Aug 11
10
Airline Pilot Salary
So what does an airline pilot earn? An Airline Pilot Salary is dependant on many factors including his or her seniority within the company, whether he or she is a Captain or First Officer and if it is a regional or major airline. There are of course many variables depending on the country you are flying in and of course conditions will change from one company to the next. In this article I will map out a general progression a pilot may make on the path to reaching the role of Captain for a major airline and will give approximate salaries for each step.
After a commercial pilot license has been achieved you now have the ability to fly aircraft for money or reward. Basically at this point you are eligible to get a job flying paying passengers or cargo for anyone who may employ you. As you will have very little experience this first job is not easy to find. Most pilots will start on a temporary basis picking up the flying that cannot be handled by the full time pilots. Other positions may include flying for parachute drops, scenic flights or photographic assignments. You will only fly when needed and will typically be paid between 10 to 20 dollars an hour. This will not cover your bills and usually a second job is required. However you are building hours to help you achieve a full time position.
The second step would be to a possible full time position flying passengers or cargo in single engine aircraft and light twins. A Pilot Salary at this level will pay between twenty to thirty five thousand per year and will include some benefits if you are lucky. The important thing to remember here is that you need to build as many hours as possible in particular twin time and night/IMC will expedite your progression to the next level.
Typically pilots will progress onto a regional airline or corporate job after accumulating sufficient flying hours in step two. While some pilots are happy to stay in this type of job for their entire career most look at this stage as a stepping stone up to a major Airline. This type of flying enables you to fly some very sophisticated and modern aircraft and can be a rewarding career. Co Pilots will typically earn between twenty to forty thousand per year and Captains anywhere from thirty five thousand up to a low six figure salary.
Finally the ultimate step for most is to obtain a job with a major airline and be able to take home the highest paid Airline Pilot Salary. These figures vary dramatically considering the items I mentioned above but generally speaking the following can be used a guide. A new Co-Pilot can earn between 30 to 60 thousand dollars per year while a senior Co-Pilot who has been with the company for some time can earn up to a low six figure salary. Captains depending on their seniority can earn anywhere from 120k to the mid 200k per year range.
So as can be seen the path it takes to achieve an airline position is full of low paying jobs yet if you are prepared to stay with it and progress to an airline job you will be rewarded with a fantastic job and a very nice Airline Pilot Salary.
About admin
I am an Aussie living and working in Japan as an Airline pilot. I fly Boeing B767's on international routes from Osaka and Narita on both passenger and freight operations.
I enjoy writing and try to update my Blog and FB Page on a daily basis.
