Becoming an airline pilot is considered by many to be the coolest job in aviation, but the process of becoming one is far from simple. It is perhaps most difficult in the United States, where the infamous 1,500-hour rule requires far more time building for prospective pilots than anywhere else in the world to qualify for an Airline Transport Pilot License. On the flip side, however, US airlines also pay some of the best salaries to pilots in the entire world.

In this guide, we will break down how much pilots make across multiple types of jobs. We will focus on non-airline jobs first, followed by how much pilots at regional airlines, low-cost carriers, legacy airlines, and ACMI companies earn. Pilots first have to work in a non-airline job as a commercial pilot before joining a major carrier, and pay rates increase as a pilot progresses from jobs available as a newly-minted commercial pilot to the airlines.

The Salary Of A Commercial Pilot In The United States

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It’s not uncommon for an ATPL to be separate from a commercial license, but the US is unique in that the hour requirements for an ATPL (1,500 hours) are significantly higher than those for a CPL (250 hours). This means that, before you can qualify for an ATPL, you need to build time as a commercial pilot. These jobs can be anything from piloting skydiving aircraft to some Part 135 operations and banner towing.

By far the most common job taken up by green CPL holders looking to build time is becoming a Certified Flight Instructor. Pay for CFIs varies greatly depending on the flight school and its location, but hourly rates for newly-certified CFIs are usually at least $20/hour – $25/hour in areas with a low cost of living. Flight instructors with more experience, additional add-on ratings, or those in an area with a high cost of living are paid significantly more.

Salaries for jobs such as banner towing are roughly comparable to CFI salaries. CPL holders can also go into the corporate world, where jobs are typically closer to airline salaries, but these jobs often require more experience than the 250 hours that are required for a CPL. Overall, most newly certified CPL holders will find themselves making between $40,000 and $60,000 when starting, depending on the type of job and location.

Looking At The Part 135 World

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FAA Part 121 regulations govern large operators offering scheduled passenger or cargo flights, such as the ‘Big Three’ legacy airlines or FedEx Express. Part 135 regulations cover smaller companies offering charter and commuter services, such as JSX, 21 Air LLC, or Ameriflight. It is important to note, however, that Part 135 only governs carriers operating planes with less than 30 seats or a maximum payload of 7,500 pounds or less. Airlines like Omni Air International or Western Global fall under Part 121.

Some, but not all, Part 135 operations require pilots to hold an ATPL, meaning that most Part 135 operators won’t hire pilots without one. As such, Part 135 jobs are usually taken up by pilots who have completed or are close to completing their 1,500 hours, even if a given company doesn’t require the ATPL. As such, Part 135 jobs are relatively competitive with superior schedules and higher pay compared to entry-level commercial pilot jobs.

Pilot pay rates for Part 135 operators vary greatly by company. Some companies also structure pay differently, as pilot compensation can be paid by hour, by day, or yearly. Starting salaries at some Part 135 operators can be as low as $40,000 at AmeriFlight, but most companies usually offer starting salaries closer to $70,000, with substantial increases each year and higher pay for captains, as is standard in the industry.

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How Long Does It Take Pilots To Qualify To Fly For A Regional Airline?

Training can take over a year, but there are additional flying requirements in the US.

What About Regional Airlines?

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Salaries for many non-airline jobs are difficult to list on a general level due to the high degree of variance from company to company in terms of rates and structure. In the Part 121 world, however, most pilot groups are unionized with publicly available contracts and uniform pay structures. There are also far fewer regional airlines than there are flight schools or Part 135 operators, and pay between regional airlines is relatively similar.

Delta Air Lines owns regional carrier Endeavor Air, while American Airlines owns Envoy Air, Piedmont Airlines, and PSA Airlines, and Alaska Airlines owns Horizon Air. CommuteAir and GoJet are independent but operate exclusively for United Express, while Republic Airways, Mesa Airlines, Air Wisconsin, and SkyWest Airlines fly for multiple US airlines. The table below shows the lowest and highest hourly rates, per Airline Pilot Central.

Pay rates at Part 121 carriers are determined by aircraft, position, and total longevity. As such, Year 20 pay, for example, is paid out to a pilot who has been with their company for 20 years, regardless of how long they’ve been in a specific position or aircraft. Additionally, pilots are also paid per diem to cover expenses on layovers, which can range from $2 to $5 hourly depending on the carrier. Some regional airlines have also offered substantial sign-on bonuses to new pilots, though with conditions.

Moving To Budget Airlines

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Pay-wise, most low-cost carriers in the US slot in between the regional airlines and legacy carriers. Southwest Airlines and Alaska Airlines have pay rates comparable to legacy airlines and, as such, are higher than most budget airlines. Regarding pilot pay, Avelo Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, Allegiant Air, Breeze Airways, JetBlue, and Spirit Airlines have similar salaries and are major US low-cost carriers.

As the reported pilot shortage has increased over the past several years, salaries at regional airlines have risen drastically. What you’ll see is that starting pay rates are therefore comparable or even higher at regional airlines than at many budget airlines. The benefit of going to a budget airline is that salaries become far higher with more longevity, and working rules are generally considered to be superior.

Pilots create their schedule through a monthly bidding system, which either takes the form of selecting pre-determined schedules or a ‘preferential bidding system,’ in which crew members build their own schedules. These schedules cover a minimum number of hours (usually ranging from 70 to 78 a month), but pilot schedules usually contain more flying than the minimum. Reserve pilots who might fly less than pilots with a set ‘line’ are always paid at least the minimum guarantee.

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How Many Days Off Do Pilots Get?

Time off depends on several factors, including the airline, their level of seniority, the type of flights they operate, and regulatory requirements.

The Pinnacle Of US Aviation

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The six US airlines with the highest pilot salaries are Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Hawaiian Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines. Cargo carriers FedEx Express and UPS Airlines also offer pay rates comparable to these passenger airlines. These are also the largest airlines in the country, and the ‘big three,’ as well as the two cargo giants, operate large fleets of well-paying widebody aircraft.

Starting salaries are more or less the same as those of the other airlines previously mentioned. One notable difference, however, is that while Year 1 pay rates are largely the same across all airlines, salaries in subsequent years are significantly higher than at other carriers. At American Airlines, a first-year Boeing 737 first officer will be paid $118.31/hour, but they will receive $181.93 the following year. A Spirit A320 first officer doesn’t get paid this much until their seventh year with the company.

Southwest Airlines is unique in that it does not compensate pilots per hour, but rather, uses a formula called ‘trips for pay.’ In essence, pilots are paid the same, but the way that trips are credited is different. Many US pilot groups have signed new contracts this decade (except for FedEx and UPS, which are in negotiations), and these contracts include ‘snap-ups’ every year. As such, the rates as listed are current, but may no longer be current in subsequent years.

Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance & Insurance: Pay At ACMI Airlines

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Fedex Express and UPS Airlines are the two largest cargo airlines in the US. However, numerous companies also provide a mix of scheduled and charter freight services, such as Atlas Air, Kalitta Air, and Western Global Airlines. These carriers tend to have comparable pay rates to low-cost carriers or FedEx and UPS, though there is a greater variance among this group of airlines.

These airlines offer competitive pay and diverse flying, which makes them an attractive destination for many pilots. The downside is that schedules are far from conventional, with long-winded trips hopping across numerous countries and traveling through multiple time zones. Scheduling varies by airline, with some offering trips similar to FedEx or UPS, while others, such as Kalitta Air, schedule their crews in ‘two weeks on, two weeks off’ lines.