Airline Pilot Salary – How Much Do Pilots Make? [in 2022]

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 Much do Pilots Make?

The median airline pilot pay in the US in 2023 was $219,140. This is actually a slight decline compared to 2023 when median airline pilot pay was $221,160. This decline is likely due to the large influx of young pilots who started working at regional airlines in 2023.

Keep reading to get a deeper understanding of how much do commercial pilots make.

In this post we’ll explore what an airline pilot salary actually looks like in 2024.

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.

Major Airline Pilot Pay Calculator Major Airline * American Airlines Delta Air Lines United Airlines Pilot Position * First Officer Captain Years as a Pilot at Delta 123456789101112 Years flying for Delta 123456789101112 Years as a Pilot at American 123456789101112 Years flying for American 123456789101112 Years as a Pilot at United 123456789101112 Years flying for United 123456789101112 Average Monthly Flight Hours * 83 Delta Pilot Annual Pay Estimate $ Note this doesn’t include any per diem, profit sharing, override pay, or 401k contributions. American Pilot Annual Pay Estimate $ Note this doesn’t include any per diem, profit sharing, override pay, or 401k contributions. United Pilot Annual Pay Estimate $ Note this doesn’t include any per diem, profit sharing, override pay, or 401k contributions. Submit If you are human, leave this field blank.

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How Much is an Airline Pilot’s Salary?

Pilot salaries can vary widely based on factors such as the airline they work for and their years of experience.

In 2024, the average salary for airline pilots is over $200,000 making it one of the top paying careers in the country.

Many people pursue a career as an airline pilot due to their passion for flying, but the attractive salaries also play a significant role in attracting people to the field.

If you’re considering a career as a pilot but are unsure about the financial aspects, it’s worth noting that the investment in flight training can be substantial, with flight school costs reaching over $110,000.

In the U.S., commercial pilot salaries in 2024 range from $90,000 to over $600,000 annually. But it’s important to understand exactly how pilot pay is calculated, because pilots aren’t actually paid a typical salary.

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 2023, the median annual earnings for airline pilots was $219,140. 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.

Start Your Airline Pilot Career Now

In as little as 2 years you could unlock these earnings when you begin a career as an airline pilot. With the Zero Time to Airline program you’ll earn the certificates and ratings needed to become a professional pilot. Speak with an Admissions Advisor today.

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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.