What does a Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers salary really buy you in Colorado?
Colorado is 2.3% pricier than the US averageData: BLS OEWS 2024 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-04-02
Colorado's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 102.3, meaning prices are 2.3% higher the national average. A Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers earning $166,170 in Colorado has the equivalent purchasing power of $162,434 in an average-cost US state.
Colorado's cost of living is close to the national average, so $166,170 keeps most of its value at $162,434 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
Where does Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Colorado ranks #9 out of 25 states for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers after cost-of-living adjustment.
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How much do you actually take home? See Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers take-home pay in Colorado after taxes →
A Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers in Colorado earns a median salary of $166,170 per year. After adjusting for Colorado's cost of living (RPP=102.3), the real purchasing power is $162,434 — a -2.2% difference.
Colorado's cost of living is 2.3% higher than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for Colorado is 102.3 (US average = 100).
Regional Price Parities (RPPs) are price indexes published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that measure differences in price levels across states. They are expressed as a percentage of the national average (US = 100). Higher RPP means higher cost of living.
The adjusted salary is calculated as: Nominal Salary x (100 / RPP). For a Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers in Colorado: $166,170 x (100 / 102.3) = $162,434. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
Partially — a Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers's nominal salary of $166,170 in Colorado has 2.2% less purchasing power due to higher living costs. The real value is $162,434. However, Colorado may offer better career opportunities, networking, and industry access.