Overhaulin'

Questions about regional airlines pay?

i want to become a pilot for a regional airline after i go to flight school.the only problem is that i have calculated how much money i would get if i got the minimum of 70-75 hours.I would make around $1550-1650,and thats without taking out taxes.so i have been estimating that they take $200-300 out on taxes.then rent would cost you around $750-900 depending on where you live,then you have your car insurance,health insurance, your payment on the flight school loan,food,car payment,gas,and utilities.with what i have calculated making that much wouldn't cover all those expense. so here are my questions: 1.on average how many hours do you work a day? 2.how many days do you work in a month? 3.do they pay for your health insurance?or at least part of it? 4.what exactly does this mean? "Per Diem: Domestic: $1.50/hr International: $1.50/hr" i am a 17 years old who will be graduating this summer and hopefully going to either the Delta Connections Academy or Jet University. also could you give me some good websites to and state whether you are or were a pilot?thanks!

Public Comments

1. On average, a typical duty day is between 8 and 12 hours (up to the legal limit of 16 hours duty) with 4-7 hours of flying (up to 8 hours max flying). It's worth noting that airline pilots are paid based on flight hours (not duty hours). Most companies have 75 hour "guarantees" so if you make $22.50 per hour, you are guaranteed $1687.50 a month plus whatever you fly in above 75 hours. (That's very simplified... airline pilot pay is very complex and each company has their own rules that apply based on each pilot/union contract) The average pilot works between 4 and 6 days in a row, then has any where from 2-4 days off. Most airlines use 10-11 days off as a minimum per month, with the number increasing as you gain seniority (time with company). I've seen schedules with as many as 18 and 19 days off for very senior pilots, but this is uncommon at regional airlines. Expect between 11 and 15 days a month off. Health insurance benefits vary from company to company, but expect to pay a monthly premium for coverage. Per Diem is pay for "travel expenses" while on the road (Food, entertainment, etc). The company pays your hotel costs. Per diem at most companies starts on day 1 of your trip when you walk in the door, and ends on the last day of your trip when you leave the airport to go home. (In other words, it's paid around the clock when you are on a trip). Typically per diem is untaxed income and can equate to several hundred dollars additional income each month. For more info on airline pay, go here: http://www.airlinepilotcentral.com
2. When I was offered a job with a commuter years ago, the chief pilot asked me: "You ready for long hours, low pay and a lot of abuse?" Things haven't changed.
3. Everything Flyer said is correct. Typically, your first year you will earn about $22,000 taxable income plus about $5,000 non-taxable in per diems. If you add it all together its about 25-28k depending on where you work, how often you work, and where your seniority number falls on the list. The first year can be very difficult. My first year pay was $19.06 per hour, which increased to $19.25 after a new pay package was instituted. But second year pay for me is $34.54 so if you can survive the first year you get a huge bump on your hire date anniversary. Its almost like winning the lottery. Most first year FOs either live at home or shack up with about 3 other roommates to make life cheaper. The only real consolation I can give you is that many people will be in the same boat as you and you will have a large network of friends, classmates, and coworkers to help you out. We have all been through it and we feel your pain, so anything we can do to make your life a little easier we try to do.