Discussing pilot salaries is no easy task. This is because pay rates vary across different sectors. Then, pay rates vary by aircraft type, whether one is a first officer or captain, and time of employment.
The most common route for pilots is to fly commercially for airlines. According to CAE, a flight training company, as of August 2023, there were 351,000 commercial pilots worldwide. At the same time, CAE published a study that predicted a need for an additional 252,000 commercial pilots by 2032.
In the United States, when considering a career as a pilot, there are three main routes one can take outside of the United States Air Force (USAF). The first is to be a commercial pilot for an airline, whether it be a regional carrier or a mainline commercial operator, like United Airlines. The second is to fly cargo aircraft for companies like UPS, FedEx, and Atlas Air.
And the final is to be a corporate pilot, flying for companies like NetJets. Pilots can also fly corporately for individual aircraft owners, though that is rare. There is a select number of people who also choose to make a career out of being a flight instructor at flight schools.
But for the sake of this article, let's break down commercial and cargo. Commercial Pilots As mentioned above, salaries range by airlines, aircraft types, seniority, and roles. Pilots are paid per flight hour, but the data shown below is rounded out annually.
According to ATP flight school, a starting salary for a first officer at a mainli.
