Pilots who work for private companies are paid based on the number of hours they fly. Private jet pilot salaries can vary considerably, depending on the type of plane and the tasks that pilots perform. A co-pilot at a private jet company earns approximately $100,000 per year, while pilots can earn between $200,000 and $900,000 per year, depending on their level of experience.
The National Association of Flight Instructors estimates that the average annual salary for a private jet pilot is approximately $5,800 per month. A private jet pilot could also earn a salary for flying for large corporations and corporations.
A private pilot salary is in direct relation to the type of aircraft they are flying. According to a career guide, the median annual pay for private jet pilots is $145,000. The top 10% of these professionals make more than $283,000 per year, while the bottom 10% earn less than $50,000 annually
Salary For Private Jet Pilot Overview
The annual salary for a private jet pilot varies depending on their experience, the size of their company and the type of aircraft they fly.
The average salary for a private pilot is $80,000 per year. This includes all pilots who work for a commercial airline, as well as those who work for charter companies or operate their own business. However, the reason why different pilots can make such different salaries is because there are many factors that influence how much money you make. The most important factor is your experience level; if you’ve only been flying for a few years, then you’re unlikely to earn more than $80k/year unless you’ve already reached your maximum earning potential at that point anyway!
Another factor that can influence how much money you earn as a pilot is where exactly in the world you live—some countries offer tax incentives that make it more profitable than others. If you’re interested in becoming a pilot but don’t know where to start then check out our guide on how to become a private jet pilot!
What is a private pilot?
A private pilot is a certified aviation specialist with a private pilot certificate that allows them to fly an aircraft legally. Private pilots receive training on small aircraft operation, navigation, aircraft maneuvers, cross-country flight planning and emergency procedures. Becoming a private pilot can also prepare you to become a commercial pilot, where you can earn money flying for individuals, events, private companies and commercial airlines.
A private pilot’s certificate differs from a commercial pilot’s certificate. While you may hear some people refer to commercially licensed pilots who fly private aircraft as ‘private pilots,’ commercial pilots have a higher license that requires additional training beyond that required for a private pilot’s license. Commercially licensed pilots who fly private aircraft may have more flexibility in their careers than airline pilots. For example, commercial airline pilots must retire by age 65, while pilots who fly planes like chartered jets can continue working past that age domestically.
What is a commercial pilot?
A commercial pilot is an aviation professional with a commercial pilot certificate. Commercial pilots can work in many settings, depending on their class rating. Class ratings dictate the aircraft pilots can operate, like single-engine or multiengine planes and if they’re qualified to land planes on land or in water. To fly for a commercial airline, pilots need an additional airline transport pilot certification.
Commercial pilots must complete extensive education and training requirements to operate their aircraft. They are often subject to regulations set by the Federal Aviation Administration. For example, depending on their employer and their scope of work, there may be limits on the number of hours pilots flying for a Part 121 carrier, or regularly scheduled air carrier, can fly annually, how long they must rest between flights and the age at which they must retire.
What is the average salary of an airline pilot?
Normally, when people ask about pilot’s salaries they’re usually wondering: How much is an airline pilot salary? When commercial pilots are featured in films, they’re shown with glamorous lifestyles and plenty of cash. This makes people curious about their real-life earnings and careers. They wonder less about military pilot earnings or how much a private pilot salary is!
Commercial pilots have the advantage of usually knowing, well in advance, where they’re flying to and when. A commercial pilot salary depends on qualifications, experience, rank, flight type, country, and the airline they work for. An aviation career specialist site gives an idea of this salary range: while long-haul Captains may get paid up to $300,000 (£200,000), Junior First Officers might only be paid $25,000 (£20,000).
Salary of pilots in the United States
In the US, many commercial pilots start their career working for small, regional airlines. FlightDeckFriend says they’ll typically earn $20,000 – $40,000 a year. However, if they continue training and climbing the career ladder, they can move to larger companies such as Delta or American Airlines. These companies pay their long-haul Captains up to $350,000 inclusive of allowances and bonuses. The NBAA mentions that on average chief pilots earn $132,895, co-pilots earn $82,502 and flight attendants earn $85,441.
Salary of pilots in Europe
Regional pilots in the UK and Europe might start on as little as £/€20,000 a year. By moving to short-haul low-cost airlines like Ryanair, EasyJet and Wizz Air, though, they can earn up to £/€80,000 a year as a First Officer, or up to £/€150,000 as a short-haul Captain. But if they want the ‘big bucks’, they’ll need to progress to long-haul flights at larger airlines such as British Airways, KLM/Air France or Lufthansa. At these companies, as a highly-experienced Captain, they’ll be paid between £/€150,000 – £/€250,000 a year.
Salary of pilots in Asia
What about Asia? FlightDeckFriend says that in recent years, pilots have been in very high demand. That meant some companies, pre-pandemic, were offering experienced long-haul Captains salaries as high as $500,000 a year. Even First Officers were paid $100,000+ a year. However, these high salaries may come down. This will depend on how the demand for travel recovers and changes as the world emerges from the pandemic.
The average salary for a commercial pilot in India is around ₹4,687,900 ($64,630), with Captains earning up to ₹6,610,000 ($ 91,130) a year.
Helicopter pilot salary
Helicopters can land in places too small and awkward for fixed-wing planes to reach, so pilots can find themselves:
- Flying tourists or even film crews to remote, hard to access areas.
- Flying holidaymakers to exotic locations.
- Landing on the roofs of hotels and company buildings, transporting business people around countries and cities.
- Providing medical transport services.
- Flying news crews or rescue workers to the site of a crime or disaster.
- Transporting workers and equipment to offshore oil rigs.
Helicopter pilots are also employed by military forces. In the UK and US, they’re to be found in the Navy and Army as well as the Air Force.
A careers site calculates that the average salary for a UK helicopter pilot is £50,000, while a US pilot earns $77, 000.
Air force pilot salary
Pilots in a military air force may undertake surveillance flights, troop and equipment transport, or military operations, often collaborating with land and naval forces.
In the UK, a Royal Air Force pilot can earn between £24,000 and £142,000 annually, with an average salary of £48,000. In the US, an air force pilot will earn $107,311 a year on average.
Military Pilot Salaries
Several branches of the military train and hire pilots destined to make supply runs, transport troops and equipment, conduct surveillance and more.
In the US Air Force, pilots earn, on average, around $107,300 per year. In the UK Royal Air Force, a pilot may earn an average annual salary of around £48,000, although this can range from between £24,000 and £142,000 depending on experience, rank, and so on
How much do private jet pilots make?
Charter pilot salaries depend on the type of work, the employer and the size of plane, as well as pilot experience and qualifications. Private jet pilots usually have a far more varied work schedule than commercial airline pilots, as private jet charters depend on the individual needs of customers. Private jets can be chartered by businesses, groups and individuals travelling for business or pleasure, or by charities transporting personnel, equipment or aid. Private jet companies often employ helicopter pilots too, as helicopters offer greater flexibility and more landing sites.
According to a pilot recruitment site, a private jet pilot salary ranges from around $47,000 a year to $273,000 a year. This top figure is based on a private plane pilot salary for a Captain with eight years’ experience, working for a higher-paying private jet charter company. However, Payscale.com calculates the average charter pilot salary in the US is $66,000 a year. In the UK, according to careers site Glassdoor, annual pay for private jet charter pilots is around £42,000.
Fancy becoming a private jet pilot?
The licensing and qualifications you need to become a private jet pilot vary from country to country. You’ll need to pass a medical before beginning training and have a good grasp of maths and physics.
Private jet pilots usually take far more responsibility for checking and preparing the aircraft, and for flight-planning and logistics. But with varied work and the opportunity to travel extensively, a career as a private jet pilot can be exciting and well-paid. If that sounds like the life for you, then possibly our aviation scholarship is interesting for you!
What are a pilot’s job duties?
Pilot duties can depend on where they work and the type of aircraft they fly, but there are shared responsibilities among most commercially licensed pilots. Common responsibilities for pilots include:
- Performing inspections: Pilots must perform a series of pre- and post-flight inspections to make sure their aircraft is mechanically sound and doesn’t require and maintenance or repairs.
- Determining routes: Pilots can make decisions in the air about which specific route they’ll take to their destination based on weather, traffic and other factors.
- Assessing risk: Pilots regularly assess the risk of certain actions while flying to ensure the safest possible flight for their passengers and crew.
- Maintaining records: Pilots must maintain detailed records about their inspections and flights.
- Communicating with stakeholders: Pilots are in regular communication with other aviation stakeholders, like other pilots and air traffic controllers, to make sure they’re flying safely.
- Ensuring safety and comfort: Pilots do their best to make every flight safe and comfortable for their passengers and crew members.
- Piloting the aircraft: Pilots are in control of the aircraft and manage the controls while flying.
How much do private pilots make?
While private pilots cannot technically earn money with a private pilot certificate alone, commercially licensed pilots who work for individuals and companies receive compensation for their work. Because commercial certificates require less training than airline transport certificates, the earning potential for corporate or charter pilots can be lower than pilots who work for commercial airlines. Most commercially licensed pilots are salaried, meaning they earn a set amount of money per year, even though their schedules can be unpredictable. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), pilots earn $86,080 per year on average.
