How much do CFIs make?

[MrAverage]

Prices are assessed before the start of each membership year, then adjusted if there are any significant cost increases. Many years prices have stayed the same. Unfortunately though, we're expecting a 28% increase in rent imminently and the engineering labour rate is going up by 13%. I have no choice but to pass those costs on. The most frequent changes are due to fuel price fluctuations, which sometimes results in a reduction. The instructors got their last increase during the last significant revision of prices. I'm not at the airfield at the moment so cannot check exactly when that was. In the end we have to remain competitive with the plethora of other operators on our home field and, to a certain extent, those at other airfields in the wider area. We offer what I like to think is a "best practice" and honest product, but far too many new students and renters are only interested in what they think is the best price.

In the final analysis, if my income falls below a certain level (and it's already below minimum wage on a per hour basis) it's time for a drastic rethink or perhaps even time to sell up!

[rarelyathome]

“Engineering labour up 13%”. I guess this shows the problem. Other wages associated with operating aircraft are rising and are passed on. Instructor wages are held down because there are so many needing to build hours. I assume eng labour costs have gone up because the engineers have decided they won’t work for less. In the end it is up to instructors to decide their worth but it is a sad indictment that they are so far down the food chain.

[MrAverage]

Just 'cause the engineering labour rate goes up, doesn't necessarily mean the engineers get more. Could easily be to cover other increased costs.

[timprice]

Not enough

For the amount of effort you have to put into to become an FI you are paid peanuts, everybody is being ripped off when you see what other skills (I put that mildly) get paid.
It's about time our industry took care of the FI if they want any left for the future.
We are losing a lot of senior people with an awful lot of experience at the moment and with little or no incentive for others to fill their shoes.
Shame on us!

[Ronaldsway Radar]

The flying school I assist at we currently pay:

£25 per block hour
£20 per ground school hour
Nothing for long (ground) briefings.

The plan is to move this to £30 per flying hour and £10 per hour for long briefings at some stage this year.

We have increased flight training prices in 2019/20 for the first time in a couple of years. The likelihood is we will try to keep instructor wages increasing by inflation each year from now on.

We have an open and honest dialogue with our students about the difficulties of retaining instructors, and therefore the need to attract new instructors otherwise there won't be any flying school at all. Fortunately our students are mostly over 25, and have a lot of appreciation for the need to pay instructors a fair(er) wage.

Personally, I still feel that £30 per hour is far below a fair wage, but much more than this and as others have said, very few new students will sign on.