While being a commercial airline pilot isn’t a typical 9-5 job, it sure does bring home the big bucks.
Recent contracts have pushed the average pay for a captain flying on an airline’s largest aircraft to $348,252, according to aviation consultant Kit Darby. That’s a 31.2% average increase under the new contracts at major airlines. That’s been a big push over the last several years as airlines have upped their standard of pay across the industry to compete with other major carriers and draw in more talent.
Pilots were at a standstill for many years, awaiting a deal that had to make adjustments with pressures from the economy but also was put on pause by a global pandemic that made it difficult to get everyone at the bargaining table.
That was until pilots and their unions at American Airlines and Southwest Airlines both reached contract deals with their employers. [READ MORE]