TVSA in Melbourne are currently advertising for a Deputy HOO position, paying $170k + super.

These salaries in GA instructing would've simply not be seen 5 years ago. CAR217 operators are paying $150k-200k for T&C personnel and will be interesting to see how things pan out later this year as Duck Pilot suggests when the transition is "complete".

I suggest that the Part 119 and 135 operating rules will finish up a number of smaller operators and the pilot supply problem in GA will ease for a bit.

Responding to the original post at the beginning of this topic, i correctly recall about a month ago,
there was instructor jobs advertised on the afap website for a large operator at Bankstown airport/Sydney,
offering 80k for GDE1/MEIFR instructors plus super, the university flying school, also advertised for a GDE1/MEIFR person,
salary was from 77k to 87k, plus 13 to 17% super.

Instructor wages for grade 1 are in excess of 62K, that would probably be the salary for a gde 2 instructor.

The figures aren't mickey mouse, people are actually earning above 70K for instructing.
It's a specialist job.
Have a weekly look at the afap website.

Given the cost of living in any decent city, $70k is still a 'mickey mouse' salary for any professional or trade-qualified person.
When I suggested $80k I was thinking that will be the new rate industry will have to pay for a Grade Three. Grade Ones will be in such demand they will easily be able to pull $120k, and for more advanced turbine twin training etc I reckon operators will have to go even higher.
As customers expect the latest equipment for their training, and CASA requirements become ever more stringent, instructor induction costs increase. Operators won't want a high instructor turnover. Instructing needs to become a career in its own right rather than the typical short term hour building caper it currently is for most.

That is one of the realities the Industry has to face-that being an Instructor must be recognised as critical and remunerated accordingly. As a TRI/TRE I receive a Training Allowance of $USD2800 pm net in addition to my salary as recognition that it is one of the most important and safety critical areas for the company. Not considering exchange rate a Senior Grade 1 Instructor with Testing Privileges should be earning the same ie $120k or $150k if you include exchange rates. Pay this and you will have made it a viable career option as now the remuneration would be adequate to stay teaching for people passionate about it.

Mach E, I couldn't agree more. I have a good friend who manages a bar in Sydney and gets $120K plus some extraordinary bonuses that take the package to $160K plus. He holds no qualifications whatsoever except the mandatory "responsible alcohol serving" crap and left school at 16.

I have a Grade 1 instructor rating with a heap of approvals and wouldn't move to a capital city to work for less than $200K, in the case of Sydney this amount would be required to have any standard of living.

I remember seeing a thread on here about 6 months ago with a list of wages of most RPT operators in Oz. I can't fint it in the search, does anyone have any idea of the thread title ?

Is it not called "Wages Down Under"?

The search function on the site didn't help, but Google did. Here is the Pprune link to the thread.

As a Gr 1 instructor I was on $145k, and that was 5 years ago. The senior boss who held the most approvals was on $250k.

They are sensible numbers. The numbers in post #4 - which I have no reason to doubt - are just rubbish. I was recently offered a free instructor rating course, but the salary is just not worth the effort.

Are these figures accurate? I have no reason to doubt any of you but the change has been so rapid and extreme its simply hard to comprehend. As someone who will soon be going down the instructor path in all likelihood I have always been resided to the reality of $25k a year if I was lucky!

HI there guys.
I've been searching the web for an answer to my questions with little success so far. Got in touch with flight schools but, again, no luck. Probably my emails tend to get missed in the process or be considered as spam.:ugh:
Anyway, lets get to the point. I'm currently working/studying towards my ATPL (A) in Portugal (under EASA requirements) and thinking about going down under to get my FIR. It might doesn't make any sense but as a former OZ resident, I'd really love to try my luck in that beautiful country.
I've seen the requirements and none of the schools asks for a CASA license to start the FIR. The rest I should be able to comply with by the time I finish the course here.
So, I'm just wondering what my real chances are as an "alien" trying to get a job in such an "exquisite" market. As per this thread, the pay might not be ideal but it is a sacrifice that I'm willing to take towards a big dream of mine. Do you guys have any advice?
Cheers

My 2c

I think you would need to convert to an Australian CPL first before you can start an instructor rating course. I don't think that would be a huge hurdle if you were serious about working here. The CPL theory exams are not at ATPL level.

You also would need to pass a CPL flight test. Depends a bit on your training and experience as to how close you are to doing that. (The flight test is basically done as a pretend 'charter flight' where the instructor will give you a task to fly to several destinations then introduce some difficulties and changes during the flight, test your flying skills are within tolerances, check your ability to handle problems and make sensible judgement calls and test your ability to operate in various airspaces, all to a sound level).

You probably could organise to do the flight test (and preparatory work you may need leading up to that) with the flight school where you would be doing the instructor rating prior to starting the instructor course.

I also assume you have (or are confident you can obtain) Australian residency? You obviously will need the appropriate rights to work in Australia.

My opinion is if you are enthusiastic about instructing, show good aptitude and potential and relate well to people, I think you certainly will get work here. In demand Instructors have sound skills, relate well to people, have a competent and calm manner in the cockpit and have a passion for teaching. If you show that, you will do well. It is not the most well paid (or glamorous) end of flying but if you enjoy it, it can be very personally rewarding.

Well, that might be the biggest obstacle to overcome. I spent 2 years in Australia back in 2015 with a student visa. It has its limitations in regards to the weekly working hours permitted. I was thinking about getting some sort of sponsorship but I'm aware that flight schools can encounter difficulties justifying the reason why they are employing a foreigner when there are a lot of Australian pilots who could easily do the job. This is something to be asked to the flight schools when the time comes.
Anyway, thank you for your feedback. It was very helpful. I'll definitely try my luck in Australia either as a FI or via other way. :)

Realistic flight instructor wages, as advertised on the afap site this month.

A major Perth flying school advertised today, but this time, added real figures,
salary of 50 to 60K for gde 2 to 1 instructors.

A few weeks ago a major Melbourne flying school advertised for gde 2 to 1 instructors,
salary 60 to 70K, plus super.

I'd say, a salary of 60 to 70K, is a realistic flight instructor wage, for a gde 2 or 1 instructor these days.

I know of some Grade 1 ME IFR instructors on $80k+ a year. However, I would suggest that the majority of Grade 1 instructors at the bigger school would be anywhere from 60k to 75k depending.

I think the last 12-24 months has seen a big change in what flying schools are having to offer in order to gain the instructing force they require.

Calculation of Base Salary
 

I've had a look the Air Pilot Award 2010.

As a grade II instructor with IRTA I am getting paid under the "Co-pilot - Class 2" but I exercise the privileges a Command Instrument Rating. Total 51K

1. B.1.8 A pilot who is required to carry out flight instruction using the privileges of an instrument rating will be paid the appropriate additional allowance as follows

Instrument flying rating Percentage of standard rate%
Command or Class 1 732
Co-pilot or Class 2 476
Night VFR or Class 4 183

Anyone able to shed some light if this is correct or what the hell a Co-Pilot/Class 2 instrument rating even is? The award has no definitions for this which leaves you at the mercy of employer interpretation.