Airline Pilot Central Forums (2024)

FAQs

What is the salary survey for airline pilots? ›

According to BizJetJobs and a 2024 pilot salary survey that was conducted, an Airbus' First Officer's median salary is an impressive $164,131 with the higher scale of $203,102; a Captain's median salary for the same aircraft type is $270,105 with the higher scale of $318,285.

Airline pilots fly an average of 75 hours per month and work an additional 150 hours per month performing other duties, such as checking weather conditions and preparing flight plans. Pilots have variable work schedules that may include several days of work followed by some days off.

Pay rates for United pilots range from starting First Officers at approximately $109,000 per year to senior Captains earning $312,000 or more annually. Pay is based on a guaranteed 70 flying hours per month.

Pilot pay varies for many reasons, such as the airline and years of service, with the average salary over $200,000 in 2024.

How much does a Fedex Pilot make? As of Jun 11, 2024, the average annual pay for a Fedex Pilot in the United States is $130,916 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $62.94 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,517/week or $10,909/month.

Starting with zero experience, it takes two years to become an airline pilot. It will take you nine months to complete pilot training, then another 18 months to gain additional flight time and meet airline hiring requirements of 1,500 hours.

In the current estimate for 2024-2042, the years to come will require 649,000 new pilots worldwide with nearly 130,000 of these new pilots in North America. Even with airlines hiring thousands of pilots every year, the industry is still expected to be short 30,000 pilots in 2032.

For many, working as a pilot is an exciting career choice. You may enjoy working as a pilot if you enjoy flying and traveling, but there are also some elements of this profession that may not be suitable for everyone.

Airline pilots at Delta, American, and United can make more than $500K a year — here's how their pay compares. Recent pay raises have made commercial-airline pilots some of the highest-paid workers in the US. Three major airlines, American, Delta, and United, offer similar captain base pay of up to $447 an hour.

What pilots make 200k a year? ›

What if an airline does not have enough flying for a pilot? Fortunately, most pilot employment contracts and CBAs include a monthly hour minimum. This minimum requires the company to pay its pilots for a minimum number of flight hours, regardless of whether those hours are flown.

The least restrictive and most accessible pilot certificate a student can obtain is a sport pilot license. It authorizes flying light aircraft at low altitudes locally. Sport licenses can be earned in multiple categories such as airplane, powered parachute, glider, rotorcraft and lighter-than-air.

It is amazing our aviation industry has survived this long while sustaining an amazing 80% drop out rate. Only one person in five actually makes it from first walking in the door of a flight school to becoming a certified pilot.

They're so pre-occupied with managing their erratic work schedules, planning their flights, and conducting pre-flight checkups that they can neglect their own health. Due to their job description, a lot of pilots suffer from stress, fatigue, sleep deprivation, and unhealthy eating habits.

Sky-High Salaries and Attractive Benefits

Kit Darby, an esteemed pilot career counselor and aviation consultant, reports a 546% increase in starting salaries for regional airline pilots since 2000 , soaring from $16,000 to $108,000 annually by 2024.

Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, and Singapore Airlines are among the commercial airlines that offer the highest pilot salaries.