What are you getting paid as a CFI?

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$46 an hour for both flight and ground. We are both 61 and 141 and I charge the same whether I am doing a stage check or a simple lesson. Varying payscales based on what you are doing seemed to be a little askew from my customer service mindset. I would say we are the highest paid CFIs on the airfield and also the busiest so take that how you will, but lowering your price doesn't seem to matter in this arena.
 
They charge students $52/hr for either flight or ground instruction. As a CFII I get $18/hr. MEI's get 19.25/hr and CFI-qualified and teaching initial CFI applicants get $24.00/hr. Plus medical and bonus. Some do very well doing that, some do very poor. Average income a year is around 25K, with about half doing 12-20K and half doing 28-32K/year.

As instructors, we should get paid comparable to college teachers. We don't, it's about the same as a ESL daycare babysitter. However, I do feel some days like I have to spoon feed my students and make sure they didn't crap their pants... so there are some comparables there.

I do love the students that are there to learn and not the "my daddy is paying for me to do this so I can go sit at home and fly when I want" students.
 
Around here it varies. On the power side $25-30 a hour as a Freelance CFI. There is one guy here who charges $40 a hour but he has the reputation and word of mouth busniess that allows him to do so. At the glider airport $10 a flight regardless of how long the flight is. This can work out really well or really bad. Most training flights are 15-30 minutes just doing pattern tows so $10 a flight isnt bad. But on days when thermals are booming and you stay up 1+ hours teaching your students to thermal that $10 a flight seems like crap.
 
Honestly, as of now I am not interested how much they make. I am more focused on my x-wind landings. In due time I will come here, reread old threads and ask :)
 
Mike H said:
Why don't you ask him/her?
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The same reason you don't ask most professionals how much they make? It's bad form.

I don't mind talking about my pay here on JC, amongst peers in the industry and strangers on the internet, but I think it's odd if somebody asks me in person.

Are they going to think less of me? More of me? Reflect better or worse on the company? Expect me to bill them for less time than we actually spend together? I don't know what they're getting at. I just tell them I'm salaried, so it doesn't matter how much I fly, I'm always able to pay my bills, and leave it at that.
 
Krieger said:
Its widely varied depending on the type of school and geographical location.

I heard (but not verified) that KSMO American flyers charged $78/hr flight instruction. I'd imagine the CFI's are paid near $20 something.

Hope this helps Josh!
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I think one of the responses on here is from someone going to AF. I fly with an instructor from AF as time building, he pays half I pay half. They give him so little hours he has to split time with me to build hours...

Oh yeah, he said it's about 210-220 dual in a 172 (Not g1000... just a simple 172....) Out of that he also told me they make anywhere from 12-15 an hour depending how long they've been around with AF...

so they charge 220 for 172 dual and pay 15, are you joking me? (at least that's the way it works where he's at anyway)
 
elmetal said:
so they charge 220 for 172 dual and pay 15, are you joking me?
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Sounds like a good business plan. They apparently have customers willing to pay $220/hour for the training, and instructors (such as your friend) willing to work for $15/hour.

I think it sounds pretty crazy, too, but then again, I don't fall in to either category for them (customer or employee) so my opinion doesn't really matter.
 
elmetal said:
I think one of the responses on here is from someone going to AF. I fly with an instructor from AF as time building, he pays half I pay half. They give him so little hours he has to split time with me to build hours...

Oh yeah, he said it's about 210-220 dual in a 172 (Not g1000... just a simple 172....) Out of that he also told me they make anywhere from 12-15 an hour depending how long they've been around with AF...

so they charge 220 for 172 dual and pay 15, are you joking me? (at least that's the way it works where he's at anyway)
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Which is why I turned down their offer 7 years ago.
 
elmetal said:
so they charge 220 for 172 dual and pay 15, are you joking me? (at least that's the way it works where he's at anyway)
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When I worked there, it was like pulling teeth to get $17.50. Thats the MAIN reason why I left. Horrible pay, not knowing your schedule until the night before, and some days were LOOOOONG! Like 14 hours. Then, you get a student from another CFI ("team teaching approach" as they call it) who is now confused because you are describing something with different verbage than the guy/gal from their last lesson. It got my foot in the door at other schools, because I had dual given, but they want you to dress like a professional (Slacks, dress shirt and a tie), but they also want to pay poverty wages. Then they charge, IIRC, $190 an hour when you go solo in the airplane. I think it was also $90 an hour for ground.
 
ProudPilot said:
As instructors, we should get paid comparable to college teachers. We don't, it's about the same as a ESL daycare babysitter. However, I do feel some days like I have to spoon feed my students and make sure they didn't crap their pants... so there are some comparables there.
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http://forums.jetcareers.com/cfi-corner/119123-best-place-add-mei.html

http://forums.jetcareers.com/flight...ors-fbo/115554-cheap-fast-comm-multi-add.html

http://forums.jetcareers.com/cfi-corner/116102-mei-training-dallas.html
 
mshunter said:
When I worked there, it was like pulling teeth to get $17.50. Thats the MAIN reason why I left. Horrible pay, not knowing your schedule until the night before, and some days were LOOOOONG! Like 14 hours. Then, you get a student from another CFI ("team teaching approach" as they call it) who is now confused because you are describing something with different verbage than the guy/gal from their last lesson. It got my foot in the door at other schools, because I had dual given, but they want you to dress like a professional (Slacks, dress shirt and a tie), but they also want to pay poverty wages. Then they charge, IIRC, $190 an hour when you go solo in the airplane. I think it was also $90 an hour for ground.
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90 an hour?
I wouldn't pay 90 an hour if my instructor was a full service hooker!

Wait.. who am I kidding...
 
elmetal said:
90 an hour?
I wouldn't pay 90 an hour if my instructor was a full service hooker!

Wait.. who am I kidding...
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Look at the location. NY tri-state area where the cost of living is through the roof. Florida wages would probably not even permit you to survive on ramen.
 
Blackhawk said:
Look at the location. NY tri-state area where the cost of living is through the roof. Florida wages would probably not even permit you to survive on ramen.
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Except that I am 100% certain the instructor isn't getting those 90. He'd be LUCKY to get 30-40

That's what gets me, that's all
 
elmetal said:
90 an hour?
I wouldn't pay 90 an hour if my instructor was a full service hooker!

Wait.. who am I kidding...
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That's IT! I'm moving to Nevada and opening The Happy Ending Flight Center!

Here at HEFC our CFIs are well trained and disease free. After all, don't you think every good landing deserves a happy ending?

*Tell us about this ad and receive $5 off your first airhead! No better way to keep alert on those LOOOONG cross country flights*




Ok i'm done..

Back on topic.... At the school $25-$31/hr independent $50-$65/hr
 
TwoTwoLeft said:
That's IT! I'm moving to Nevada and opening The Happy Ending Flight Center!

Here at HEFC our CFIs are well trained and disease free. After all, don't you think every good landing deserves a happy ending?

*Tell us about this ad and receive $5 off your first airhead! No better way to keep alert on those LOOOONG cross country flights*




Ok i'm done..

Back on topic.... At the school $25-$31/hr independent $50-$65/hr
Click to expand...
Honey, I swear I went out to vegas to fly see my invoice from the school?
 
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