CFI salaries vs 121 Salaries

[Dharmesh1231]

It's pretty amazing to see what the industry has come down to. CFI salaries from flight schools and pilot factories have gone up significantly. Saw a couple of academies in Phx oferring 2K bonuses and $30/hr, while regional salaries are still sailing in the 19/hr range. Wonder what change 2008 will bring in to aviation.

Any takers??

 

[BoilerUP]

That's a pretty good instructor pay...but even if you can bill 100 hours/mo, you top out very quickly at what still is a fairly low salary with little opportunity for advancement.

 

[Sawmill]

If anyone is in this industry for the pay or the retirement package, then I would suggest that you go and talk to a financial planner as soon as possible.

 

[Lazy8]

You'll make more instructing (vs. first couple years as FO), but you'll work much harder than you ever will in the 121 world.

 

[FIXIT]

If anyone is in this industry for the pay or the retirement package, then I would suggest that you go and talk to a financial planner as soon as possible.

get out and live long.

 

[CFI2766]

I'm almost done slogging through first year airline pay. I knew it would be bad when I started, but I just didn't realize HOW bad it would be.

I took a 50% pay cut to leave flight instructing to go to the regional FO gig.

 

[Mike man]

I'll bite...

I thought new hires were making in the mid 20's now...which sucks but as a CFI you may make $30 an hour but in 5 years you will still make $30 an hour...and in 10 years you will still make $30 an hour (maybe $35).

I made $25 an hour when I was a CFI 5 years ago...I took a slight pay cut--but only in hourly rate--as a CFI I worked 6 days a week. As a 121 pilot I had a 401k, paid vacation, paid sick days, health insurance, travel benefits on just about any airline in the world, plus I made $65 an hour as a captain after just 18 months as a F/O.

 

[Ineedabrew]

I am so sick off hearing how bad it is flying for regional verses instructing. If you want to CFI for the rest of your life, more power to you, but you are not going to make as much as a regional pilot, period. Yes, first year pay sucks second year it goes up to mid 30’s and third year late 30’s to 40. Then you upgrade to a captain and make $65 to $75 an hour depending on the regional you fly for. That comes out to between 60 to 75 thousand a year. You can make more based on your seniority and if you want to join the training department which can bring you close to 90,000 to a 100,000. Also keep in mind 401, medical benefits and travel privileges.

 

[sqwkvfr]

I am so sick off hearing how bad it is flying for regional verses instructing. If you want to CFI for the rest of your life, more power to you, but you are not going to make as much as a regional pilot, period.

If I were to leave my CFI job to go to a regional right now, I wouldn't be money ahead until I had been at that regional for almost 12 years.

Plus, I'm home every night, get off work by 1PM most days, have terrific bosses, and am treated as an asset, not a liability.

And yes, I have vacation, medical, dental, vision, and 401k.....GOOD medical, dental, vision and 401k.

I don't have travel benefits, but those seem to be coming more and more difficult to exercise, from what I understand.

When I listen to my friends that have gone to regionals in the last three years, all I hear is bitching.

Something's gonna have to change...fortunately, the invisible hand is starting to work it's magic right now.

 

[Jorgy50]

Where are these people instructing to make more money than even at first year regional pay. In 2003 I made 9K FULL TIME as a CFI the entire year! I was paid $10 an hour and working my arse off at a flight school in Orlando (the flight school charged $35 an hour for my services). My first year at a regional I doubled my yearly pay.

 

[T-prop]

When I left instructing 4 years ago, primary instruction was $25/hr, multi $35/hr. $2/hr was taken off the top to cover our insurance. You were doing pretty well if you logged 60hrs/mo instructing though. Midwest weather got in the way of flying 100hrs/month. Still better than what the pilot-puppy mills pay, and you actually had to check the wx before going up.

 

[dojetdriver]

If I were to leave my CFI job to go to a regional right now, I wouldn't be money ahead until I had been at that regional for almost 12 years.

Plus, I'm home every night, get off work by 1PM most days, have terrific bosses, and am treated as an asset, not a liability.

And yes, I have vacation, medical, dental, vision, and 401k.....GOOD medical, dental, vision and 401k.

I don't have travel benefits, but those seem to be coming more and more difficult to exercise, from what I understand.

When I listen to my friends that have gone to regionals in the last three years, all I hear is bitching.

Something's gonna have to change...fortunately, the invisible hand is starting to work it's magic right now.

What you don't seem to understand is that YOUR CFI job is in the MINORITY of instructing jobs.

And yes, travel bennies are harder to take advantage of these days. With that said, in seven years, myself, nor my parents have ever NOT gotten where I/they wanted to go on the day I/they wanted to, and that's between three different legacy carriers. And I can assure you, 5 out of the 7 years I have being in the "regionals", I made more than 99% of CFI's out there thanks to good CBA's/work rules. Teh 2 years being low only because they were at first year rates. And that was without exceeding 700 hours of flying in any year.

And yes, I instructed.

That's great YOU have a good CFI job, but not ALL of them are like that. Just like not all regional jobs have decent pay and benefits.

Do I want to fly rj's all my life? NO. Do I consider a regional job to be my career destination? NO. For those that have no desire to move on, then find one of the "good" CFI jobs out there, like you. For those that want to move to the legacies, as much as it sucks, they are going to have to suck it up and go to some kind of regional/freight/corporate/turbine job SOMETIME.

The days of pilots going from CFI'ing to narrow body FO is an extreme minority, if not all out extinct.

 

[Lazy8]

Instructors sometimes make more money, but they definitely work much harder than any regional pilot to earn it.

Instructors-
Do you get 15-17 days off a month(after 5-6 months of employment)? You might get vacation time, but can you afford to go anywhere and use it? Are you paid a guarantee or is your paycheck amount always uncertain? Do you have legal representation when a student that you signed off bends a plane? Even at $30-40k/year is it really worth it as a long-term opportunity? For me the answer was no. For some it's yes. It just depends on what you want out of this business; however, I really think flying 121 is a much easier, safer, and lucrative flying job.

I instructed for two years at a good school with good pay, vacation time, health benefits, a brand new fleet, and good bosses. I have never onced looked back at it and thought, geeze I had it so much better then.

We all bitch about our jobs sometimes, but they're only as good as you make it. I'm not knocking instructing, I think it's great there are people that want to make a career out of it. More power to yah if you can find a cushy instruting gig. By the way, I really think MORE people should instruct before coming to the 121/135 world. Jet Camp does not make up for the lack of experience.

 

[NuGuy]

What you don't seem to understand is that YOUR CFI job is in the MINORITY of instructing jobs.

A bud of mine works for a place out of Flager County. They're paying CFIs a salary and health benefits. Almost $35k to start.

Nu

 

[regionalcap]

If I were to leave my CFI job to go to a regional right now, I wouldn't be money ahead until I had been at that regional for almost 12 years.

Plus, I'm home every night, get off work by 1PM most days, have terrific bosses, and am treated as an asset, not a liability.

And yes, I have vacation, medical, dental, vision, and 401k.....GOOD medical, dental, vision and 401k.

I don't have travel benefits, but those seem to be coming more and more difficult to exercise, from what I understand.

When I listen to my friends that have gone to regionals in the last three years, all I hear is bitching.

Something's gonna have to change...fortunately, the invisible hand is starting to work it's magic right now.

I find this hard to believe that it would take you 12 years to break even. Share the facts. A 12 year guy at my last regional was making over 90 grand a year. Good for you if it is good money. Consider yourself very lucky because most CFI jobs are not paid very well.

 

[Airline Driver]

If anyone wants to make flight instructing their career, and there is nothing wrong with that, consider applying to Flight Safety. $72,000/yr walking in the door, and they are looking for Instructors!!

On another note, It seems that our industry has a unique "take one step back before moving forward" Philosophy. No matter where you end up, your first year pay is going to be disappointing. Granted there are some airlines that have a substantial jump in pay second year. Not all are going to give you the return like UPS or FEDEX second year. One thing is for sure, Regional Salaries are on the rise, not fast but still moving up, and the major's are stagnant except for a select few.