How much do you earn??

[sheflies]

Hi everyone. I am a flying instructor in NZ, working 5 days and averaging about 12 flying hours a week plus about the same theory/briefing hours. I'm earning around $220 a week which equates to about $10k-$12k a year. I don't get a retainer or any sick/holiday pay. I believe I could earn more overseas... can anybody help me out by letting me know what they earn??? Especially any Australian instructors as I'm thinking of moving there. Thanks so much! Sarah x

[exeng]

I believe in the UK FI's are doing it for nothing now in many cases - not good news. In other words it has ceased to be a professional job and is now a means of hour building only.

Look for standards to drop from now on.


Kind regards
Exeng

[portsharbourflyer]

Not quite nothing, but close to it.

It does vary but in the UK most schools pay around £15-£20 per hour based on flight time only for PPL training. Some pay a small retainer but most don't.

[sapperkenno]

£25-£30 per flying hour, no retainer. Northern UK.
Particularly bad week maybe 0-4 hours, good can be upwards of 20.

[dobbin1]

£25 per hour (t/o to l/d + 0.2). £20 when restricted, £30 for aerobatics. No retainer.

South East UK

[taybird]

Working one day per week, I was earning around £300 per month, give or take.

[zondaracer]

At an ATO in Spain, pay was €800 per month net, full time. Went to the US and net around $2000 to $3000 depending on weather and student load.

[sheflies]

Thanks so much for all of your help! It's good to gauge the amount people are earning & figure out where to next in terms of employment. I think I'll try for Aus.. seems they get about three times the money we get here in NZ.

Thanks again!:ok:

[172_driver]

$15-23 per hour (+ 0,2 for briefing at $17, I think..?) depending on your qualifications (Basic, Instrument, ME instr etc.). All gross. No guaranteed hours. Salary dependent on student load. Weather usually no problem in SoCal. At best I could be doing $3000 per month. Less fortunate guys were making less than ends meet.

[Genghis the Engineer]

UK Midlands: £15/f.hr for a school, £150/on-site-day freelance. Couldn't live on it, but it pays enough to justify the time off the more lucrative day job, along with how much I enjoy instructing.

G

[cockney steve]

I would suggest that how much youEARN
and how much you are PAID
are two very different questions, with two very different answers.
:hmm:
(Thinking here of all the fat-cats on the various gravy-trains..Pilots earn considerably more than their pay, IMHO. The "system" relies on their love of Aviation....in effect, they payapremium to be allowed to fly.
I don't see a change anytime soon!.

[Genghis the Engineer]

I would suggest that how much youEARN
and how much you are PAID
are two very different questions, with two very different answers.
:hmm:
(Thinking here of all the fat-cats on the various gravy-trains..Pilots earn considerably more than their pay, IMHO. The "system" relies on their love of Aviation....in effect, they payapremium to be allowed to fly.
I don't see a change anytime soon!.

Lovely concept, but - of the several things that I'm qualified to do professionally, flying is in many ways the most enjoyable, and seldom the most demanding. It may, perhaps, be the skill the least number of people are able to pass the qualifications in, although probably not even that.

We all ultimately earn what we get paid, and that's whatever the market will bear. The system needs everybody from the cleaner to the MD - or it would dispense with the dead wood.

G

[RequestAsymmetrics]

I work as a Full-Time instructor in Aus, and it's more than enough for a single person without kids to live on. Fairly easy lifestyle although you are expected to earn your keep. Good hours in safe aircraft.

[Parson]

cockney steve,

You're confusing two different definitions of 'earn'. You earn a salary/wage but can also earn a reputation for something. What you earn or what you get paid are the same thing in respect of remuneration.

We might all think we deserve more than we get but, as Genghis points out, market forces and supply/demand dictate the bottom line.

[Ascend Charlie]

As a senior helicopter instructor, up to $145k per year.

Junior Kiwi helicopter instructors are around $65 - 85k, depending on quals.
Fixed wing? Dime a dozen.

[Heston]

As Dr Johnson said: "Do it for honour or profit, or not at all"

[Genghis the Engineer]

As Dr Johnson said: "Do it for honour or profit, or not at all"

A very good adage for most fields of human endeavour. I may have to print that out to go over my desk.

G

[Bob Stinger]

Work at a few different schools so between £15-£30 an hour, no retainer anywhere over 25k last year but full time.

[Genghis the Engineer]

Sarah
I am currently looking for CFI/Head of Training as my current chap is retiring
Sadly there is no retainer but £25 per flying hour and depending on the time of year and weather average 45 hrs p/mth that works out at approx £1125 p/mth
Also if you become my ground examiner you get £20 for every exam taken (as you will invigilate and mark them) and also get paid £25 per hr when students fly solo
If you are interested contact me [email protected]
We are at Cotswold Airport in the Cotswolds region near Gloucester
Ground school is not very popular here in the UK as everyone self studies to save money
But ground school tuition would pay you £20 per hr too

Not a job I'm likely to apply for anyhow - but in general terms, I'm not sure I'd take any job that is as "Chief" but doesn't pay anything for doing the "Chief" bit !

Somebody doing HoT well, is going to have to put significant effort into that - maintaining documents, mentoring newer instructors, meetings with the CAA.... I'd expect them to be paid for it. And paying a fully qualified instructor (even without the Chief) under £14k.pa: hardly surprising that very few people of quality want to stay in instructing.

G

[OhNoCB]

I'd rather not specify where, but the place where I did my PPL at had to look for a new CFI/HoT a couple of years ago and perhaps they are paying over the odds but they were offering over £35k per year with additional pay for longer days and instrument/night instruction. I should point out that this was not a commercial school but did PPL IMC and Night only. They still struggled to get someone suitable.

[Parson]

Cfsops,

Not a great advert for your school if that's how much you value your CFI/HOT.

[FiveHundred_AGL]

Sometimes I lash out and buy sauce with my chips. Last night I shouldn't have, but I threw in a dim sim too, now no more sauce for the next few days!

Instructor in AUS.
PM if you have any questions.
If you want to make real money I can also keep you updated on when McDonalds are hiring.
.......Still would have it no other way!

[Parson]

You mean you haven't worked out how to get sauce for free?! You've got a bit to learn yet......

[PPRuNeUser0173]

Now take a look at this www.traindriver.org (http://www.traindriver.org) to see what other folks can earn. They also enjoy free travel and have far greater job security!!

[wantobe]

anywhere from 200-1000$ a week. B cat IFR instructor. (not multi)

This is in NZ.

[Heston]

That's a lot of money for someone who doesn't know how to teach stalling to earn :p

[Dash-Driver]

Some overview of an ATO in Germany.

25€/flyinghour VFR PPL. same pay when "observing" soloflights. full pay during "RP"
42€/flyinghour VFR CPL, IFR SE/ME & SFI
no retainers.
The system worked like if your student was satisifed with you, you will get him for the next seesions again. Summarized a student had about 2-3 Instructors going with them until the exams.
I had about 5 flying hours per day plus 3 unpaid hours for briefings at 5 days a week.
my income was indeed quite good (VFR PPL and after 200 hours CPL) but it was hard work if one's doing it in a proper manner.
For me the personal development and skill boost was extraorbitant. Don't do it just for money. Your students will notice ;)

Good luck to you

[xrayalpha]

My instructors bill me £40 for a 30-40 min trial lesson, and £60 per hour for continuing lessons.

The aim is that we all earn more than a bus driver and less than a train driver.

We also clean toilets, cut grass and fix aircraft - for which we don't get paid!

[n.dave]

My friend who is a PPL instructor and is being paid at £20.00 per hour from off chocks to on chocks. It cost around £128.00/hr for dual flight on a pa38. I wonder how much does the owner gets out of £108 minus the fuel and maintenance cost? This is in North West region.

Just out of interest and NO disrespect to other professions. Just had a plumber fixing my central heating and charges £28.00 per hour and plus call out charge of £48.00. This is crazy! The amount of training and cost involved to be pilot instructor compared to a plumber is relatively big difference and they earn a lot more. Supply and demand i say.

The rich is getting richer, the poor is getting poorer! The only way I see for FI to sustain a decent living is to have a 2nd job or some sort of passive income. I feeling crazy myself too, because I want to be a Flight Instructor:ok:.

[Mickey Kaye]

Out of the 108 pounds I suspect the owner gets less then then instructor.

[xrayalpha]

I can tell you: he WILL get less.

ps Garages round here charge £50 per hour plus VAT = £60.

That's why this year's staff Xmas bonus might just be a car hoist for the back of the hangar!

In truth, flying has never been cheaper and because it is so cheap there is little money for investment.

[vetflyer]

Surely the answer is :

NOT enough!

;)

[NorthRider]

I get 2400€/ month period. No matter how mutch or little I fly or give theory lessons....Northern Europe.

[skippy07]

Last year 27K as CFI, night, IMC and PPL examiner in the UK. I made my money from a previous career and also currently have another income from another source. I would never consider working as an FI as my primary/ main career in a million years, just not financially viable as a full time job.
I know many schools now rely on instructors that have full time jobs elsewhere and do one or two days for a flying club just for the pleasure of it or beer money !!
A flying instructor is a highly skilled job with a lot of responsibility - the pay should reflect this, but it never will and this is a bad reflection on the industry.
Recently on a rainy day at my school 3 or 4 instructors were talking about FI salaries and what they thought they should be in todays market - the conclusion was - Rookie FI 20 - 25K, experienced FI 25 - 32k and CFI/ examiner 35-40K with the benefits of a normal job, sick pay, pension and paid hols. Dream on !!!

[n.dave]

A instructor now and earing £20/hr flying time.
£15 for no fly due to poor wx.
As a self employee, I was considering looking other schools to make ends meet but everywhere is just the same T&Cs. :eek:
Time to look for full time job and leave flying for part time, i say.