CFI's making $80,000!?!

JayB

New Member
CFI\'s making $80,000!?!

I'm a CFI/CFII/MEI and found this interesting. I took one of those personality tests to find my "perfect career" and under "Flight Instructor" it listed the salary between $67,000 and $80,000 per year.

Now, maybe I'm the only one, but I'm not making anywhere near that amount, nor do I know of anyone who is. Are any of you making that as instructors? If you are, I wanna know where you work.

On a side note, they were reporting airline pilot salaries to be between $57,000 and $76,000 per year. Since when do you earn more as a flight instructor than you do working for the majors?

Just curious.

-Jay
 
Re: CFI\'s making $80,000!?!

well, they probably base that on the fact that we charge $40/hour. But don't figure in that most schools will only give you $10 out of the $40. They also probably assume you work a full 8 hours per day.

At 40/hour and 8 hours per day that equals 320 per day. At a week thats 1600. Per month, 6400, and per year, $76,800. I am able to charge and keep what I make and I still don't come any where close to that number. I'm probably around half that.
 
Re: CFI\'s making $80,000!?!

$40/Hour for flight instruction is relatively steep too. And the instructors only getting $10 of it? That is sadly ridiculous!
 
Re: CFI\'s making $80,000!?!

$40 is going rate in this area. The place I used to work charged up to $50/hr. for certain types of instruction (HP/complex/instrument). Of course, we only saw about $15 of that....lovely, isn't it?
mad.gif
 
Re: CFI\'s making $80,000!?!

I remember paying $36 an hour for a 150, and $15 an hour for primary instruction....my, oh my, how things change!
 
Re: CFI\'s making $80,000!?!

We charge $31 (PPL) to $33 (everything else), and get $16 as a CFI. I'll get bumped to $18 once I finish my CFII. Guess that's pretty good in comparison...unfortunately, it still doesn't come out to $80K
wink.gif
 
Re: CFI\'s making $80,000!?!

Yeah and working for minimum wage is so much better.

I wouldn't be one to complain...I'd be making more than a lot of other people AND gaining hours at the same time.
 
Re: CFI\'s making $80,000!?!

my cfi is a freelance payed $15an hour and 60 for a 172, and that stays the same through all my ratings.
 
Re: CFI\'s making $80,000!?!

[ QUOTE ]
Yeah and working for minimum wage is so much better.

I wouldn't be one to complain...I'd be making more than a lot of other people AND gaining hours at the same time.

[/ QUOTE ]

True, but considering the hours that they work compared to the hours they get paid for, some CFI's end up making around minimum wage.
 
Re: CFI\'s making $80,000!?!

[ QUOTE ]
Yeah and working for minimum wage is so much better.

I wouldn't be one to complain...I'd be making more than a lot of other people AND gaining hours at the same time.

[/ QUOTE ]

Come back after $35,000 in flight training and tell me that...I'm quite certain you'll feel differently!
 
Re: CFI\'s making $80,000!?!

When time spent at the airport was factored in, I made around $3/hr. as a full time CFI, and that was on salary making $1000 a month after taxes! Pure B.S., after a year of that, I almost quit flying.
 
Re: CFI\'s making $80,000!?!

I've seen the same thing, they have to be betting that you work 40 hr/wk and 52 wk/yr and make 80,000. I wish that were so, student loans would come a lot easier to repay!
 
Re: CFI\'s making $80,000!?!

I charge $40-50 depending on the task. In order to get 8hrs of flying in one day (which I never want to do again, thank you) it used to take me from 7am till 11pm.

No thanks.
 
Re: CFI\'s making $80,000!?!

I read some place before that these numbers for instructors also includes ground instructors and sim instructors for majors, Simuflite, etc. This is why they are so high. They are not based on your average CFI.

On a side note, I always love hearing students refer to us "overpaid" flight instructors. Doing part-time work last year I grossed $6,000 (with 2 part-time CFI jobs). That's me working from 2PM to dark during the week, and 8AM to dark on the weekends. The only way I survive is this great military pay...won't hear that too much.
grin.gif
 
Re: CFI\'s making $80,000!?!

Even sim instructors for Simuflite, FSI, etc are not above $50k unless they are in some sort of mgt position (that I know of anyway.)

Starting pay for a CRJ sim instructor at a regional airline is in the mid 40s
 
Re: CFI\'s making $80,000!?!

Here's an ad out of Climbto350.com right now...
February 20, 2004
HOLLAND CANADA LINE (Fokker 100 Simulator Instructors)

Tel: no calls

Email: EZ-Apply or Resume Jet feature not available for this job
Web Site: none



2 month guaranteed position with permanent contract. $7500/month USD plus overtime. There's your $90,000+ job as an instructor.
 
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