Airline Pilot Mentor

Pilot pay rates and longevity

Have you ever looked at the hourly pilot pay rates and wondered what it actually means? Hopefully this little look at pilot pay helps clear up some of your questions.

Longevity is applied to the graduated pay scale used to determine pilot pay. Longevity step increases occur on the anniversary of the pilot’s date of hire. For example, A pilot hired on August 1, 2008 shall be paid at step two or “second year” pay for work performed after August 1, 2009. Longevity is a function of time at the company and not in any particular aircraft or position, Captain or First Officer.

     Example Pay Scale, EMB145

Year    Captain            First Officer 

1          60                    23 

2          62                    33 

3          64                    35 

4          67                    37 

5          69                    40 

75 Hr MMG
An Airline Pilot’s monthly pay is generally the sum of three key sources: Minimum Monthly Guarantee, Per Diem, and Additional Pay.  

Minimum Monthly Guarantee (MMG) - A pilot is typically paid a minimum monthly guarantee (MMG) of paid hours of hourly pay at the applicable rate, provided that the pilot is available for assignment for the entire month

Per Diem - Per Diem is meant to cover costs incurred while on the road. These include but are not limited to: food, toiletries, replacement costs, etc. Per Diem is typically an hourly rate that is negotiated in a union's CBA (contract). Per Diem gets paid differently than straight compensation. Typically it is computed beginning at the time you are required to be at your base airport to the time you get released at your base airport to days off. Generally speaking a pilot reports to their workstation an hour prior to flight time on the first day and ends their duty 15 minutes after their last flight. All hours in between are paid at the Per Diem rate.  

Additional Pay (Add Pay) - Additional Pay is any flight time pay for work a pilot performs above the minimum guarantee to include any paid vacation time, voluntary additional flying, or mandatory reassignment or loss of days off.

Consideration should also be taken in how a pilots monthly pay is dispersed. A common method is to pay pilots bimonthly with the following breakdown for each paycheck  

The first paycheck contains half of the pilots MMG.

Example: first paycheck covering approximately two weeks will be payment for 37.5 flight hours. No Per Diem, No Add Pay.

Paycheck 1
862.50 (23/Hr X 37.5Hrs)
862.50 (Total Payment)
The second paycheck contains the second half of the pilots MMG, all Per Diem accrued during the previous month, any Add Pay from the previous month.

Example: second paycheck covering approximately two weeks will be payment for 37.5 flight hours, 322 hours Per Diem, 5 hours Add Pay.

Paycheck 2
862.50 (23/Hr X 37.5Hrs)
579.60 (1.60/Hr X 322Hrs)
115.00 (23/Hr X 5Hrs)
1557.10 (Total Payment)

$2419.60 (before taxes)
80 flight hours
322 hours away from base

Student Discovery Flight
Thinking about becoming a pilot? One way to find out if you would enjoy flying is to experience an introductory flight at your local airport. Before investing lots of time and money in an aviation career be sure to sign up for a discovery flight at you local flight school.  Along with the other research involved in exploring a potential career as an airline pilot this fun and informal experience may show how appealing flying is to you. Going up and experiencing a flight while at the controls of the plane and under the direct supervision of an FAA certified flight instructor is a good way to get your feet wet, or head in the clouds.

Don't worry if you get a little sick or an upset stomach because this is a rather common experience for some people in small airplanes.  As long as the nausea is not the result of a more serious inner ear problem these unpleasant sensations pass with time, usually within a few hours of flight training.  Once you decide that you like flying you can move onto the next steps to helping you decide if an airline career is right for you.

Should airline pilot hopefuls go to college?
When looking to begin your career preparation and planning it is important to consider your formal undergraduate education. Today’s jet airliner aircraft are complex, utilizing highly sophisticated navigation and control systems that require the skillful hands and consideration of a qualified pilot.

Many airline pilot hopefuls only look at the flight and medical certificate requirements as the initial outline for a successful career path. A closer look brings to light the fact that a four year college degree is highly recommended for any person considering an airline pilot career. A bachelor’s degree in any subject area is a key to remaining competitive in any airline hiring market. A degree shows a prospective employer that the applicant has undertaken a structured scholastic program and developed the ability to conduct research, the discipline to study, manage a schedule, and has developed problem solving skills, among other desired traits.

Welcome to the NEW Airline Pilot Mentor Blog

Airline Pilot Mentor will provide this Blog as a service to our viewers. You can find information about Airline Hiring, Pilot Training, Industry News, and personal stories of life Flying The Line. We publish information that may help you reach your career goals by searching the news each day to showing you what’s coming up on our radar. Subscribe to our blog and stay up to speed with what’s happening in the airline industry.

Send your instant feedback to blog@airlinepilotmentor.com