My Flying News

Most airline pilots get paid per flight hour. This is the time from when the boarding door closes, and the parking brake is released until the landing and the door is opened.

Want to know how much pilots get paid?

Most pilot pay scales for airlines in the US are not private. For example, you can find most airline pay scales on the website Airline Pilot Central.

Other tools are available as well. According to Salary.com, the median pilot salary for pilots in Las Vegas, NV, where I live, is $188,000 (as of this post).

Pilot pay scales all go by fleet, rank, and seniority. The longer you are there, the more that you can make.

Please note that this article covers airline pilot pay and incidentals. Charter and corporate pilot pay can be paid differently.

How many hours do pilots fly?

Airline pilots can fly a maximum of 1,000 hours per year per regulations. This is about 83 hours per month. Although not all pilots fly the maximum. There are also months when pilots will fly less if they have vacation or training.

83 hours per month is flight time. If you include duty time, or the total time pilots are on duty a the airport, this would equate to a 40 hour per week job like in other industries.

Do pilots get paid if they don’t fly?

Yes. Pilots also have a monthly minimum guarantee. Most airline guarantees are in the 75-hour range. This allows airlines to have spare pilots on call or “on reserve,” as it is called in the industry.

If an airline pays a pilot $100 per hour, with a 75-hour guarantee, that is $7,500 monthly gross, even if the pilot doesn’t fly. However, these days, with a shortage, most pilots on reserve are only sitting for a short time. It is increasingly frequent that airlines don’t have anyone available on standby.

Do pilots get paid if a flight is cancelled?

Yes. Most pilot contracts “pay protect” them for their flight time if flights are canceled. This is a double-edged sword. Sometimes, a flight cancellation works out in a pilot’s favor; other times, they get stuck.

Do pilots get paid overtime?

Yes. The pilot contracts are different at different airlines. However, pilots are paid extra if flights take additional time.

Pilots can also “pick up” extra time. When airlines are short-staffed, they will offer overtime pay to pilots who work on days off. This happens a lot around Holidays.

Pilots also get overtime pay if they get called in on their day off or get stuck somewhere, and their trip runs into their day off. This is called “JA,” “junior assigned,” or “junior manned” in the industry.

Do pilots get paid while they are at the airport?

No. Airline pilots and flight attendants only get paid to fly. When you see pilots walking between gates, dealing with maintenance and delays, or eating lunch, they are not being paid.

What is per diem? Do pilots pay for their own food?

Airline pilots and flight attendants receive a nominal hourly rate while they are away from base call a per diem. Per diem is intended to cover food and incidentals. Per diem means “for each day.”

The average per diem is about $2.50 per hour. For a 24 hour period that is $60 USD. Most airlines have an international override as well since going to larger international cities is more expensive.

Do pilots pay for their hotel?

No, pilots and flight attendants do not pay for their own hotel rooms while working. Hotel rooms and hotel transportation at our destination cities are pre-arranged.