How much do flight instructors get paid? Is it enough to pay for college that costs 120,000 overall?

Answer 1

First, $120K is way too high. What are they training you on, jets? $80K is more reasonable and you can go as low as $45K for commercial, Multi IFR, and instructor if you are creative with your hours (like using your IFR rating as build up to your commercial license).

Second, flight instructors make poverty level wages. Most instructors I know have a second job or still live with mom, (or half a dozen other guys).

Most people get into aviation for the love, not for the money. There are some well paying pilot jobs out there, but you have to spend a long time building the hours and experience to get these jobs (about 15-25 years).

Answer 2

Nope. It's never enough. I'm going to be interviewing with a college to instruct for them, and talking with their instructors now, here is what I've gathered:
They charge students 25 bucks/hour for private instruction, and 30/hour for everything else.

Of that, the instructor sees between 12-15/hour. But this is only flight hours. There are countless unpaid hours of them at the airport, preparing for a lesson or filling out paperwork. It is not much of a money making venture, more of a way to economically build time while working at a job that has practical applications to the future.

Answer 3

Instructors get paid based on how many hours they fly or do ground instruction with thier students, so technically its a commision based pay system, if you are good at selling yourself and know extensively what you are doing, chances are you will make more money than the next guy at your flight school. I know of a horror story for that, It rained and stormed for 2 weeks straight, and this guy only flew once during that pay period, his cheque came out to be 11 dollars. if you think instructing will put away your debts, its not going to happen, most instructors have 2 jobs just to pay gas to get to the airport.

Answer 4

The local instructors here at CHK get to log all their hours they teach, and don't get any money. Does that tell you something about flight instruction?

Answer 5

NO