

Depending on the airline, starting pay can range from $22,000 to $38,000 annually. Although regionals have been increasing their initial pay from what it once was, it can still be difficult for a pilot. In many cases, they have been known to pay less than flight instructing. And though pilots have to have a specific number of flight hours to be hired on, they are on the lower end of the pilot salary scale. If pursuing an airline career, regional airlines are generally the next step. It is generally too expensive for most pilots to build flight hours on their own dime, so these types of jobs allow for them to work while reaching that goal. For 8 hours of pay, at least 15 to 16 hours is actually worked. So, for every hour in the plane or helicopter, there is probably at least another hour to two hours spent preparing for that flight. However, although that sounds like a good amount of money, an instructor or even a tour guide makes money when the propeller of the aircraft is moving. Hourly, they usually make what seems to be good money, anywhere from $15 to $40 dollars an hour, depending on where they work and level of experience. The instructing and touring jobs are generally for newer pilots to build their time while making some money. Jobs such as flight instructing, tour guides and even regional airlines tend to be on the lower end of the pilot salary scale. There are many opportunities for a pilot such as flight instruction, agriculture (crop dusting), regional and mainline airlines, corporate, shared operations and even tour guides. Then when we look inside each job, we can see what affects the pay of the pilot at that point, whether it be experience within that company, the state of the economy, or other factors. First, if we look at what the different types of jobs there are for pilots, then we can begin to narrow down the pilot salary range. Experience plays a big role as far as what a pilot makes, mainly because the different companies and positions available depend on the experience of a pilot. A pilot’s salary can vary just as they do with any other job.
