How much does a flying instructor make on average?

Question

As somebody who wants to become a professional pilot and take a job as a full time flying instructor, I'm wondering how much a flying instructor makes? The training after all is very expensive and I'd need any position to pay enough to make sure I have a return on my investment!

Thanks for the info so far... I have to admit that the whole reason for wanting a job as an instructor is that I love the smaller, slower aircraft and actually seeing the scenery! I want ot be able to share that with others by instructing them. Flying a giant taxi service from A-B as an airline pilot is not my ultimate goal.

I guess I need to think about this very hard!

Answer 1

I was an Instructor at a small Part 141 school in Florida for nearly 6 years, from Jan 1999 to Aug 2005the last 2 as Assistant Chief Instructor. There was no basic salary, flight pay was $18/hr, ground school $15/hr. I also did some flying for the Forestry Service and US Fish & Widlife - with all that taken into consideration, if I made $200/week it was a good week! (Additional paperwork/student costs introduced since 9/11 hurt a lot and drastically reduced our student numbers from Europe). If the weather was bad, or students weren't available it wasn't unknown to make either nothing or maybe $50 a week - and that was being available 7 days a week and evenings for night flights - ie I couldn't take another job to help out! It's NOT a job to take on for a living, most Instructors are either building time for a better paying job, or retired military/airline pilots who just want to keep flying but live on their pension.
Some of the big flight acadamies offer good packages, although you will probably need a degree (God knows why, but that's what they want!) but they can sometimes be "Pilot Factories" and although you'll earn much more, you may not get the satisfaction of one-on-one training with a student who becomes a personnal friend.
Having said that, you'll learn more from Instructing than you will from all your other training combined, and the satisfaction of helping someone acheive a lifelong dream definately make it a very rewarding job!

Answer 2

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
How much does a flying instructor make on average?
As somebody who wants to become a professional pilot and take a job as a full time flying instructor, I'm wondering how much a flying instructor makes? The training after all is very expensive and I'd need any position to pay enough to make sure I have a return on my investment!

Answer 3

Flight Instructor Salary

Answer 4

When I was a flight instructor, I was paid $1,000 salary per month. That was between the years of 1989 and 1992. I worked 6 days per week AND taught ground school. Most work days were 7 am til 10 pm (or later if you were doing night cross country flight training) As a first officer flying for United Express into Chicago O'hare airport, Detroit, Denver, etc with passengers onboard I was making $22.00 per hour. THAT IS PER FLIGHT HOUR...and you'd get about 75 hours per month. Some days were 16 hour days...and 7-8 hours of it being in flight. You are not paid ground time, waiting, etc. You have to be in aviation for the love of it; not the money. That is why I quit flying cold turkey in 1998.

Answer 5

Many CFIs (Certified Flying Instructors) instruct to build time toward an airline career, since they get paid for flying. Every hour they spend flying with a student counts toward their overall hours.

At the flight school I use, the CFIs get about 1/2 the hourly rate (which varies from $35-50 depending on aircraft type). Since there is a lot of "fluff" time (fueling planes, waiting for students, etc.), even on the best days, getting 8 paid hours requires 10-12 hours of work. Weather and other factors can leave you grounded for days.

It's one thing to supplement another income with flight instruction, but I don't know how you can really make a living wage at it without busting your butt 7 days a week. Use it as a stepping stone to the airline career you're shooting for.

Answer 6

As a pilot, take my word. Don't become an instructor for the money, do it for the love of flying and teaching others. Most good grass cutters make more than the average flight instructor.

I spent $2000 getting my private license, my instructor made $200

Answer 7

I am currently a flight instructor at Emby-Riddle in Daytona Beach. I make $14.72/hr and my checks are usually for 60-80 hrs for 2 weeks. This is the best flight instructor job in the country but it is very hard to get hired here unless you go to Riddle.I will be up for a raise in July to$18.38/hr. If I was not getting married I would hove joined the military and let them pay for my training. Hope this helps.

Answer 8

Speaking for myself, I made $19 and hour while the school billed the student $40 an hour for my time. $19 doesn't sound very bad, until you realize that this is not a standard 40 hour week. I was lucky to pull in 10 hours a week. IF you are very dedicated, you MIGHT be able to make a living, but it's not likely. Small wonder and very unfortunate that most CFI's view instructing as a stepping stone.

Answer 9

About $30 to $40 per hour. My instructor charged 40, but didn't charge for ground instruction, only flight time. Some charge $30, but charge all the time they are talking to you.

Answer 10

flight schools aften charge the $30-$40 per hour but that doesn't mean that the flight instructor gets that much. go to the local flight school and ask an instructor. Its embarassingly little for such an important job.