Author Topic: How much does a Pilot make in a year????  (Read 1946 times)

Offline JunkyII

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How much does a Pilot make in a year????
« on: March 20, 2015, 04:09:23 PM »
Generally speaking, how much do pilot's make? Had a guy on 200 today claim he makes 20K a month at least(240K a year) but I looked around the internet and found that few pilots top off around there after years of being a pilot. (Delta's highest paid pilots make around 200K, based off their pay charts)

So is the player full of it or could he possibly make that much as a pilot? Generally interested in how much some pilots make, one thing I've never really looked into.
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Offline earl1937

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Re: How much does a Pilot make in a year????
« Reply #1 on: March 20, 2015, 04:17:31 PM »
Generally speaking, how much do pilot's make? Had a guy on 200 today claim he makes 20K a month at least(240K a year) but I looked around the internet and found that few pilots top off around there after years of being a pilot. (Delta's highest paid pilots make around 200K, based off their pay charts)

So is the player full of it or could he possibly make that much as a pilot? Generally interested in how much some pilots make, one thing I've never really looked into.
:airplane: He is day dreaming!!! Start out as a flight instructor and you will be lucky to make 5 or 600 a month, unless you are specializing in instrument and multi engine training and then you might get to 800 a month!
Most regional carrier co=pilots start out in the 20's per year and the Capt's only in the 30's, for the most part.
Corporate pilots are different, in the respect that depending on the equipment you are flying, you can start out in the middle 30's to middle 40's.
I can't really address what the top carrier pilots are making, but would guess the international pilots with the big airlines are pulling in the 100 to 150 thousand a year bracket.
The biggest pay scale is not measured in dollars and cents, but in personal pleasure of flying itself!! :cheers:
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Offline earl1937

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Re: How much does a Pilot make in a year????
« Reply #2 on: March 20, 2015, 04:21:30 PM »
Generally speaking, how much do pilot's make? Had a guy on 200 today claim he makes 20K a month at least(240K a year) but I looked around the internet and found that few pilots top off around there after years of being a pilot. (Delta's highest paid pilots make around 200K, based off their pay charts)

So is the player full of it or could he possibly make that much as a pilot? Generally interested in how much some pilots make, one thing I've never really looked into.
:airplane: He is day dreaming!!! Start out as a flight instructor and you will be lucky to make 5 or 600 a month, unless you are specializing in instrument and multi engine training and then you might get to 800 a month!
Most regional carrier co=pilots start out in the 20's per year and the Capt's only in the 30's, for the most part.
Corporate pilots are different, in the respect that depending on the equipment you are flying, you can start out in the middle 30's to middle 40's.
I can't really address what the top carrier pilots are making, but would guess the international pilots with the big airlines are pulling in the 100 to 150 thousand a year bracket.
The biggest pay scale is not measured in dollars and cents, but in personal pleasure of flying itself!! :cheers:

Oops, sorry, don't know how I did this!!!!!
« Last Edit: March 20, 2015, 04:23:15 PM by earl1937 »
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Offline Golfer

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Re: How much does a Pilot make in a year????
« Reply #3 on: March 20, 2015, 04:30:15 PM »
It'll vary based on the type of flying, geography, airplane and longevity.  Airline pay scales are different from corporate or charter operators which you could have a dozen different ways to come up with that whether it's salary, incentives for productivity, etc.

The highest paid salaried pilot I knew of was an American who flew as an expat for a company out of the US who made around $300,000USD/year.  He earned every penny flying in a challenging situation.  I also know many pilots who have gone their whole career without breaking $100,000.

Typically as you gain experience you'll earn more as well as if you step up to larger aircraft or better types of operations.  Many peoples first job is that of a flight instructor or CFI which typically pays $25-60/hr depending on a myriad of factors including whether you work for a flight school, are independent and geography.  More expensive areas command a higher price due to cost of living, so it's not simply extra money.

From there an entry level job flying as a first officer/copilot in a light turbine airplane you'll earn $30,000-50,000.  Upgrade to Captain and it's $50,000-80,000.   Some light jet and turboprop jobs pay more than this again depending on geography, longevity and the type of operation.

Step up to a midsize or supermid (a big midsize, but not really a large cabing) size airplane and you can start to earn more.  There is also a lot of overlap with companies and in a lot of cases you're worth what you can negotiate.  When you compare notes with other pilots about how their jobs are or what the pay ranges are (I don't like talking about how much I do/don't make but it's in everyone's best interest to get as much as possible of course) you'll find that you can be flying a midsize jet and make more than someone flying a large cabin jet.  With so many factors it's impossible to nail down an "average" but generally speaking in a nonscientific fashion the salary ranges above are reasonably representative of several large operators in the US.  Another factor is health benefits, retirement and some quality of life considerations with regards to scheduling and staffing.  Some of these you can put a price on, some you can't.

When it comes to the airlines the pay scales tell you a portion, the contractual minimum or "guarantee" based on that company's CBA/Contract between the labor and management is another.  Another significant player is how they are actually paid and what constitutes an "hour" of pay.  Many of these companies will pay based on flight hours AND duty hours which are known as rigs.  So for every X number of hours on duty you'll earn Y hours or what you actually flew, whichever is greater.  Not all companies do it this way and the ratio of trip/duty/pay is different for each company based on their contracts.

Another general rule of thumb is expat jobs pay more than domestic jobs due to the nature of supply/demand.  Not as many people want to go some of the places and the compensation is set higher to attract enough talent.  That's not always the case but using a broad brush, it's reasonably representative.

Offline Toad

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Re: How much does a Pilot make in a year????
« Reply #4 on: March 20, 2015, 06:41:56 PM »
It ranges from rice and beans to $240k if you fly International on the big equipment for a major that still has a good contract.

As Golfer says it varies widely. WIDELY.

I do personally know a young fellow that was just offered $80k for right seat on a G IV with a nice bennie package. He turned it down. :)
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Offline Busher

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Re: How much does a Pilot make in a year????
« Reply #5 on: March 20, 2015, 08:21:36 PM »
It ranges from rice and beans to $240k if you fly International on the big equipment for a major that still has a good contract.

As Golfer says it varies widely. WIDELY.

I do personally know a young fellow that was just offered $80k for right seat on a G IV with a nice bennie package. He turned it down. :)

I retired from a major airline 7 years ago. I never earned 20K/mo. Airline pilot pay and benefits have steadily deteriorated since world wide deregulation. The highest paid pilots in scheduled service in North America fly for UPS. (Freight Pays and doesn't squeak about the ride).

If this guy is for real (I heard the conversation), Its possible he flies some sexy corporate ride like a G-5 or Global Express. Some corporations seem to pay better for the cute than the heavy. Only thing bad about that...if the Chairman of the Board's Chickie decides she likes boats better than Airplanes......the pilots are toast
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Offline Rich46yo

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Re: How much does a Pilot make in a year????
« Reply #6 on: March 20, 2015, 10:23:47 PM »
Capt.'s in some of the big airlines, flying the big 2 engines and 4, make upwards of $250 a hour. Salaries vary. Its easy to find out who is paying what by doing a web search.
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Offline Toad

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Re: How much does a Pilot make in a year????
« Reply #7 on: March 20, 2015, 10:30:56 PM »
http://www.airlinepilotcentral.com/airlines/legacy/delta_air_lines

CAPTAIN PAY SCALE (Hourly)
Year       777   747-4   787   A330   767-4   757   767   737-9   737-7   737-8   A319   A320   MD88   MD90   717   DC9   CRJ900   
12        270    270    260    255    255    226    226    218    217    217    209    209    206    206    195    195    139   

B-777  Captain @ 75 hours/month - $20K/month
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Offline SFRT - Frenchy

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Re: How much does a Pilot make in a year????
« Reply #8 on: March 20, 2015, 11:18:52 PM »
Dont have to 'fly' big iron and grind the seniority for $$$. Contractor OCONUS floods you with money. AAR offered me $620/day as a starting pay for Casa 212 and Metros.

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Offline jigsaw

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Re: How much does a Pilot make in a year????
« Reply #9 on: March 20, 2015, 11:28:26 PM »
http://www.willflyforfood.com/airline-pilot-salary/

Regional FO pay can start as low as in the $18k range.  I've known people stuck in "gear swinger" mode for five years without getting to upgrade to left seat.
A lot of regionals are starting to struggle with crew shortages since the new ATP rules went into effect, but that hasn't affected their attitude of treating pilots like dirt.

Offline Wolfala

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Re: How much does a Pilot make in a year????
« Reply #10 on: March 21, 2015, 12:44:33 AM »
Depends on your billables and niche. I avg around $1300 per day in my current role, which is very domain specific. The more you specialize, the more you can charge.


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Offline SysError

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Re: How much does a Pilot make in a year????
« Reply #11 on: March 21, 2015, 07:03:18 AM »
It'll vary based on the type of flying, geography, airplane and longevity.  Airline pay scales are different from corporate or charter operators which you could have a dozen different ways to come up with that whether it's salary, incentives for productivity, etc.

...  Another factor is health benefits, retirement and some quality of life considerations with regards to scheduling and staffing.  Some of these you can put a price on, some you can't.

A number of years ago I watched a program on American Airlines (at least I think it was about them, it could have been about the industry in general or some aspect of it).  Back then, and I do not know what the current situation is now, but American Airlines pilots were the highest paid in the industry (commercial passenger).  While experience and all the items cited above were a factor, the single biggest difference between American pilots and others was/is their union.

The reason that I remember the story is because American had always been known (at least until Ryanair came along) as the extreme cost cutter.   For example their clear coat paint scheme from a few years ago came about through their analyses of the additional fuel costs due to the weight of the paint.  (Which actually, at least back then, could add up).  I also remember a story about them cutting back on the number of olives they would put into their salads to save money.  ($60,000 a year if I remember correctly).  Does anyone remember when you almost always got a meal on a flight?

Anyway, I thought that it was funny that such a cost conscious company would end up with the highest pilot labor costs in the industry.

Early in my work career, when I worked for Fortune 10 company, I used to see fellow mid level managers avoid what we called the CLM (Career Limiting Maneuver).  I used to see a lot of long term stupid stuff happen because executive leadership was only ever focused on the visible short term stuff.  Everyone saw where they were as a short term stepping stone to some grander position.  What ever they did, if it became a problem, would become someone else problem later. 

Vendors, unions and others who had a long term approach tended to come out on top, in the long term.

I do not know if American pilots are still among the best paid.  I sure that there are other airlines that pilots would wither rather work for or avoid.  What say you?



 


 
 
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Offline DREDIOCK

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Re: How much does a Pilot make in a year????
« Reply #12 on: March 21, 2015, 07:07:48 AM »
Generally speaking, how much do pilot's make?
If you dont fly...Too much.

If you've ever been in a plane in very heavy turbulence or in a storm...Not enough.
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Offline Traveler

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Re: How much does a Pilot make in a year????
« Reply #13 on: March 21, 2015, 08:26:48 AM »
The unions did kill the golden goose.  Working for Eastern back in the day it was the only job in the world where with seniority you could bid on a route not to fly and get paid to sit at home on call.   We worked with Stewardess's not Flight Attendants that for a single guy provided the one benefit unmatched by any company benefits.  They lived in gaggles and shared/split living expenses with other gaggles and their parties were legendary.  They were for the most part single, very good looking and on average 22 Years old, wearing some of the shortest skirts that existed at the time all around 105 to 115 lbs and between 5'6" to 5'8" tall.  That was the "Fly Me" generation of Stewardess. 
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Offline Busher

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Re: How much does a Pilot make in a year????
« Reply #14 on: March 21, 2015, 09:05:14 AM »
The unions did kill the golden goose.  Working for Eastern back in the day it was the only job in the world where with seniority you could bid on a route not to fly and get paid to sit at home on call.   We worked with Stewardess's not Flight Attendants that for a single guy provided the one benefit unmatched by any company benefits.  They lived in gaggles and shared/split living expenses with other gaggles and their parties were legendary.  They were for the most part single, very good looking and on average 22 Years old, wearing some of the shortest skirts that existed at the time all around 105 to 115 lbs and between 5'6" to 5'8" tall.  That was the "Fly Me" generation of Stewardess.

Seriously? The Union Slam? With respect Sir, you are talking outta your BUTT.
ALPA has done more to advance safety standards in the air than any Government or airline executive.
And slam Stew's too. At the base line, they get paid to evacuate the public from burning airplanes.

Aircrew are easy "whipping boys" - They don't get paid for what they do; they get paid for what that can do.
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