Details on your CFI job

BoDEAN

New Member
I am going in for an interview tomorrow, for my first CFI job.
I was wondering if people on here could pass along the average or range of what is acceptable pay, and benefits, etc. Being new at this, would like to have some background going in. From what I hear, you only get paid when you're in the plane with a student. If the airport is dead, and there are no students on a particular day, then you don't get paid (coming from a few CFI's in MI I know).
 
Ive only been on 1 interview and there pay was 14.00 p/h with benenfits from day 1. Although I dont think that is typical. As far as being not being paid if you are not with a student, this is true. You could be required to be there for 9 hours a day and not get paid a cent. Most places will pay you by the hobbs or when you give ground to a student. Hope this helps, good luck.
 
Well, here's my case:

I make $1250/mo. whether I fly or not. If my combined flight/ground time exceeds 60 hrs (soon to be 30 I hope) that month, I make $13.50/hr on top of that.

The downside? My boss is a nearly impossible man to please. I spend all day every day at work. Days like a few last week when the weather sucks, I sit there and do paperwork and keep track of the maintenance on the airplanes (which really could be a job in itself). I only get one day off per week, and if I take time off I have to work days off to make up for it (after the end of this month, I don't have another day off till the end of Sept.). Also, there's no benefits and I have to pay for my own charts and stuff (I hate FAA charts, but now that I'm poor, I've learned to read them!).

The upside? The pay really is not too bad (if I don't think about the total hours I spend there, cause then it only comes out to like $5.68 an hour), and days like today when I'm busy are great. I spent a total of about 1 hour in the office today, 1 hour at lunch, a few minutes moving airplanes around, and the rest flying- not bad for a 9-hour day.

When I first started, it royally sucked. I was hardly flying, and only then doing private work in the 152 and 172's. Now I've picked up some more students, and I'm flying the 182S and the 182RG as well and doing quite a bit of instrument work (in addition to checkouts, endorsements, BFR's, IPC's, and all that). So far this month I've flown over 20 hours, and its only the 10th, so I really can't complain. Except for not getting any multi time and the inevitably nasty winter ahead, I think I'm happier here than I would have been at FSI.

Sorry to ramble, but you wanted details...and I wanted to make the point that the FBO instructor route isn't too bad if you find the right place.

Good luck with your interview!
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Well I went in for the interview yesterday, and here are the details:
It is a 40 mile drive one way to the airport.
The FBO has 4 planes, a 172, 152, Archer, and Warrior. No multiengine planes. The FBO doesn't have any simulators, and will provide 10% discount on rental rates for me to get my CFII.

They are open 10-6, but Im not required to be there every day. Walkin's are light, so most of the work would be on me to find and bring in business. $15/hr flight hour, and once you sign someone off for a rating, you pay goes up to $20/hr.

So I am kind of undecided on the whole situation. This is my first opportunity in the "CFI" world, so i guess I need to sit on it for 24/48 hrs and decide.
 
My school is pretty unique. We charge what we want. I charge $35/hour. The instructors keep all of it, yet we're not freelancers. We're all on the insurance. We have to find our own students yet if you man the phones for two to three days you'll find some people. We own 10 or so airplanes, archer, 172's 172rg, 172 sp, 152's, No multi's however. My goal for last month was 50 hours of flying, I flew 66.7 All single time however. I plan on getting my CFII/MEI this summer and continuing to teach the privates I have now into Instrument rated pilots.
 
The average, if you want to be average, is charge $35 get $15 max. Range is from you paying the flight school to instruct to over $450 an hour. You can get paid for only flight time, only tach time, only time you are with a student, 40 hours a week salary, or only revenue hours.

An hourly rate of $20 for a new CFI is decent pay. The trick is to get a full load of students so the rate means something. Giving a private pilot ground school seems to be the best method to fill up the schedule quickly.

Fly SAFE!
Jedi Nein
 
[ QUOTE ]
Range is from you paying the flight school to instruct to over $450 an hour.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is that what space shuttle instructors are making nowadays?

I'd like to shake the hand of any CFI on the entire planet that makes $450 an hour. Did you mean $45, or is there someplace else I should be sending my resume?
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Cause heck, for $450 an hour, I'd be just as happy instructing for the rest of my days, and never setting foot in a jet.
 
Citation CFI at three places (FAT/SAN/LAS). Cessna 421 CFI at one place (used to be FAT). King Air 350 & 400 CFI at one place (LAS).

Fortunately DPEs are not more than $350 for 3 hours in some places. Throw in their paperwork and liability insurance and they probably gross less than $100 an hour.

Fly SAFE!
Jedi Nein
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Range is from you paying the flight school to instruct to over $450 an hour.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is that what space shuttle instructors are making nowadays?

I'd like to shake the hand of any CFI on the entire planet that makes $450 an hour. Did you mean $45, or is there someplace else I should be sending my resume?
wink.gif


Cause heck, for $450 an hour, I'd be just as happy instructing for the rest of my days, and never setting foot in a jet.

[/ QUOTE ]

Heck, at $450/hr I'd be happy giving instruction in C-150s for the rest of my life!!!
laugh.gif
 
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