PILOTS - WHAT ARE THEY EARNING TODAY?Contributed by Julia Dean, www.AirlineJOB.net
DO YOU WANT TO BE A PILOT IN THE UNITED STATES?
I receive many emails requesting information about becoming an airline pilot in
United States. This article addresses many of general questions I receive about types of pilot careers, salaries, FAA requirements, training, advancement opportunities and employment outlook for pilots in US.
(Please note that commercial pilot industry is very competitive, particularly since 9/11. The information gathered for this article was sourced mainly from government labour research organizations, noted at end of article).
TYPES OF PILOT CAREERS
There are four general types of pilot careers:
1. Commercial Airline Pilots
2. Agricultural Pilots
3. Helicopter Pilots
4. Photogrammetry Pilots
COMMERCIAL AIRLINE PILOTS
4 out of 5 pilots Commercial Airline Pilots in US are responsible for transporting cargo and/or passengers. The other 20% of commercial pilots have positions involved in search and rescue, testing aircraft, flight instruction or examination, monitoring car traffic or tracking criminals. Some commercial pilots also fly agricultural planes, described below in more detail.
There are generally three categories of careers for commercial airline pilots: Pilot, or Captain is most senior officer and supervises flight crew; Co-Pilot, called First Officer, who assists captain; and Flight Engineer, or Second Officer, who assists other pilots and performs such tasks as monitoring and operating instruments. Most aircraft fly with only two pilots as computerized equipment is replacing need for flight engineers in modern, more sophisticated planes.
About 75% of pilots fly 75 hours a month, and spend about 75 hours completing non-flying work responsibilities. About 25% of pilots work more than 40 hours per week.
AGRICULTURAL PILOTS
Agricultural Pilots fly helicopters or airplanes and are typically responsible for dusting crops, distributing seeds for reforestation, fighting forest fires, inspecting pipelines, or distributing fish into lakes.
HELICOPTER PILOTS
Helicopter pilots provide a variety of services working for businesses and government. Areas of specialty include traffic monitoring, oil and gas exploration, pipeline monitoring, logging, construction, agriculture, search and rescue, emergency medical transport, law enforcement, and newsgathering. Other helicopter pilot positions are available for corporate or travel charter.
PHOTOGRAMMETRY PILOTS
Photogrammetry Pilots specialize at flying at specific altitudes and speeds suitable for aerial photography. Aerial photography is used for mapping earth’s surface, real estate purposes, and business or government research requirements.
PILOTS - WHAT ARE THEY EARNING TODAY?
The median annual income of all commercial pilots in US is $43,300. The highest 10% of earners earned more than $92,000 and lowest 10% of earners made less than $24,000.
Pilots’ salaries vary widely depending on aircraft used, number of hours and miles flown, and whether or not pilot works for an airline. Earnings for airline pilots are among highest in country.
The median annual income of commercial airline pilots is $110,940, and over 25% earned more than $145,000. The lowest 10% of commercial airline pilots earned less than $36,110. Senior pilots are among highest paid earners in US.
In addition to traditional income, pilots earn a "per diem" or expense allowance for every hour that they are away from their base city. This per diem can be up to $500 per month. Further, pilots and their immediate families also enjoy benefits of significantly reduced air travel and hotel accommodation rates.
UNIONS
Greater than 50% of all aircraft pilots in US are union members. The majority of pilots that are employed by major airlines belong to Airline Pilots Association, International, or ALPA. However, those employed by one national airline are members of Allied Pilots Association. Additionally, some flight engineers belong to Flight Engineers' International Association.
Flight route assignments are based on seniority of union membership.
FAA REGULATIONS - WHAT YOU NEED TO GET HIRED
To be employed as a commercial pilot in United States requires a Federal Air Transport rating and certification for specific type of aircraft being flown. Helicopter pilots must also be rated and have a commercial pilot’s certificate. Applicants for these licenses must have a minimum of 250 flight hours of experience and be at least 18 years of age. In addition, candidates must pass a physical examination that ensures that they are in good health and that they have good hearing and 20/20 vision either with or without glasses.
The written test for a pilot’s rating includes questions on FAA regulations, principles of safe flight, and navigation techniques. The certification also requires pilots to demonstrate their flying ability to FAA or FAA approved examiners.
To fly during times of low visibility, pilots must be rated to fly by instruments alone. To qualify for this rating, pilots must pass a written test and are required to have 105 hours of flight experience that includes 40 hours of experience flying exclusively by instruments. This certification requires pilots to demonstrate their ability to fly by instruments alone to FAA or FAA approved examiners.
Commercial Airline pilots have additional licensing requirements. First, airline pilots must have a transport license, which requires applicants to be at least 23 years old and have a minimum of 1,500 flying hours of experience. This experience must include instrument and night flying. Additionally, airline pilots must pass written and flight examinations.
