Airline pilot pay and entitlements
 

Hi all,


As a mil guy considering a transition to the majors, I'm trying to getting a realistic idea on how to calculate my pay:


1. Are the "payscales" on airlinepilotcentral.com pretty accurate? (United Airlines | AirlinePilotCentral.com). I'm assuming the scales show "gross" pay before taxes, right?​​


2. How often do you fly more than the minimum monthly guarantee (~70 hrs)? How many hrs do you fly/month on average?


3. Do you make additional money on top of the hourly wage? I understand there is per diem, but are there any other entitlements like Housing or Cost of Living Allowances you get paid in addition to the hourly wage? Is there a bonus for holiday flying?


4. How does "profit sharing" work? Is that like an additional yearly bonus in addition to the hourly wage based on the airline's success? How much extra $$ does profit sharing usually work out to?


Thanks all!

1. I haven't checked lately, but they occasionally have old contract rates displayed. Consider the posted rates as minimum.

2. I usually MAKE more than minimum, but seldom FLY more than minimum. Duty rigs tend to enforce that. Our minimum is 62 hours, but I average 70-72 for pay, but 40-50 actual flying.

3. No cost of living allowance. No holiday bonus. Some carriers have night, international, and/or overtime bonuses.

4. PS is usually an annual bonus. payouts vary wildly, between airlines and between years. Could be a couple hundred or tens of thousands of dollars. Don't rely on it as "guaranteed" income.

Bottom line: Budget for minimum guarantee. If you make more, save and/or spend it AFTER you get it.

Got to APC profiles, multiply the hourly rate by 1,000 to get a rough idea of gross annual income. Or take the reserve guarantee (monthly number) multiply by the hourly pay for the junior equiptment times 12 for new hire pay minimum off probation,

Remember, you pay income tax on every penny except perdiem, no tax-free money and pay for health insurance, retirement, dental, etc.

For example, 2nd year UA A320 FO pay is 126.00 per hour and reserve guarantee is 73 hours/month equals 110,000-ish for your second year. Likely higher with the rapid upward movement.

Never rely on company or state pension fund...then you ll be fine.