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In the United States Air Force, as well as with the US Marine Corps, US Navy, and most allied air forces, pilots, and especially fighter pilots, are commissioned officers. They are expected to make important decisions, sometimes with incomplete information, that the military reserves for officers. The notable exception is US Army helicopter pilots, who are not always commissioned officers, as they can be warrant officers. As commissioned officers, military pilots’ pay follows a fairly rigid pay structure that is based on duration of service and rank.
This article will consider the ranks of Captain up to those of Generals, with Brigadier General being more or less the final rank before they completely lose their connection to flying military aircraft. In the Navy, even Admirals may remain qualified pilots and even fly the occasional mission from their aircraft carriers under certain conditions (not combat). Pilots get their wings and start training in fighter jets at the rank of O-1 Second Lieutenant and start flying early operational missions at the rank of O-2 First Lieutenant. But the core pilot rank is that of O-3 Captain.
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O-3 Captain
$66,000 to $93,000 base pay annually
As stated, Captains (O-3) are the core rank among Air Force pilots. According to the US Air Force, their base pay ranges from $5,500 to $7,700 a month or $66,000 to $93,000 annually, and up to $150,000 in total compensation. The range is due to how many years of service they have. A Captain with less than two years of service earns the bottom end ($5,534.10 a month to be precise), while the high end ($7,737.00) is for Captains with six years of service. In this article, it is important to remember that base pay is only around 50% to 70% of actual compensation for most pilots.
Captains are flight commanders or instructors and lead two-to-four ship formations. They instruct the new pilot and conduct mission planning. They have completed their years as a student pilot, ranked Second Lieutenant and risen through the ranks as a First Lieutenant. Most of the pilots actually flying military aircraft are First Lieutenants and Captains. The Air Force tends to emphasize the total compensation for pilots. For example, tax-free allowances (BAH + BAS) often add another $30,000 to over $60,000 to a pilot’s compensation in a given year.
In an effort to retain its extremely valuable pilots, the US Air Force may also pay out retention bonuses at a rate of around $25,000 to $50,000 a year, sometimes more. It can cost over $10 million to train a pilot, and so retaining them is extremely important. Fighter jet captains fly around 200 to 300 hours a year (often lower in peacetime), while tanker and transport pilots may clock in the range of 300 to 500 hours. Captain is also a very common point at which pilots start to retire after they have completed their initial roughly 10-year service commitment. This is also the point where commercial airlines start to aggressively recruit these pilots.
How Long Does It Take To Become A Major In The US Air Force?
Progressing from Second Lieutenant to Major takes years, demanding consistent and dedicated performance every step of the way.
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O-4 Major
$75,000 to $100,000 base pay annually
The rank above Captain is Major (O-4), and these are senior Air Force pilots with a monthly base pay of $6,300 to $8,300; annualized pay is around $75,000 to $100,000 a year. Total compensation can boost this up to $170,000 a year. By the rank of Major, the peak combat flying days are behind them, with the pilots taking on more staff duties. That said, they do still frequently fly, often as instructor pilots, flight commanders, and such. These are the Air Force’s tactical exports with medium-to-high levels of flying and are vitally important as instructors and evaluators.
One of the major constraints in any air force is a lack of qualified trainers for the next pilot cohort. Majors can still expect to fly around 150 to 250 hours per year if they are fighter jet pilots or around 200 to 400 hours per year if they are tanker or transport aircraft pilots. They are still in the hands-on business, but are more focused on training the next generation of pilots. The rank of Major is often considered the most professionally respected phase of a military pilot’s career.
While Captain may be the rank where the largest number of pilots retire, the rank of Major is the second-biggest exit point. By the time these pilots retire from military service, they have often completed 10 to 15 years of service. Motivations for leaving include the commercial sector offering a growing pay boost relative to the Air Force, and their roles in the Air Force become admin work and less flying, increasingly.
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O-5 Lieutenant Colonel
$87,000 to $110,000 base pay annually
Those who stay on can expect to be promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. The base pay for Lieutenant Colonels ranges from $87,000 to $110,000, with total compensation being within the realm of $120,000 to $170,000. They are squadron commanders or senior staff who remain qualified pilots, but their roles in flying are limited. They can still lead units in the air.
At the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, a pilot’s leadership becomes dominant. Their primary role is being a squadron commander, although they can also be second-in-command of a squadron or have senior staff positions, including at the Pentagon. Even so, they can still fly, sometimes significantly, with flight hours ranging from 50-150 if they are squadron commanders to near zero if they are Staff Lieutenant Colonels.
When they fly, it’s typically for important missions and training sorties, although they can sometimes still fly in combat. Lieutenant Colonel is also a common point to retire. These have served for around 20 years and can enjoy a good pension, while also being connected to flying. It is widely considered the full-career endpoint, and progressing past Lieutenant Colonel is more difficult.
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O-6 Colonel
$104,000 to $124,000 base pay annually
Only a small percentage stay in the Air Force and make it to O-6 Colonel. To achieve this rank, pilots need to have strong performance, command experience, and more. This rank puts them into the top 10-20% of career officers. At this point, their base monthly pay ranges from $8,700 to $10,300, depending on years of service. Annualized, it is $104,000 to $124,000 in base pay and $140,000 to $200,000 in total compensation.
These pilots are typically responsible for running wings, are group commanders, or senior staff. They are senior leaders first, and pilots second. They can be Wing Commanders, commanding thousands of personnel and dozens of aircraft. Colonels maintain currency, meaning they remain qualified as pilots, although how much they fly varies. Some might still be able to fly around 100 hours a year, while others are almost none. Sometimes their flights are just to stay qualified as pilots, as well as for high-visibility missions or morale flights.
Colonels in reserve or Air National Guard units may fly more for proficiency or check rides. Colonels can still fly in combat, but not regular combat missions. These flights may be to maintain credibility with the crew and to stay connected to operations. This can be more common with bombers, special operations aircraft, and military units. They can also find themselves in the cockpit more during periods of shortages of pilots or surge conditions (including wars). But they are not flying to do the grinding heavy lifting; that’s the job of lower ranks.
What Is The Typical Salary For A Fighter Jet Pilot In The US?
Fighter pilots are exceptionally well-paid.
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O-7 Generals
$133,000 to $225,000 base pay annually
The next four ranks (O-7 to O-10) are generals; these are in order: Brigadier Generals, Major Generals, Lieutenant Generals, and Generals. At these levels, they are responsible for managing entire theaters, commands, or even the whole Air Force. These ranks have a monthly base pay of $11,000 to $18,000 a month or $133,000 to $225,000 a year, depending on length of service. Total compensation for those in the General ranks can top $300,000 per year; for reference, senior widebody commercial airline captains typically earn $400,000 to over $500,000.
Some generals remain qualified pilots, and to do that, they need to continue to fly a minimum number of hours to meet the requirements and retain their wings. The flights they will normally fly are training sorties and non-combat flights. It is common for Generals to fly with operational units to understand capabilities, engage with crews, and as part of public relations. But these are often short and controlled flights. On extremely rare occasions, like in the Vietnam War and the Gulf War, generals did fly combat missions, but these were often symbolic.
When Generals do fly, it’s more often mobility aircraft like C-17s and KC-135s or trainer aircraft. It is uncommon for generals to fly fighter jets as they require extremely high currency. Brigadier General is the last rank where flying still meaningfully happens at all, although Major Generals may remain qualified pilots. Some Brigadier Generals can perhaps clock up to 50 hours, although most will be much less. Major Generals can fly but less. By Lieutenant General, flying is almost non-existent.
