In this post we’ll explore what an airline pilot salary actually looks like in 2024.
Nearly all pilots choose the career because of their love for flying, but the above-average pilot salary is a nice bonus.
But if you’re considering becoming an airline pilot, you’re likely wondering, “how much do airline pilots make?”
In this post, you’ll learn what a pilot salary looks like and discover just how much you could earn as a commercial airline pilot.
Right now is one of the best times in history to become a pilot.
Pilot salaries have been increasing year after year as more and more people are flying and fewer people are entering this job field.
Whether you’re still in high school trying to choose a career or later in life considering a career change, an airline pilot career may be a great option for you.
How do Pilots get Paid?
Airline pilots don’t necessarily get paid a traditional salary.
Instead, commercial pilots are paid per flight hour. Meaning a pilot is only paid while their airplane is running.
A pilot’s salary is calculated by multiplying the number of flight hours by their hourly rate. For example, the year 1 pay rate for an Envoy first officer is $90 per hour. If the pilot flies 84 hours that month they’ll receive $7,560. Plus, they’ll receive a per diem.
A per diem is pay they receive for time away from their base and is meant to cover food and other expenses while on the trip. It generally ranges between $1.50 and $3 per hour.
So if a pilot is away from base for 15 hours and their per diem was $2.25 they would receive $33.75.
In order to ensure pilots are not overworked, airline pilots are limited to 1,000 flight hours per year.
As of May 2021, the median annual earnings for airline pilots was $202,180. But if you’re researching this as a possible career there is a lot more to consider than just the national average.
It’s important to note that there are other benefits to working for an airline beyond the salary, but we’ll get into that later.
Factors That Determine an Airline Pilot Salary
Just like any other career, a commercial airline pilot salary varies depending on a variety of factors.
Each airline sets its pay rates based on the contracts it signs.
These rates may be based on many different inputs including years of experience, total flight hours, aircraft type, and of course, what company they work for.
Years of Experience
A major factor in answering the question, how much do airline pilots make is years of experience.
Years of flying experience is a key factor in the hiring of all commercial pilots, not just airline pilots.
At the airlines, contracts are in place that dictate the hourly rate pilots earn.
These are based on how long they’ve been a first officer or captain at that company. In most of these contracts, the pilot’s salary or hourly rate, goes up with each year of experience at that company.
In relation to other commercial airline pilot opportunities, experience may dictate the amount of pay you’re offered.
Total Flight Hours
As mentioned earlier, pilot salaries are paid on an hourly basis, specifically per flight hour.
Logically this means that pilots who fly monthly schedules with higher flight times are going to get paid a larger amount.
Aircraft Type
The airlines pay their pilot’s different hourly rates depending on which aircraft they fly. As a general rule, the larger the aircraft, the higher the hourly rate.
In 2022, an American Airlines pilot salary for a 737 first officer with 3 years of experience will be paid $161 per hour while a 777 first officer with 3 years of experience will be paid $198 per hour.
You get to pick your monthly schedule of hours as well as the airplane you fly based on your seniority number (which is an essential aspect of being an airline pilot, as we’ve discussed in other blog posts. )
As your seniority number improves, you have more say in which aircraft and schedule you fly.
How Pilot Salaries were Calculated Here
All of the pilot pay listed on this page is based on a few important details.
Due to the variable rate of pilot pay it’s difficult to give an exact estimate on how much you’ll earn as an airline pilot.
All pay listed here is assuming 80 hours of flight time per month or 900 hours per year. Many pilots will fly more than this.
The pay listed here also doesn’t include any per diem a pilot receives over the course of the year which could amount to more than $7,000 in a year.
Major Airline Pilot Salary Calculator
We’ve put together this simple calculator to give you an estimate of how much you could earn as an airline pilot for American Airlines, United Airlines, or Delta Air Lines. These three together are often referred to as the major airlines.
This was put together using the 2024 pay scales from the Allied Pilots Association, the group that represents American Airlines pilots and the Air Line Pilots Association, the group that represents Delta and United pilots.
Calculate Your Potential Earnings
Please note that this calculator is only an estimate of possible earnings. There is much more to an airline pilot’s compensation than just hourly rates including 401k contributions, profit sharing, per diem, and more.
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Airline Pilot Salaries
Major Airline Captain Salaries
Note that airline pay changes regularly.
A commercial pilot’s salary will vary based on the aircraft they fly. Where available, we’ve included the plane associated with the listed pay.
Here are pilot salaries by airline for captains assuming 80 hours per month.
| Airline | Plane | Year 1 | Year 5 | Year 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 737 | $203,400 | $210,600 | $239,400 |
| American Airlines | 737 | $311,000 | $321,000 | $339,000 |
| Delta Airlines | A320 | $310,000 | $320,000 | $337,000 |
| Frontier Airlines | $177,300 | $200,700 | $235,800 | |
| Hawaiian Airlines | A321 | $227,700 | $234,900 | $247,500 |
| JetBlue Airways | A320 | $221,400 | $233,100 | $254,700 |
| Southwest Airlines | 737 | $216,900 | $227,700 | $246,600 |
| Spirit Airlines | A320 | $225,900 | $237,600 | $270,000 |
| United Airlines | 737 | $316,000 | $326,000 | $344,000 |
Major Airline First Officer Pilot Salaries
Most major airlines are hiring first officers from a regional airline.
As you can see, these pilot salaries start out quite low and in many cases, they start lower than the captain pay at the regional airlines. So pilots who make the jump are taking a small pay decrease.
In 2023 many of the major airlines negotiated new pilot contracts. I’ve updated the estimated numbers below using these new payscales and assuming 80 hours per month.
| Airline | Plane | Year 1 | Year 5 | Year 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 737 | $83,700 | $141,300 | $161,100 |
| American Airlines | 737 | $109,000 | $206,000 | $231,000 |
| Delta Airlines | A320 | $109,000 | $205,000 | $230,000 |
| Frontier Airlines | $67,500 | $125,100 | $156,600 | |
| Hawaiian Airlines | A321 | $72,900 | $144,900 | $171,900 |
| JetBlue Airlines | A320 | $84,600 | $149,400 | $170,100 |
| Southwest Airlines | 737 | $75,600 | $147,600 | $171,900 |
| Spirit Airlines | A320 | $83,700 | $152,100 | $173,700 |
| United Airlines | 737 | $111,000 | $209,000 | $235,000 |
Pilot salaries posted above do not include sign-on bonuses, per diem, profit sharing, incentivized trips or other benefits that will increase overall compensation.
Sample Airline Pilot Salaries for Regional Airlines
New airline pilots start their career at the regional airlines.
Regional airline pilot salaries are lower than the major airlines but most pilots only stay at a regional airline for a few years. Here are examples of regional pilot salaries by airline.
Regional Airline Captain Salaries
| Airline | Plane | Year 1 | Year 5 | Year 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Wisconsin | CRJ200 | $150,000 | $165,000 | $191,000 |
| Endeavor Air | CRJ200 | $152,000 | $177,000 | |
| Envoy Air | CRJ700 | $150,000 | $165,000 | $191,000 |
| Horizon Air | $153,000 | $169,000 | $197,000 | |
| Mesa Airlines | CRJ900 | $135,000 | $147,600 | $170,100 |
| Piedmont Airlines | ERJ 145 | $146,000 | $165,000 | $191,000 |
| PSA Airlines | $150,000 | $168,000 | $191,000 | |
| Republic Airways | $141,000 | $154,000 | $181,000 | |
| SkyWest Airlines | CRJ200 | $140,000 | $158,000 | $192,000 |
Regional Airline First Officer Salaries
Few pilots remain first officers at regional airlines for very long.
Most will become a captain at a regional airline within a few years and then from there, move to a major airline. This is why some commercial pilot salaries aren’t listed for year 5 and beyond.
| Airline | Plane | Year 1 | Year 5 | Year 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Wisconsin | CRJ200 | $93,000 | $111,000 | |
| Endeavor Air | CRJ200 | $101,000 | $111,000 | |
| Envoy Air | CRJ700 | $93,000 | $111,000 | $111,000 |
| Horizon Air | $92,000 | $112,000 | $112,000 | |
| Mesa Airlines | CRJ900 | $90,000 | $99,000 | $99,000 |
| Piedmont Airlines | ERJ 145 | $90,000 | $111,000 | $111,000 |
| PSA Airlines | CRJ | $93,000 | $111,000 | $111,000 |
| Republic Airways | $91,000 | $95,000 | ||
| Skywest Airlines | CRJ200 | $90,000 | $99,000 |
Commercial Pilot Salary – A Timeline
As we continue to answer the question, how much do airline pilots make, we need to look at airline pilot earnings over time.
It goes without saying – pilot salaries are at their lowest at the beginning of your career and highest towards the end. Before beginning your path toward a career as an airline pilot, it’s important to understand how much you will be making throughout your entire career.
The figures above are based on averages across different airlines but can give you a good idea of the airline pilot salary you can expect as your career progresses. It’s also worth noting that the timeline above is stretched out a little longer than what some would experience.
With the current pilot shortage the world is experiencing, some pilots have found the move from a regional airline to a major airline even faster.
For example, prior to Covid many regional airline pilots made it to the majors after only 3-5 years.
You probably noticed that at a couple of spots on the graph, pilot salaries drop, particularly when you jump from being a regional airline pilot to a pilot for a major airline. This does not necessarily mean you get a drop in pay.
Keep reading for more information about commercial pilot salaries.
How Much do Airline Pilots Make per Flight?
As I’ve already covered, airline pilots are paid per flight hour. So answering the question, how much do pilots make per flight is pretty straightforward.
If the engine is running the pilot is being paid. So if they have a flight that’s 3.5 hours long and their current rate is $137 per hour their pay for that flight would be $479.50.
This is a somewhat simplified version but when a pilot is on a trip they will generally have multiple flights over the course of a few days plus they will receive their per diem. So in general you can take the length of the flight and multiply it by the hourly rate and get the pay for that flight.
However, the above is only for their normal flights. There are instances when the airline needs pilots to pick up other flights so they’ll offer 1.5x, 2x or even 3x pay for an individual flight. Which means a pilot can make quite a bit more on an individual flight.
Pilot Salary per Month
Below are estimates of how much you could expect to earn as an airline pilot salary per month. We’ve already discussed that pilot’s aren’t paid a traditional salary but if you want to read that section again click here.
A first officer at a regional airline just starting out can expect to earn from $6,000 to $8,000 per month (before taxes) during their first couple of years.
A captain at a regional airline can earn roughly $11,000 to $15,000 per month (before taxes).
Major airline pilots earn substantially more. First officers at major airlines earn around $10,000 to $18,000 per month, while captains can easily earn over $20,000 per month during their first year as a captain.
Experienced captains at major carriers like Delta or American Airlines have been reported to earn between $30,000 to $40,000 per month.
Do Airline Pilots Receive Signing Bonuses?
At this time most regional airlines give out signing bonuses to attract commercial pilots due to the pilot shortage. Bonuses may vary based on the pilot’s experience.
We’ve seen bonuses ranging from $5,000 to over $15,000.
For example, if you already have a type rating for one of the aircraft you’d be flying, the airline may give you a bigger signing bonus since they don’t have to spend as much money training you.
Many airlines also offer bonuses to captains who join them.
Current Airline Bonuses 2024
Another factor in answering, how much do pilots make, is bonuses.
When airlines want to attract more pilots they’ll roll out specific bonuses based on the types of pilots they need.
- Endeavor Air offers a $10K training completion bonus.
- Envoy Air, as an affiliate with American Airlines, offers more than $150k in their bonus package for those who are eligible. This includes a $15k signing bonus for all new pilots, a $30k bonus for those that upgrade to captains, a $70k flow bonus to American Airlines, and an additional $50k bonus paid at flow, earned pro-rata with qualifying hours over two years. In addition to these, Envoy offers $10k near captain entry, a $7.5k type rating bonus, and a $15k bonus for direct entry captains.
- Horizon Airlines has a pilot development program where they will give private pilots a stipend of $12.5k while they get their training done. They also have a new hiring bonus of $5k – $17.5k, depending on the plane you are flying and up to $50k in bonuses for experienced pilots.
- Mesa Airlines offers a $20k sign-on bonus for all new hires, with an additional $10k for all simulator instructor positions.
- Piedmont Airlines, an additional affiliate with American, offers the same $150k+ in bonuses for their pilots as Envoy.
- PSA Airlines, another affiliate with American Airlines, offers the same bonuses as Piedmont Airlines and Envoy Air.
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Commercial Airline Pilot Benefits
Pilots enjoy plenty of benefits aside from the pay. Especially during times when the industry is strong and, airlines are struggling to compete with the other airlines to bring qualified pilots to their airline.
Free Travel
Most airlines allow their pilot’s free travel on flights that have empty seats, including a seat for a friend or family member.
Many pilots use these free trips to explore the world or to simply visit friends and family regularly.
Per Diem
Airline pilots receive a very attractive per diem on top of their commercial pilot salary. This amount is to cover your expenses while on trips. Often, the amount is larger than what you spend so could add to your annual income.
Healthcare and Insurance
To remain competitive with the other airlines, most companies have very attractive healthcare and life insurance benefits for their pilots.
Bonuses/Profit Sharing
While bonuses are not guaranteed in any business, in the good time’s airlines will offer sign-on bonuses to be competitive in hiring in addition to the commercial pilot salary they offer.
Others offer yearly profit sharing based on the airline’s income as well as other contractual agreed-upon amounts.
Do Airline Pilots Make More with Overtime Pay?
One last consideration in our question, how much do pilots make, is overtime pay.
Overtime pay is available at many airlines. When an airline needs to ensure a flight happens they will offer anywhere from 100% to 300% (or more) to get pilots to pick up the job.
At this time in 2022, this is an incredibly common occurrence. And with no end in sight for the pilot shortage, this will likely continue for years to come.
So when looking at the pilot salaries above, remember that isn’t all you could earn. Your earnings could climb significantly higher with overtime pay.
How Long Can an Airline Pilot Work?
In the United States, the FAA requires an airline transport pilot to retire at age 65. This doesn’t mean you can’t be a pilot after 65, it simply means you can’t hold an ATP.
While some pilots do retire at 65, others continue to work as charter pilots, flight instructors, or any of the other commercial pilot jobs listed below.
Do Airline Pilots Belong to Unions?
Most airline pilots belong to unions in the United States. These unions negotiate pilot salaries and other benefits.
There are a few major airline pilot unions including Air Line Pilots Association that represents Delta and United pilots, the Allied Pilots Association that represents American Airlines pilots, and Southwest Airlines Pilots Association.
International Pilot Salaries vs US Pilot Salaries
Commercial pilot salaries at large airlines outside the united states are generally competitive with the salaries offered by the major airlines in the US.
With Airlines around the world are facing the same pilot shortage. While individual requirements vary from country to country to become pilot, the pay is actually quite similar.
Just like in the US, pay will depend on which airplane you’re flying and how many years you’ve been flying. If you’re considering non-US airlines to work for as an airline pilot you’ll want to carefully consider their base locations.
That will dictate where in the world you can live.
Pilot’s Minimum Guarantee
Most airlines give their pilots a monthly minimum guarantee.
This way pilots know they’ll receive some pay even if some of their flights get cancelled due to weather, maintenance, or other issues.
For most US airlines, the guarantee is around 75 hours per month but there are a few airlines that offer daily guarantees.
Will Pilot Pay Continue to Increase?
With the ongoing pilot shortage, it certainly appears that pilot pay will continue to grow.
While there’s no way to truly predict the future, Boeing’s recent report indicates that the pilot shortage will be here for many years to come.
There are a high number of pilots forecasted to retire over the next 10 years which will likely make the pilot shortage only get worse in the short term which means pilot salaries will also likely increase.
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Pilot Salaries for other Commercial Pilot Jobs
Flight Instructor
Many pilots will work at a flight school as an instructor as their method of gaining their FAA-required minimum hours, but some love it so much they choose to become a career flight instructors.
A career instructor can expect a pilot salary anywhere from $40,000 to $75,000 annually.
Many instructors will go on to work as chief flight instructors for a flight school where your salary can go even higher.
Cargo Carrier
In terms of pay, cargo pilot salaries are probably the most competitive with commercial airlines.
The pay structure for cargo pilots is very similar to that of major airline carriers.
Cargo Airline Captain Salaries
| Airline | Plane | Year 1 | Year 5 | Year 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Transport International | 767 | $147,000 | $234,000 | $255,000 |
| Atlas Air | 767 | $92,000 | $160,000 | $172,000 |
| FedEx Express | 767 | $276,000 | $310,000 | $326,000 |
| Kalitta Air | $154,000 | $244,000 | $266,000 | |
| Southern Air | 767 | $142,000 | $160,000 | $196,000 |
| United Parcel Service | $50,000 | $312,000 | $329,000 |
Cargo Airline Pilot First Officer Salaries
| Airline | Plane | Year 1 | Year 5 | Year 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Transport International | 767 | $83,000 | $151,000 | $181,000 |
| Atlas Air | 767 | $87,000 | $108,000 | $137,000 |
| FedEx Express | 767 | $81,000 | $193,000 | $226,000 |
| Kalitta Air | $116,000 | $162,000 | $193,000 | |
| Southern Air | 767 | $87,000 | $108,000 | $137,000 |
| United Parcel Service | $50,000 | $200,000 | $212,000 |
Charter Pilot
Charter services offer private flights to businesses or individuals.
A charter pilot needs to have a professional attitude as they will be dealing with clients even more directly than pilots flying for airlines.
The salary is higher than most time-building jobs, with the average charter pilot salary in the US earning approximately $75,000.
Charter Pilot Captain Salaries
While there are quite a few small charter airlines across the United States, here are a few of the larger operations that post their pay publicly.
These charter airlines typically fly large jets which is why their pay closely resembles airline pilot pay.
| Airline | Year 1 | Year 5 | Year 8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| iAero Ways | $168,000 | $178,000 | $192,000 |
| Miami Air International | $96,000 | $116,000 | $163,000 |
| Omni Air International | $192,000 | $248,000 | $270,000 |
Charter Pilot First Officer Salaries
| Airline | Year 1 | Year 5 | Year 8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| iAero Ways | $90,000 | $98,000 | $100,000 |
| Miami Air International | $47,000 | $83,000 | $98,000 |
| Omni Air International | $118,000 | $154,000 | $184,000 |
Corporate Pilot
A career as a corporate pilot is similar to a career as an airline pilot in many ways.
It’s a very competitive job, you will likely need a high number of hours to be considered, and you are typically flying larger turbine aircraft.
The differences are of course the number of passengers, the type of aircraft you are flying, and where you will be flying. Many may consider corporate pilot as more attractive than airline pilot due to the more consistent schedule and locations.
You will likely not be required to move as you would early in your career as an airline pilot.
A corporate pilot salary may start out around $60,000 annually (first officer) but has the potential to earn $180,000 or more as they gain more experience and stay with a corporation longer.
Stunt Pilot
For extreme thrill-seekers, aerobatics might be a fun career for you.
Aerobatic pilots, or stunt pilots, perform in aerial shows, compete with other aerobatic pilots, and train pilots in aerobatic flight.
The pay of stunt pilots varies tremendously, but the median earnings of this job pay between $50,000 and $70,000 as a pilot salary.
It is a very difficult career to break into, and you will need to be passionate about the job in order to break out.
Tour Guide
The job of a tour guide could be for you if you enjoy small groups and consider yourself a people person.
The job is location-dependent and can vary greatly in hours.
You could be doing a lot of hours during peak season, and be earning very little during the off-season, so this gig isn’t for everyone. Average earnings are around $52,000 annually.
Banner Towing
Like instructing, most who tow banners are using the job as a way to build hours. The pay is similar to instructing and can range from $20-$50 an hour.
Crop Duster
One of the more unique and niche commercial pilot jobs on this list, a crop duster (also known as “Aerial Applicator” or “Agricultural Pilot”) is a pilot that uses aircraft to aid in agricultural care.
They may apply pesticides, fertilizers, or even plant seeds using their aircraft.
This job requires not only aviation training (commercial rating) but agricultural knowledge.
You will need to be knowledgeable on different types of pesticides and fertilizers, and familiar with agricultural practices. If you are able to overcome this knowledge hurdle, you are rewarded with a job that can pay higher than $100,000.
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How Much Do Airline Pilots Make – Conclusion
How much a pilot earns each year largely depends on how much time they are able to fly.
As we’ve outlined in this article, as an airline pilot moves from First Officer to Captain and from a regional airline to a major airline their salary continues to increase.
If you want to maximize your airline pilot pay, your goal should be to become a captain at a major airline.
- About the Author
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Liz Brassaw is a first officer for a regional airline and the former Chief Pilot and Chief Flight Operations Officer for Thrust Flight. She is a Designated Pilot Examiner and holds an ATP, CFI, CFII, MEI, AMEL, ASES with over 2,500 hours of flight instruction given. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the Utah Valley University School of Aviation Sciences.
Comments
9 responses to “Airline Pilot Salary – How Much Do Pilots Make?”
It all depends on how quickly you move through training and build flight hours. For those who treat training as their full time job they can get the training done in 6-9 months. Building the required flight time to reach airline minimums takes most people 12-18 months.
How long does it take for a person to go from zero flight experience to a flying for a company?
Which airlines requires degrees or which ones do? Another question is does it matter if you have a degree. Do you need flight school or college?
Hi,
The 1,000 annual hour limit is only for actual flight time so no, sitting on reserve doesn’t count as part of that 1,000 hours. However, you aren’t paid for every hour you’re sitting on reserve. Most airlines have a monthly reserve minimum guarantee, often around 75 hours. So if you were on reserve for the entire month you’d get paid for 75 hours. When you have a mixture of reserve and flying in a month the airlines have their own formula for attributing pay on those days when you’re on reserve.
Hi Liz, thanks for the terrific article.
My daughter is a rising HS senior and after campus tours, info interviews, and online research she is determined to be a career pilot. She will take the Aviation Admin with Commercial Pilot option as her major which means a part 141 school, 1000 hours, BS degree and airline networking bennies.
My question is this….when a pilot is on “reserve” status they are getting paid to sit at home as I understand it. That does NOT count toward the 1000 annual hour limit does it? So one could fly the average 700 hours and be on reserve for a few hundred more and end up with 1200 or more hours in a year? Am I missing something?
Thank you so much for responding Brian!!! Great information that you provided and I discovered through your generous suggestions!
For a high school student headed into their junior year, I’d recommend he go take a discovery flight if he hasn’t already flown in a small aircraft. This is always a good check to make sure this is what he really wants to do. Then, once he graduates high school, I’d suggest attending a full-time flight training program like our Zero Time to Airline program instead of college. We have an entire article on flight training vs college you should read.
As far as paying for training, many of our students will take out a loan from a partner like Sallie Mae. Then, once they get a job at a regional airline, they’ll use some or all of the signing bonus to help pay down the loan. With the ongoing pilot shortage, airlines are offering substantial hiring bonuses that continue to increase. By the time he graduates high school, there may be additional incentives the airlines are offering.
My son is interested in becoming a pilot, currently finishing sophomore yr in high school. What path would u recommend and are any of the airlines offering to pay off loans or provide scholarships?
The corporate pilot pay is low. FlexJet and NetJet pilots start out at 100k plus and make up to 350k.