Competitive salaries – increases of 5% or more depending on aircraft type – and strong benefit packages to retain pilots in the field.
Pro Pilot Staff Report
Business aviation is a good opportunity to consolidate a pilot’s career. About 15 years ago, Part 121 increased the minimum flight time requirements to become an airline pilot, from 250 to 1500 flight hours, making corporate aviation a more attractive option for pilots.
However, the current challenge for business aircraft operators is retaining pilots once they have reached the 1500 flight hours mark. In order to overcome this situation, some companies pay large retention bonuses to keep their pilots around.
Being a corporate pilot can be a profitable career due to good salaries and benefit packages, which may include bonuses, health insurance, retirement plans, and salary increases to keep up with cost of living – not to mention the opportunity to have a great balance between work and personal life.
On the other hand, the pilot shortage is a condition that airlines have to face and resolve, too. And the retirement age for airline pilots (65 years old) doesn’t help. Many airline pilots are set to retire within the next few years, which is already increasing the demand for pilots in this field. As a consequence, and in order to keep their pilots, corporate flight departments have to keep up with competitive incentives so flight department personnel stay and develop a long-term career in Part 91.
This year, pilots are enjoying salary increases of approximate 5% – a little more in some cases, depending on type of aircraft flight operations.
Professional Pilot magazine has conducted this salary study for 52 years. For this edition, 1086 electronic survey forms, representing a 12.8% return, were received in our offices in Alexandria VA by the May 15, 2024 cutoff date. A total of 839 forms were used as being properly filled out.
This is a study rather than a survey, since we also networked with key business aviation organizations and pilot placement agencies. These organizations have provided us with more detailed information about salaries and benefits, based on what’s happening in their own flight departments.
Salaries are presented in US dollars, and categorized by aircraft type and size. Basic annual salaries were used to compile these survey results, with average, low, and high figures. Professional Pilot magazine doesn’t add bonuses, profits, overtime, vehicles, fuel, or other benefits that pilots may receive to the dollar figures presented.
Seniority, cross training, number of aircraft operated, or region where company is headquartered were not included in these calculations either. Also, these salaries shown are before taxes.
We’d like to thank all of our readers who contributed to this study.
Methodology
Professional Pilot Pilot magazine has conducted a salary study by aircraft type for 52 years, matching compensation to specific fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft models. During March 2024, 8492 electronic survey forms were sent to a random selection of qualified Pro Pilot readers worldwide.
A total of 1086 survey forms, representing a 12.8% return, came back to Pro Pilot offices in Alexandria VA by the May 15, 2024 cutoff date. After a thorough review, a total of 839 survey forms qualified as being properly filled out by eligible respondents. A total of 247 survey forms were disqualified due to inconsistencies, errors, inclusion of part-time or contract pilot positions, or lateness.
Each form was reviewed carefully to ensure reliability of data. In addition to salary averages, Pro Pilot compared remuneration details provided by various corporate flight departments and pilot placement agencies.
For monthly military basic rates of pay published by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Personnel & Readiness, go to https://militarypay.defense.gov/Pay/Basic-Pay/Active-Duty-Pay/ (Active Duty Pay, January 2024 update).