This Boeing 737 captain shows his final pay stub for the year. He earned $527,669.88.
51, Boeing 737 captain, last paycheck of the year
byu/Historical_Base_6194 inSalary
The pandemic-era pilot shortage was great for pilot wages. Airlines used government subsidies to pay pilots to retire early and weren’t bringing in new ones. Those receiving payroll support program funds to stay connected to the airline were paid at some carriers (like American) to stay home rather than remain current. That’s all working itself out, but new contracts locked in higher rates of pay.
This pilot admits that to earn over $527,000 flying a Boeing 737 he had to “fly more than average.” However it’s not that uncommon. Sun Country Airlines reported that one of their pilots earned $750,000.
Under the FAA’s current flight and duty limitations (14 CFR Part 117) a pilot is limited to:
- 100 Hours in 672 Consecutive Hours (28 Days)
- 1,000 Hours in Any 365 Consecutive Calendar Days
Other limits also apply, depending on whether the crew is augmented and on the start time of the duty period. However, for a standard unaugmented (two-pilot) domestic operation, pilots generally cannot exceed 8 or 9 hours of scheduled flight time per duty period, based on the starting time of the duty day.
Right now is a good time to be a pilot – but it may not last! Some airlines like JetBlue and Spirit have found themselves with too many pilots.
Longer term the bigger risk is automation. Airbus is making great progress on single pilot operations. heir Autonomous Taxi, Take-off, and Landing (ATTOL) program demonstrated full cockpit automation with an Airbus A350. Their Dragonfly project aims to extend this under emergency conditions. Vertical takeoff and landing developers plan for operations without any pilots, in some cases from the start and for others as a longer-range plan.
Pilot unions maintain there need to be at least two pilots in the cockpit. There’s still institutional ennui over the reduction in cockpit crew that brought us down from three and from four, and they can’t fully give up the idea that there should be more. At one time you might have a captain, first officer, flight engineer, navigator and radio operator on a flight, though cockpits were downsized to three by the early 1960s. Eastern Airlines flight engineers went on strike in response to new aircraft which no longer supported a need for their employment.
These unions will fight against continued loss in jobs, and very few would push the button today to go from two to one human in the cockpit. But the technology will arrive that will make travel much safer replacing a human at least as co-pilot. And at that point pilot unions will be clearly lobbying against safety. It surely won’t be long.
Your use of language is somewhat curious. Why does the pilot in your story have to ‘admit’ to earning his salary? That makes it sounds like you think he is doing something wrong or needs to be embarrassed. Good for him earning what he’s earning. You could use the word ‘confirmed’ or something else that is not judgemental.
Good. Hopefully it pops.
These airlines need to be smaller, leaner and better run. No government subsidies ever.
Karl John May,
Spot on with your observation. I’ve read this column enough to realize the ~ wording ~ would be much different if the article had focused on Flight Attendants.
Seems the author has a problem with, by far, the most important pulse(s) in the aircraft.
I am strongly opposed to reducing from 2 to 1 pilot.
Pilots have a great responsibility and pay,but consider this a pilot is only responsible for the duration of his or her flight than walks away….an aviation mechanic though who releases that same aircraft as airworthy every day has their name and whatever work he/she completes on that aircraft entered into the permanent record for that aircraft which stays with that aircraft until it’s retired….and can be held accountable at anytime for their work….another consideration is that when a mechanic airworthiness releases an aircraft that release and responsibility stays with that aircraft for multiple flights and days….he/she is responsible for many flights and many more lives than just one or two flights that a pilot may fly in a day….just something to consider next time you think of salaries and who has the greater responsibility…
30 June 1956: UA2 DC-7 LAX-MDW collided with TW2 L-1049 LAX-MKC about a mile west of Cape Solitude over the heart of the Grand Canyon
While numerous other mid-air collisions took place at the dawn of the jet age, it was this incident which catalyzed the beltway to do away with the CAA and create the FAA which took over all US airspace in 1957.
The first wave of technology improvements in airspace control took 20 years to complete, but that fundamental architecture is where we are today. In a software context we are at v1.7 but have never undergone a full complete re-architecture of the entire system.
But horrific hull-loss of all souls on board continued to occur.
Tenerife was the catalyst for a 2nd major revolution in commercial aviation: CRM
At first this acronym stood for Cockpit Resource Management and it now stands for Crew Resource Management.
It became a global standard with part-121 equivalent carriers worldwide by the early 90s and it is no coincidence that major hull-loss all-souls events have become very rare (knock on wood) since then.
CRM fills the gap between what the 1957 architecture is able to do today, and the volume and complexity of the airspace and airfields in 2024.
It may be possible to undertake a “warp” jump from 1957 to 2030 “Starlink” precise GPS+AGL vector real-time computed airspace utilization.
But until such time that that is 100% real, tested and burned-in, removing humans from the cockpit is simply not reality.
Software may be able to operate 100% of an airliner’s systems, but the airspace control system is analog 1957.
Until that changes, I will not fly without humans up front.
Admit is a curious choice of word
Several of my pilot buddies from my USAF days now fly for DL. And let me preface the following by saying I fully realize the following numbers sound ludicrous, that said I’ve had multiple DL pilot buds that have assured me they’re true. Here goes: there a few DET A350 captains that made over $1M in 2018, keep in mind this was SIX years ago.. Obviously this wasn’t the rank and file but rather guys that flew much more than the average A350 captain, i.e. they aggressively picked up open time etc.
This article is written by an ignorant person obviously. No matter what and how much the technology advances, there will always be two souls in the cockpit at all times! At least in your lifetime… Useless, ignorant article!
Pilot admits making $527K a year? Like he is doing something wrong! How much do you make? For many, the money you make from what you are doing is outrageously elevated. After all, you don’t need much skills to do what you are doing. I am sure, you cannot say the same thing about being a commercial airline pilot. Maybe being a pilot was your childhood dream that never came to fruition. Jealous, a little? And your daily union bashing is getting tiresome… Unless forming a union is banned by law (well, never say never. The upcoming administration may very well do so!), unions will exist and some will do good, some won’t….
“Safer”?
You have no idea what you’re talking about, and you clearly don’t fly.
Pilot makes $500K? No issue, sounds about right when 50 years ago neighbors who were pilots made $200K+. Stiff training requirements, lots of nights away from home in dinky hotels, just to be near airport for next day’s flight, pretty high level of responsibility for safety of passengers, including many flights myself. I want them focused on keeping my flight safe and smooth, not worried about being late on the mortgage.
My objection is CEO & MBA’d executive staff making multiple $M’s, while stiffing hardworking stewards(esses) and mechanics.
Well, FWIT.
If you had ever been in the cockpit of any jet, you would realize that both Airbus, and especially Boeing make shit aircraft that will never be safe in a real emergency.
Someone has to fly the plane and communicate while the colleague pulls breakers, troubleshoots, runs checklists, etc.
Sure, an airliner will fly fine with one pilot on a beautiful day with a ‘perfectly’ designed aircraft. But when the orange sh*t hits the fan blade is when the pilot earns his pay.
Check your penis envy at the Boarding Area.
Gary Leff is a fat bald clown
Airlines WILL eventually replace pilots in the cockpit with AI technology. This is in the works and once this starts all pilots better hope they either saved enough money up to retire or to go into another field. It’s coming people!
Unión Pilots Lobbying against safety because they want to keep two pilots in the cockpit?. You are an utterly ignorante. You have never flew a modern airliner or even have to make safety related decisions regarding an aircraft. You are not a pilot or mechanic or ATCOs. You know about the best way to buy a plane ticket or about travelling Which is not the same of being an aviation expert. Like me, a 737 Pilot and former aircraft engineer. Your words are a disgrace.
My signature has been on many logbooks over the years I was in the airline business. Ask any passenger who was on the miracle on the Hudson flight if they would rather have only 1 pilot. Or the survivors of United 232. FLY NAVY!!!
Airplanes with people or valuable cargo on board are unlikely to go to one pilot for the same reason they’re unlikely to go to one engine, generator, or hydraulic system. And the 2nd pilot is much cheaper than the 2nd engine.
I recently had a friend pass a kidney stone while flying as a First Officer. He was completely incapacitated, and the Captain had to do a medical divert to get him to a hospital. Now imagine if my buddy had been the sole pilot…
I see nothing wrong. Pay people more. Why is this so hard? Investors do not ‘work’ at all.
As with any unionized position, the job is worth what is negotiated, not a penny more, not a penny less. I congratulate the pilot. Many of us missed out on the big bucks and were forced out by the FAA (and to a large extent ALPA, APA and SWAPA) at 60.
I also agree with those who say we will not see single pilot operations in the airlines, nor do we want it.
When Iran hijacked the US Air Force’s most sophisticated drone mid-flight in 2011, they proved that an autonomous aircraft was vulnerable to hacking. If even the most sophisticated military aircraft can be taken over in flight by a hostile nation, just imagine what terrorists or an enemy government could do to civilian airliners.
LOL! That guy worked all 1,000 hours the law permits. Wonder how tired he was on some of those flights? He’s not the average airline pilots, though others do the same. My husband is exclusively an int’l pilot, and earns a good living, but the trade-off is missing family/occasions, coming home with jet lag, staying in crappy hotels sometimes, flying into areas where GPS/radar is lost due to hostilities – it also pays a price on the pilot’s family. I think that deserves a damned good income. Also, he flew for as little as 10K in his 20’s, and did not earn a 6-figure income until his 40’s (many, especially nepo-babies start at the majors much younger, so have longer major airline careers), despite having an aviation degree, and thousands of flight hours.
The general public will not accept anything less than 2 pilots in my lifetime. The 737 Max disaster ingrained that in many passengers. Boeing’s arrogance, investor-first attitude has yet to change, which will keep passengers wary off less than 2 pilots. After all, there are still 2 astronauts from a Boeing flight still stuck in the Space Station, with 2 more months to go before they return home. FAA cannot attract a sufficient number of controllers, so they are still delaying flights as a result. Too many air problems – almost hits in the air – close calls on the tarmac, and hits near the terminals. Are these a result of DEI, instead of bringing in the best, giving them the training they need, and have enough controllers to handle the flight load?
Spirit is reducing staff due to AOG from the Pratt and Whitney engine issues.
Aircraft manufacturers and air taxi operators can develop all kinds of technology to eliminate someone from the flight deck or cockpit. However, single pilot operations or no pilot operations are a very long way off. The public won’t have it. And I can tell you one thing. Knowing what can happen and go wrong. I’ll never get on an airplane without two pilots on board.
It’s just a matter of time till we ha engine pilot, and it will eventually be safer.
Some people commenting here didn’t expect a cell phone or the Internet
as a technician, we are seeing an industry shortage. the remaining technicians are overworked and definitely underpaid. If you’re going to pay pilots the technicians should also get paid much higher than they are now. After all we are the ones that are fixing the planes so they could fly. We don’t fix them, doesn’t matter how much you pay pilots the planes not going anywhere.
Computers only do what humans have programmed them to do. Ask any pilot about the aircraft they fly and they will list a ton of quirks. This creates a need for a human to watch the computer. Especially during critical phases of flight.
With that being said. There is no free market for pilots in the US. There always has been a huge disparity in pay. On top of that competition among carriers is at an all time low. I’m not sure it’s a sustainable industry as it currently stands.
@ Parnel . . . Parnel, that’s a lame comment. My cell phone or the Internet does NOT fly passengers or cargo around the world. You go ahead and jump in the passenger carrying drone and be the first to join the 2025 Darwin Awards. I’m ok with drone delivery Amazon or UPS losing my package, not a big deal, but not my family
Now do one about the pay of the C suite and board of underperforming major airlines.
“There will always be two pilots…”
No, and there won’t always be fighter pilots. AI will take over, just like automation has replaced a myriad of jobs since humans started using tools. Airliners will have automated cockpits with a “pilot” caretaker, and ground control will be able to take control for remote operation in an emergency. Could they take the caretaker out completely? Probably, but I suspect insurers will insist on the human element.
Sure, it may not be imminent, but it’s coming.
I’m actually shocked at all the commenters supporting the pilot pay rate.
Objectively, one does not deserve half a million dollars a year for staying in crappy hotels. I guess you’ve never been in sales.
Also I don’t want to hear another word about Luigi, or the cost of healthcare. Is this airline pilot more important than a doctor? We are aggressively tamping down on the cost of doctors, why not pilots
Common sense says that commercial aviation can not be reduced to a single pilot. It does not matter what technology is developed. Technology is only good when it operates correctly.
The second pilot remains critical during mechanical failure, in flight emergencies, unexpected health scares (I.e. heart attack, food poisoning) or the numerous other unplanned events that can take place in and around modern aircraft.
Let’s get real.
@James Winder – see for instance
https://viewfromthewing.com/americans-ceo-earned-31-4-million-last-year-heres-a-deep-dive-into-how-that-happened/
https://viewfromthewing.com/in-the-hot-seat-american-airlines-ceo-explains-his-32-million-pay-package-at-companywide-meeting/
https://viewfromthewing.com/american-airlines-backlash-ceo-earns-31m-while-airline-struggles-flight-attendants-live-on-food-stamps/
https://viewfromthewing.com/chelsea-clinton-champions-egregious-ceo-pay-at-one-of-the-worst-travel-companies/
Headline should read “Blogger Who Wants Cheaper Tickets Hopes For Further Cockpit Reductions.”
Enjoy it now. This is an industry of booms and busts and at least for some airlines the bust is here.
Ya let’s experiment and pay low pay and minimal experience. Hay reduce it to one pilot too… we just had two airliners crash. You think any survivors woke up the next day and said shit wish there was AI flying the airplane… about $5 an hour per seat goes to the pilots… you tip your uber driver way more.