IL $137,100

Fargo, ND $137,000

Elyria, OH $137,000

Flagstaff, AZ $136,900

Fort Lauderdale, FL $136,800

Miami, FL $136,700

Duluth, MN $136,500

Bangor, ME $136,300

Cedar Rapids, IA $136,200

Louisville, KY $136,100

Grand Rapids, MI $136,100

Hialeah, FL $136,000

Casper, WY $135,800

Scranton, PA $135,700

New Orleans, LA $135,600

Virginia Beach, VA $135,600

Akron, OH $135,500

Peoria, IL $135,400

Sarasota, FL $135,300

Green Bay, WI $135,200

Baton Rouge, LA $135,200

Charleston, SC $135,100

Nashville, TN $135,100

Jamestown, NY $135,100

Davenport, IA $135,100

Tucson, AZ $135,000

Tampa, FL $134,900

Cheyenne, WY $134,900

Saint Petersburg, FL $134,900

Omaha, NE $134,800

Port Arthur, TX $134,800

Evansville, IN $134,800

Bradenton, FL $134,700

Santa Fe, NM $134,500

Orlando, FL $134,300

Clearwater, FL $134,200

Canton, OH $133,900

La Crosse, WI $133,900

Grand Forks, ND $133,800

Albuquerque, NM $133,800

Tulsa, OK $133,800

Newport News, VA $133,800

High Point, NC $133,700

Ogden, UT $133,700

Corpus Christi, TX $133,600

Laramie, WY $133,500

Norfolk, VA $133,500

Rock Island, IL $133,400

Saginaw, MI $133,400

Jacksonville, FL $133,400

Salisbury, NC $133,300

Memphis, TN $133,300

Moline, IL $133,200

Fort Myers, FL $133,200

Waterloo, IA $133,000

Spartanburg, SC $132,900

Fort Wayne, IN $132,800

Lincoln, NE $132,800

Birmingham, AL $132,600

Cedar Falls, IA $132,600

Provo, UT $132,600

Springfield, OH $132,500

San Antonio, TX $132,500

Greensboro, NC $132,500

Winston Salem, NC $132,400

Boise, ID $132,400

South Bend, IN $132,400

Savannah, GA $132,300

Muskegon, MI $132,000

Lima, OH $131,900

Lake Charles, LA $131,800

Anderson, IN $131,800

Augusta, GA $131,700

Lexington, KY $131,700

Greenville, SC $131,700

Wichita, KS $131,600

Tuscaloosa, AL $131,600

Columbia, SC $131,400

Bloomington, IN $131,100

Roanoke, VA $131,000

Asheville, NC $130,800

Knoxville, TN $130,600

Shreveport, LA $130,600

Wilmington, NC $130,400

Frankfort, KY $130,100

Oklahoma City, OK $130,000

Topeka, KS $129,900

Longview, TX $129,900

Chillicothe, OH $129,900

Mobile, AL $129,700

Terre Haute, IN $129,600

Erie, PA $129,600

Altoona, PA $129,500

Melbourne, FL $129,500

Amarillo, TX $129,400

Killeen, TX $129,400

Fayetteville, AR $129,300

Sioux Falls, SD $129,200

Chattanooga, TN $129,100

Idaho Falls, ID $129,100

Gainesville, FL $128,800

Portsmouth, OH $128,700

Little Rock, AR $128,700

Lynchburg, VA $128,700

Lafayette, LA $128,600

Youngstown, OH $128,600

Temple, TX $128,600

Pensacola, FL $128,500

Daytona Beach, FL $128,500

Clarksville, TN $128,500

Hopkinsville, KY $128,100

Charleston, WV $128,100

Florence, SC $128,000

Sioux City, IA $127,900

Fayetteville, NC $127,500

Macon, GA $127,500

Tallahassee, FL $127,500

Pine Bluff, AR $127,400

Wichita Falls, TX $127,400

Waco, TX $127,400

Vincennes, IN $127,100

Lubbock, TX $127,000

Great Falls, MT $127,000

Alamogordo, NM $126,900

Abilene, TX $126,800

Monroe, LA $126,600

Albany, GA $126,600

Rapid City, SD $126,600

Huntington, WV $126,500

Jackson, MS $126,500

Greenville, MS $126,500

Parkersburg, WV $126,400

Montgomery, AL $126,300

Johnstown, PA $126,300

Springfield, MO $126,200

Biloxi, MS $126,100

Columbus, GA $125,800

Sumter, SC $125,800

Twin Falls, ID $125,700

Pascagoula, MS $125,500

Kingsport, TN $125,200

Gulfport, MS $125,100

Alexandria, LA $124,700

Fort Smith, AR $124,300

El Paso, TX $123,900

Helena, MT $123,700

Las Cruces, NM $123,300

Harlingen, TX $122,900

Pocatello, ID $122,800

Florence, AL $122,700

Brownsville, TX $122,700

Dothan, AL $122,500

Mcallen, TX $122,400

Columbus, MS $121,300

Altus, OK $120,700

Lawton, OK $120,400

Pierre, SD $119,900

What Skills Can Increase an First Officer's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Customer Service (Mentioned in 1.7% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
Safety Management (Mentioned in 1.14% Job Postings): Applying safety principles, framework, processes, and measures to prevent accidents, injuries, and other adverse consequences.
Counterintelligence (Mentioned in 0.57% Job Postings): Counterintelligence is an activity aimed at protecting an agency's intelligence program from an opposition's intelligence service.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Customer Service	1.7%
Safety Management	1.14%
Counterintelligence	0.57%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on an First Officer's salary.

Communicates Effectively: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
Scheduling: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
Leadership: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Communicates Effectively	$169,344	8%
Scheduling	$169,344	8%
Leadership	$161,504	3%
Aviation	$159,936	2%
Planning	$159,936	2%
Security Clearance	$158,368	1%

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First Officer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an First Officer's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on January 01, 2026

$141,600

Average $156,800/year

$173,000

$11,800

Average $13,067/month

$14,417

$2,723

Average $3,015/week

$3,327

$68

Average $75/hour

$83

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$173,000	$14,417	$3,327	$83
Average	$156,800	$13,067	$3,015	$75
25th Percentile	$141,600	$11,800	$2,723	$68

First Officer Salary Growth & Career Path

First Officer

Head Helicopter Pilot

Captain

Chief Pilot Assistant Air Fleet Manager

Promotions are the fastest way to increase your earnings. As an First Officer, you have the following paths for advancement. The table below compares the salary raises for common next-step roles. By comparing these figures, you can choose the career path that best meets your financial goals.

First Officer Salary Growth and Career Path
Next Step Role	Estimate Salary	Projected Raise
Head Helicopter Pilot	$182,700	17%
Captain	$181,400	16%

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