CFI Salaries

Michael95U

Michael95U

Well-Known Member
What is the typical salary or hourly wage paid to CFI's at the larger flight academies?

For those of you that are currently full time CFI's, would you prefer to be paid an hourly wage or a salary?

Does anyone provide benefits (health, dental, etc)?

Thanks!

Michael
 
siegelaviation said:
What is the typical salary or hourly wage paid to CFI's at the larger flight academies?

For those of you that are currently full time CFI's, would you prefer to be paid an hourly wage or a salary?

Does anyone provide benefits (health, dental, etc)?

Thanks!

Michael
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At Pan AM Academy I started at $14 per flight hour no benefits. After 6 months we got another $1 per hour, then another $1 per hour after another year. After about 8 months I was able to move into Pan Am's Korean Airlines training program and I got $30K salary per year with benefits like health care dental life insurance and 401K. The Korean Air contract stated no night flying (except for required night flights) hours of 0800-1700 M-F no weekend flights. So it was a pretty sweet deal for a CFI.

I know a few instructors who left Pan Am when the Fla campus closed and they went to a school in Napa, CA where they had a Japan Airlines training program and starting pay was $45K per year salary with benefits, but you had to have 1000 hours or experience with Asian students in an ab-initio program. I forget the name of the school, but a Google search should get you close.

But most new CFI's can expect $14 per flight hour...no benefits.
 
Most big flight schools pay between $10 and $15 per flight hour. Most people that I know that instructed at those places would have MUCH preferred to be on a salary of some sort!

I did all my instructing Part 61 at an airport in Nowheresville. I got paid $20 per flight hour in a place where the cost of living was half as much as most places where academies are. I also averaged about 65-70 hours a month of dual given not to mention an occasional sightseeing/picture-taking tour and some ground work that I charged for. I also met some rich people with planes and got to fly them around a little for multi-time and cash!
 
First off lets look at the majarity of those who attend big academy's
Mostly rich kids that get their parents to pay for everything or people who take out 100k loans to cover training + living expenses.

ok why is that important

because if mom and dad are paying for their son or daughters living expenses and the school is marketing instructing as a way to built time to the airlines. they can pay an instuctor $10-$15 per hour for about 10 hrs per week and a brand new cfi cant wait for that job until they run out of loan money or mom and dad cuts them off, then they either leave for airlines or to instruct somewhere else and when this happens guess what theres another newly polished cfi to take his or her spot.

If you are looking to become a career instructor or pay for cost of living while instructing I would not reccomend a job at a large flight school they just dont pay.

Look at most flight schools around the US large and small typical fee for instruction is $35-$50 per hour the school takes more than half that and starts the cfi off at $10 per hour after that person has spent $50,000 grand or more on training. Most places other than large academys the instructor gets paid seperate from the aircraft rental and collects the $35 fee not the flight school. not trying to name anyone but the big E school in daytona charges more than any other flight school in a 100 nm radius for a/c rental and instruction and starts instructors off in the 10-15 dollar range.

if you are interested in flight training in central florida contact me at erussellcfi@gmail.com I can provide pvt inst and comm training my self or I can give you info on the schools you would like to consider not all are bad but alot are in it for the money and the student almost always gets screwed.
 
I was told by my senior instructor he was making $12.50 an hour. This is only for billable hours and no benefits...
Yet we are told there is a shortage of flight instructors... Yet the wages are not going up? Gee, wonder if it's propaganda or not. It would seem if there was such a shortage, the wages and the benefits would match the demand for instructors. Same for pilots.
There is supposedly a shortage of both instructors and pilots according to DCA. Yet I don't see the wages and the benefit packages rising to meet the shortage. The regionals are lowering minimums, so I guess that's their way of saying hey, we'll take you, but we're not paying you anymore money.
One would think with the current shortage as we are told, the schools would be stepping up to the plate and offering better wages, more benefits and such.
Is it another ploy to get you to sign on with the school you're attending as an instructor?
Any comments out there on this?
 
The academies get away with paying poor wages because the instructors put up with it. The instructors are only interested in building the two or three hundred hours they need to get to the airlines, and they'll put up with working for little or no money in order, to get that flight time quickly and get out.

They don't view it as a job, so much as a part of training, and the academies are quick to encorage that viewpoint.
 
Hey, ya'll, the original poster, I believe, owns his own flight school at St Louis Downtown airport in the ever lovely city of Cahokia, IL. I think he's just trying to get an idea of what the market is doing, and maybe finding what instructors would like to see.

Good luck on the flight school!!! I think I'm remembering right...if not, just ignore me!!:p
 
NickH said:
The academies get away with paying poor wages because the instructors put up with it. The instructors are only interested in building the two or three hundred hours they need to get to the airlines, and they'll put up with working for little or no money in order, to get that flight time quickly and get out.

They don't view it as a job, so much as a part of training, and the academies are quick to encorage that viewpoint.
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I talked with an instructor last night about contracts. He signed one that involved him only teaching for 800 flight hours and then he's gone. He's down to about 60 more hours... I'm trying to get the feel of what's out there before I get to CFI. The school I'm enrolled in has now "lowered" their standards and are hiring CFI's to make up for the "shortage" of instructors. It used to be you had to be CFII in order to hire with this particular academy. The pay still stinks...
I'm coming from a background where I was making fairly good money (about 15K above the average, plus all the benefits) before I came back to school.
 
I would love to see 20 an hour and full bennies

:)

You get people to sign a small contract and you would have yourself a good amount of people.
 
At my part 61/ 141 FBO, instructors (from the newest CFI to the chief) get $22/hour, no benefits.
 
some FBO's in so cal pays up to 45 an hour. an FBO in KFUl pasy 35 an hour and its all theirs. some flight schools are a fixed rate, and/or 15 an hour at a 141 school I used to go to.
 
is it easy to be hired as an CFI lately?? are the academies picky? what are the minimum requierments to become a CFI?? which states have the most flight schools??
 
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