Avg Pilot Salary = $120K? | A380

[mrambo]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/worklife/01/21/cb.work.less.earn.more/

Here are 20 jobs we found that let you work less and earn more. These jobs require less than 40 hours of labor in a work week, but exceed the median annual income level in pay.*
1. Aircraft pilots, copilots and flight engineers
Hours/week: 23.5
Hours/year: 1,215
Annual earnings: $119,658
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<o>And I saw a Emirates A380 last night at JFK. It doesn't look THAT large in real life.</o>

 

[Trip7]

Misleading. Duty time is well over 40 hrs a week

 

[BobDDuck]

And time away from base can be upwards to 90 hours a week.

That said, I don't think $120,000 a year is too far off from the average. There are plenty of regional guys making $100,000 and then there is FedEx and SWA bringing the average up as well.

 

[ChrisH]

Many people disagree with the average salary for a pilot being in the six figures, when these lists of "highest paying jobs" come out, because many focus on the FO regional pay. I agree, that average is probably not far off, if at all. The working less than 40 hours per week is a joke, however.

 

[skydog]

Misleading. Duty time is well over 40 hrs a week

For some people I suppose. I don't recall too many times when I worked in excess of a 40 hour work week. As for time away from base, well a lot of people spend time away from home as part of their jobs. Hardly unique to flying.

 

[SpiraMirabilis]

I have duty time of about 65-70 hours a week generally.

 

[CrippleHawk]

You have to remember that most co pilots in airplanes like the A380 are Captains themselves (Although not the PIC) hence the high salaries

 

[OnTheHold]

You have to remember that most co pilots in airplanes like the A380 are Captains themselves (Although not the PIC) hence the high salaries

How can an airliner have two Captains at the same time?

 

[BobDDuck]

Plenty of operations fly with two captains, although only one is designated Captain for a flight. What I think he meant was that at long haul operations, the FOs are normally typed in the airplane because at some point during the flight the actual captain will go back and take a nap and somebody in the cockpit has to be typed to be responsible for the minute to minute operation of the flight. However, even in that scenario, the actual captain is still in charge and the relief captain isn't logging PIC.

 

[MFT1Air]

Misleading. Duty time is well over 40 hrs a week

Elaborate please. What is "duty time?" If the average flight hours ~ 23, an extra 17 hours are spent doing what? My approximation I believe isn't calculated on 5 days a week, so help me better understand your perspective.

 

[Snuggle]

A lot of the long haul flights have 2 Captains on board. When I jumpseated on Delta from New York to Mumbai (777), the flight had 2 Captains and 2 First Officers.

 

[CrippleHawk]

What I also meant is that both Captains will somtimes fly at the same time. However only one will be the PIC. For long haul flights (E.G. KJFK-RJAA) you could have 3 Captains and 1 FO.

 

[derg]

A lot of the long haul flights have 2 Captains on board. When I jumpseated on Delta from New York to Mumbai (777), the flight had 2 Captains and 2 First Officers.

Bingo.

I'm going to Tel Aviv later on in the month and there are two captains and two FO's

 

[SierraPilot123]

There are plenty of regional guys making $100,000 and

Really?? You think So?