
So pilots who make the jump are taking a small pay decrease.

As you can see, these pilot salaries start out quite low and in many cases, they start lower than the captain pay at the regional airlines. Most major airlines are hiring first officers from a regional airline. Where available, we’ve included the plane associated with the listed pay. Note that airline pay changes regularly.Ī commercial pilot salary will vary based on the aircraft they fly. Airline Pilot Salaries Major Airline Captain SalariesĪll pilot salaries listed below are based on flying 1,000 hours per year and are an approximation based on available information. You get to pick your monthly schedule of hours as well as the airplane you fly based on your seniority number (which is a very important aspect of being an airline pilot, as we have discussed in other blog posts. ) As your seniority number improves, you have more say in which aircraft and schedule you fly. As a general rule, the larger the aircraft, the higher the hourly rate.

The airlines pay their pilot’s different hourly rates depending on which aircraft they fly. Logically this means that pilots who fly monthly schedules with higher flight times are going to get paid a larger amount. Total Flight HoursĪs mentioned earlier pilot salaries are paid on an hourly basis, specifically per flight hour. The contractor will likely receive a higher offer as he/she has flown in a wider variety of aircraft and has more overall experience. One flew 5 years for a banner tow company in an American Champion Citabria, and the other was a contractor for 5 years and has flown a variety of single-engine and multi-engine aircraft. In relation to other commercial airline pilot opportunities, experience may dictate the amount of pay you are offered.įor example: A small corporation is looking to hire a commercial pilot for their multi-engine airplane and has two pilots pursuing the same job. While the hiring at the airlines is based on experience, the offers for compensation are set by the contracts the airline has signed with their pilots. Years of experience is a key factor in the hiring of all commercial pilots, not just airline pilots. These rates may be based on many different inputs. Each airline sets its pay rates based on the contracts it signs. Just like any other career, an airline pilot salary varies depending on a variety of factors. Factors That Determine Airline Pilot Salary It’s important to note that there are other benefits to working for an airline beyond the pilot salary, but we’ll get into that later. With that information and the pilot’s hourly rate, you can find out what your maximum earning potential is for an airline pilot’s salary. In order to ensure pilots are not overworked, airline pilots are limited to 1,000 flight hours per year. But if you’re researching this as a possible career there is a lot more to consider than just the national average. As of August 2020, the average airline pilot salary in the United States was $102,851. Instead, pilots are paid per flight hour. How Much Do Pilots Make – Conclusion How is a Pilot’s Salary Calculated?Īirline pilots don’t necessarily get paid a “salary”.Pilot Salaries for other Commercial Pilot Jobs.Do Airline Pilots Make More with Overtime Pay.Do Airline Pilots Receive Signing Bonuses?.Sample Airline Pilot Salaries for Regional Airlines.Factors That Determine Airline Pilot Salary.
