CFI - Starting Salary up to $56,000 / yr.

MoMatt

MoMatt

Well-Known Member
Hi all,

My company has a lot of pilots to train, and we need CFI's. After the second pay raise in 8 months, I thought I'd post some details.

Requirements:
CFII, Second Class Medical; no minimum flight times

Compensation:
- With 0-499 hours of dual-given: $45,000 per year
- With 500-1999 hours dual-given: $52,000 per year
- Over 2000 hours dual-given: $56,000 per year

This is guaranteed pay, independent of number of hours flown per month. :rawk:I average about 30-40 hours per month; more in the summer and less in the winter. The busiest month I've had was about 50 hours / month.

Company-paid full medical, dental, and vision insurance (great insurance), 401(k) program, company matches up to 50% of your salary (8% max)

Company-paid moving assistance

Pay during training, housing assistance during training

Travel benefits on domestic and international airlines

Paid vacation, holidays and sick time

Raytheon-Beechcraft maintenance facility on location, top-notch aircraft and maintenance. We fly A-36 Bonanzas and B-58 Barons.

Use of company facilities to get your ATP written and practical done; use of company aircraft for the ATP practical test
Donuts every Tuesday :nana2:

The company is the International Flight Training Academy in Bakersfield, CA (http://ifta.aero). They ask that you agree to either a one year or two year employment term. The pay above (I think) is assuming you agree to a two-year employment term. It's a great way to knock a leg off those student loans if you are coming out of school.

You really can't beat this job as far as CFI gigs go, and the quality of life can't be beat. The schedule is Monday-Friday, weekends off. Nights only occasionally (about once or twice a year).

Living in Bakersfield isn't spectacular, but like anything it's all about your attitude. There are plenty of things to do if you look. California has a ton of places to see, a lot of which are close enough to Bakersfield for a weekend trip.

Send me a PM if you are interested. I'll give you my name if you apply; I get a referral fee :).

-Matt
 
Boy, pay sure has changed since I left that place last year.... is Penner still there? That's a prime reason to leave that place... other than that, its great...

oh, and the summers suck in bakersfield!
 
wow... those are good... tempting!

will they hire and sponsor me? lol

oh and i'm going to send this to a friend...
 
srleslie said:
Well, that's great and all...but unless you're going the 135 route, you could already be at a regional with those hours...:banghead:
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The idea is you're making TWICE what the regional guy would start out at with darn good job security to go along with it. Pay off those student loans, save for retirement, buy a good car with cash and save up $$ and set yourself up in good financial footing to take on that regional job, if you want it.

I worked with a CFI who used his relatively high paying CFI gig to catapult him into buying property, fixing it up, and renting it out. He's made a killing, especially as more and more people can't afford to buy or are unwilling to and want to wait out the market. There are multiple ways to skin the cat, a job is just one means to an end.

I think too many people jump into the regional rat race without giving it a second thought on HOW they will live on $20k for that first year.

If I could find a gig making $50k-$60k in the area in which I wanted to live who cares if it's working for a regional...it's not all it's cracked up to be.
 
wheelsup said:
The idea is you're making TWICE what the regional guy would start out at with darn good job security to go along with it. Pay off those student loans, save for retirement, buy a good car with cash and save up $$ and set yourself up in good financial footing to take on that regional job, if you want it.

I worked with a CFI who used his relatively high paying CFI gig to catapult him into buying property, fixing it up, and renting it out. He's made a killing, especially as more and more people can't afford to buy or are unwilling to and want to wait out the market. There are multiple ways to skin the cat, a job is just one means to an end.

I think too many people jump into the regional rat race without giving it a second thought on HOW they will live on $20k for that first year.

If I could find a gig making $50k-$60k in the area in which I wanted to live who cares if it's working for a regional...it's not all it's cracked up to be.
Click to expand...

While I see your point, if one's goal is to get to a major airilne as soon as possible, it would be counter productive to spend two more time as a flight instructor. You're still going to face the drop in pay when you go to the regional. But I think it would be geat if you wanted to go the 135 cargo route to a major. That's all I'm saying
 
Holy CRAP! I'm thinking there HAS to be a catch. 45k for NO experience???

I'd suffer the west coast for entry level wages like that!!! Can anyone else confirm this? Do you think it (the offer) would last until Sep/Oct?
 
taseal said:
good luck making over 40 grand to start off with
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It's possible in an entry-level pilot's hiring market to start off 135 at 40k, but obviously not a regional.

In regards to the required 2-year commitment, yeah you'd lose some regional seniority. However, you could certainly learn A LOT of extremely valuable information during those two years while gaining experience. If you have the attitude that it's not a stepping stone, but a building block you might be very happy there in Bakersfield. Thinking back to early stagnant 2002 people would have been thrilled to be with the regionals after two years of C'effin I'ing. With that kind of PAY and QOL commencing right after college, this sounds like a pretty nice gig to me.
 
ljg said:
It's possible in an entry-level pilot's hiring market to start off 135 at 40k, but obviously not a regional.

In regards to the required 2-year commitment, yeah you'd lose some regional seniority. However, you could certainly learn A LOT of extremely valuable information during those two years while gaining experience. If you have the attitude that it's not a stepping stone, but a building block you might be very happy there in Bakersfield. Thinking back to early stagnant 2002 people would have been thrilled to be with the regionals after two years of C'effin I'ing. With that kind of PAY and QOL commencing right after college, this sounds like a pretty nice gig to me.
Click to expand...

hmm, any 135s out there that'll hire me with 250-300 TT, no ME time and give me 45 grand?

sign me up! (i'm serious lol)
 
wheelsup said:
I think too many people jump into the regional rat race without giving it a second thought on HOW they will live on $20k for that first year.
Click to expand...

That's what it came down to for me. I simply could not afford the first year at a regional because of flight training loans, and this place allows me to pay on those before the interest eats me alive, and I can get some valuable experience and make good connections in the mean-time.

88MPH said:
Holy CRAP! I'm thinking there HAS to be a catch. 45k for NO experience???

I'd suffer the west coast for entry level wages like that!!! Can anyone else confirm this? Do you think it (the offer) would last until Sep/Oct?
Click to expand...

Yup. That's the market right now. The company's main goal is not to make money off of flight training, but to train pilots for their airline. The airline is buying airplanes, and therefore needs pilots to fill the seats, so they need instructors to train their pilots.

I'll check to see if the pay changes for a one year term.

-Matt
 
Forgot to mention:

Assuming you get hired, the company will also reimburse you for interview travel expenses. (Plane ticket, car rental, airport McDonald's, etc.)
 
I've heard before that getting multi can be a real pain at IFTA. Personally, I'd like to get to ATP minimums before jumping up to the regionals or 135 freight, but I still need to get at least 40, preferably almost 200 hours of ME before that step.

Of those 30-50 hours a month, how much Baron time can you expect? Or is the instructor population divided between single- and multi- guys?

Also, do you get a chance to learn/teach JCAB?

And, on a side note, is there any benefit to being able to speak Japanese and/or do they hire Japanese/Aviation English tutors for the Academy (or... what on Earth will my better half who studied Japanese in college do :rolleyes: )?
 
I sent you a PM... I am going to apply in a few months. I would really like to work out there after I graduate. Sometime in the next 2 or 3 years I would like to take a break and spend a year teaching english over in Japan, so I would think working at IFTA would be great experience for both my pilot career and getting experience teaching Japanese people.
 
Looking at the pay, it sound like a good gig, especially if you have a CFII and maybe 300 TT.

You'd be able to save alot of cash in a year in order to survive on FO pay.
 
ILS37R said:
I've heard before that getting multi can be a real pain at IFTA. Personally, I'd like to get to ATP minimums before jumping up to the regionals or 135 freight, but I still need to get at least 40, preferably almost 200 hours of ME before that step.

Of those 30-50 hours a month, how much Baron time can you expect? Or is the instructor population divided between single- and multi- guys?

Also, do you get a chance to learn/teach JCAB?

And, on a side note, is there any benefit to being able to speak Japanese and/or do they hire Japanese/Aviation English tutors for the Academy (or... what on Earth will my better half who studied Japanese in college do :rolleyes: )?
Click to expand...

Yes, the instructors are divided between single and multi classes, so you fly only the Bo or only the Baron; not both at the same time. Intstructors typically go to the Baron after about a year. Some much sooner (I was hired with a guy that started in the Baron and stayed there for a year), some take longer. It just depends on where they need instructors. Baron flights are long, so once you get there the time racks up quickly.

The company knows that young guys are there for the multi time, so they do their best to work with you.

You will teach to JCAB standards, but there are not a lot of JCAB regulations to study.


They don't need English tutors, so the better half would have to find something else :)

-Matt
 
Okay, one year agreements are possible. The payscale does not change.

So, new CFII's - you can make $45,000 / year coming out of college and work in a safe, professional environment. It's a good gig.
 
MoMatt said:
Okay, one year agreements are possible. The payscale does not change.

So, new CFII's - you can make $45,000 / year coming out of college and work in a safe, professional environment. It's a good gig.
Click to expand...

Do they hire continuously? or are they just hiring now. i graduate in May and wondering whether they will be hiring then.

Also how is the living cost in Bakersfield? Typical price of apartment?
 
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