MEL Pay

PilotGuy37

New Member
Hi all. I posted this under FBO also. Could anybody tell me what the average pay rate per hour is for a MEL CFI at a local FBO compared to the "larger" schools?
Thanks.
 
There generally isn't any difference outlined between a CFI-ASE, CFI-AME or a CFI-IA. They're all CFIs and would generally make the same pay - assuming you had three people with only one of the ratings respectively. Most folks have all three anyway so ...
 
In some places, yes. In some places, no.

I've seen some places charge $10 more per hour for multi instruction and other places are the same for both.
 
In some of those places though, the CFI is paid the same, it is the FBO that gets more money.
 
Yeah I figured that.Of course....it is their plane.
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The majority of FBO's around here that I know of(NE Oklahoma/NW Arkansas) pay anywhere from $0-$10/hr more for multi instruction over single instruction. Most freelance instructors I know charge anywhere from $3-$5 an hour more. Instructors at flight schools in NW Arkansas were making 10-15 an hour, while freelance in NE Oklahoma/NW Arkansas are making anywhere from 20-35 an hour.
 
At our FBO, we charge more for multi-engine instruction, but the instructor makes the same as he/she would in any aircraft.
 
I've also seen rates change on the "level" of instruction. I.E. private -$20/hr, Instrument $25, Commercial $30 ... etc. but the instrcutor still makes the same regardless of the "level."

It really is such a varied thing. I know one airport that pays their instructors three or four different rates based on how many hours they bill in a pay period while the school across the feild pays $10/hr flat.
 
That must vary also because at my local FBO, the instructor sets his price. Of course, when you're the only game in town, you can do that I suppose.
 
Yeah, we most definitely are not the only game in town. There are somewhere in the neighborhood of 10-15 FBO's within a 50 mile radius with just about all of them offering flight instruction.
 
At my place the regular CFI rate is $44 I think the MEI and chief flight instructor get around $50-60.

The CFI's get a graduated rate. The more you work the more you make. 0-20 hours get $14. 20-30 hours get $16 (for the entire time) and >30 gets $18 I think.
 
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