Flight Instructor Pay Survey

AviatorGator

AviatorGator

Well-Known Member
For nearly two years I have managed our company's flight school on top of my charter duties. This management experience has been great and certainly has its ups and downs. That said lately I've had a bit of difficulty attracting CFI's to work for our company (we are hiring!). I've tried to offer these openings to people who frequent this forum with some success. Anyways, I've given some thought to revamping our pay scale for our CFI's.

For you instructors out there, what is the pay scale like at your flight school and how is it structured? What is the customer charged and what do you make from that? Are there any other incentives besides pay?
 
I was an instructor on and off both pt/ft for about 4.5 years... the best paying but most stressful instructor job I had I made about 1500/month base plus 7.50 per flight hour, 100 bonus per check ride pass, and other incentive pay. One of the other previous employers I worked at was not as busy with less A LOT stress and there I made 30/hr ground and flight time. I enjoyed my time working at both places, I also liked the latter because the student paid 30/hr for the me and I received all of it.

Prior to those two, at my very first job I made about 20/hr with no other incentive pay and the school charging 35/hr for my time. We were also required to sit around at the school even when weren't flying. There was a big problem with instructors sharking each others students and being generally pissed off at the school.The result was a lot of angry instructors taking it out on they're students and not behaving like professionals, tardiness, etc etc. This caused a lot students to walk out also... I believe the owner lost more money this way than she saved by paying the instructors less.

All these locations were in South FL so feel free to make a COLA as appropriate. I understand that you run a business so there is a bottom line. Truth is that if your under 35 its hard to not have SJS when flying a Cessna... even if CFI pay were averaging around 70k/yr attrition would still be high.

Good Luck!
 
There's a fair bit of info on glassdoor.com

Anybody ever bartered their CFI services? I think I'm going to ask the next young kid who comes through the door if he'd give me a one-lawn-mow credit for every hour of flight instruction I give. If I would work out the same for laundry, house cleaning, and making dinners, I'd be set.
 
I did freelance CFI for a very short time years ago(stayed current but haven't instructed at all), local schools would pay 8-20$, I charged $40...but then I got a 135 gig
 
I left active instructing (Full Time) about 4 years ago. I instructed as a CFI part 61 and started out at $18/hr - students were charged $45.
Within 3 months I was bumped to $20/hr.
Within a year I made $25/hr.
I got my CFII, students were charged $50/hr and I was making $28.50.
By year 3 I also received heath insurance and was the most senior full time pilot. I started making $30/hr.
By year 4 I was making $35/hr.

I stayed because I did a good job, had a steady, booked schedule and was being paid respectably. I didn't feel the need to get my MEI for this job because of the cost/benefit - too much money invested with a break even of approximately 9 months.

As a free lance instructor on the side I would charge $50/hr.
 
I am an Independent Instructor in Socal

$55/hr

any decent school around socal pays $25/hr and charges $50-$75
 
AviatorGator said:
For nearly two years I have managed our company's flight school on top of my charter duties. This management experience has been great and certainly has its ups and downs. That said lately I've had a bit of difficulty attracting CFI's to work for our company (we are hiring!). I've tried to offer these openings to people who frequent this forum with some success. Anyways, I've given some thought to revamping our pay scale for our CFI's.

For you instructors out there, what is the pay scale like at your flight school and how is it structured? What is the customer charged and what do you make from that? Are there any other incentives besides pay?
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PM Sent.
 
The last time I charged for dual was 50/hr for a BFR/IFR refresher in a baron. The dude did one hour with me, and went to an instructor across town who was hungry for multi time and only charged 25/hr. It only cost him four burned up cylinders on his engines, and a flat spotted tire.

On a separate note, I think we charge 75/hr for float plane instruction down here. When I was freelancing about five years ago I charged 40/hr for primary and 50/hr for instrument.
 
Our instructors make 1400/month plus 10-18 an hour depending on qualifications. Every year monthly pay goes up 100/month. Once we adopted that pay scale, we never had any lack of instructor applicants, and actually never had one quit in the past two years since we adopted it considering that they are making more than they would at a regional airlines. We also have a 135 side which helps instructors want to stick around so they can move up.
 
My flight school in SoCal charges...

$45/hr for private pilot training
$50/hr for advanced instruction/flight reviews

I get 70% of that.
 
$20 p/hour for Ground and Basic Instruction (single engine tricycle gear)... $25 p/hour for Multi and Tailwheel through the flight school. $40 for ground and flight for outside work. Basic day rate of $300 + expenses.

I will say that it seems that most flight schools haven't really increased pay over the past several years despite inflation and the cost of living increasing. $20 p/hour ain't what it used to be. I think a fair wage would be $25 p/hour across the board. If it means raising your "instruction fees" by $5 then so be it.
 
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