Just to put some perspective into the interest being shown about salaries down under. We have a peculiar (to Oz & NZ, IIRC) system of Award Wages, which are Federal agreements between unions and companies to establish a pay scale for all workers within a particular employment category.

The Pilot's Award is currently up before the Industrial Relations Tribunal for re negotiation, but it is currently running as more an indication of minimum salaries, since demand for experienced pilots outweighs supply. Most experienced pilots can get well above award, hence the c$A100k, if they have the qualifications needed for SAR, medevac or offshore. Federal laws have changed over the past years, allowing "enterprise bargaining", which was designed to get unions out of the picture, and allow employees to negotiate directly with employers for pay and conditions. Generally, the award is now considered only for minimum rates, and companies vie with better pay to get better qualified pilots.

Cost and standard of living here is still exceptional, and a rough measure is what costs a quid in UK, costs a dollar here.

Award details can be found at http://www.wagenet.gov.au/index.html , although the site wasn't fully working this morning when I tried.

Little later, the .pdf download still won't connect, but you can read the Helicopter Pilot's Award which is H0036, look under the alphabetical list. http://www.wagenet.gov.au/images/index.html
There is also an offshore award, haven't got time to look for it at the moment. Someone else can find it and post the link!

[This message has been edited by John Eacott (edited 20 March 2001).]

You are still right Mark 6, I'm flying Bell412 SAR/EMS in Brisbane and our starting pay is $62,000 and thats after a few pay rises recently. If you could tell me where I can earn $100,000 in Australia I would be interested John.

Kempo must be on much more than that...... ;)

About ten grand more - but he's not a line pilot. Where are the $100,000 ones?

Sydney based EMS IFR Captains start around $A80k, up to high 80's for Check & Training etc. Administration jobs usually gain allowances such as car, phone, etc., bumping the package toward $100k or so.

Vic Police line pilots are a base salary of about $A65K for a 40 hour week, with 9 weeks leave and shift allowances on top, for an IFR captain.

Offshore are unknown. If I find out, I'll post details.

Was working as S76 EMS Captain w/ CHC in Canada: gross $48000/yr

Now VFR Company Check Pilot, new company:
got a big raise to fly pistons

And I love every minute of it!!

I got that much flying S76's for Okanagan in 1980, offshore from fixed base, home every night.

Were you a P1 or co-jo?

Like I said P1.

And I would have stayed if my wife was living there, nice flying. Never realized how much better I could have done and was planning on fulfilling at least 2 years but she was tired of being a single mother :-)

Don't get very far from the home airport now but I'm home regular. Later

Thanks for all the replies. I'm not planning to jump ship in the near future but I like to keep an eye on options. For me at the moment the grass is definately greener on this side of the fence - especially if we get some of the rumoured flying pay rises!

Just a correction to John Eacott's Australia pay scales. The police in Vic are on a Max of $55,000 as line pilots with unlimited overtime and shift allowances. Management are on $65,000 with no O/T as they are considered as officers ans as such cannot receive O/T. The sydney based EMS pilots are on between $40,000 and $55,000 with salary sacrifice depending on which company they are with. Careflight are on 100% salary sacrifice, surf life are about 30% This SchemeI believe is changing this month.

TC,

I see you're Melbourne based, as you know I'm next door to the PAW, and am posting the figures they gave me. Maybe the Squirrel drivers start at the rate that you quote, but an IFR captain is getting the figure that I gave. The CP is, IIRC, paid at Senior Sargeant pay scale. He's on leave at the moment, but his rate should be public record, and probably over $A70k.

A pilot who flew for me part time last year, is now in Sydney for an EMS outfit, and as an IFR Captain with check & training approval, is on c$A80k as a starting pay.

I haven't heard the expression "salary sacrifice", what does it mean?

John Eacott

Salary Sacrifice is where you can effectively put some of your salary into something like a super fund or even a novated car lease I believe, but the money comes out BEFORE tax so that little Johnny doesn't get it.

Many companies have a facility for staff to salary sacrifice in order to minimise their tax burden.

In a nut shell, that's what it is all about.

LE

Salary sacrifice is particularly useful for the SAR/EMS companies which are legally non-profit organisations. A percentage of the employee's pay (usually around 30%)is placed in a special account by the employer. The employee can draw on this to pay specified expenses-usually mortgage, car running costs, and school fees. As leading edge correctly states, this portion of the salary is not taxed-it doesn't even appear on your group certificate if I remember correctly. In effect you are only getting taxed on say 70% of your true salary. It is particularly useful for non-profit organisations because these employers do not have to pay fringe benefits tax on this "extra" bit of salary. The employee does not really gain much because most of the EMS companies simply pay reduced salaries on the basis that the employee will gain from the tax break because of salary sacrifice. Hence an EMS pilot's taxable income might be say $50,000 with a further $15000 in the salary sacrifice account. This $65000 would be equivalent to the low 70's in 'normal' salary. The scheme only works if the income tax rate is high and you are paying off a house. Like I said, it really just saves the employer money in salaries-which is not a bad thing for the EMS companies which depend on public support and sponsorship.

Hi people. From what I have seen over the years at different ops around OZ, the staring pay for an IFR jock is around the 60K to 70k mark. (Usually the lower end of that range) As stated, the operators that have the 'charity' status tend to pay less but make up for it in the tax loophole, ending up about the same. Interesting to see what will happen when that loophole closes, which I believe is shortly.
However, the larger companies have, as a package, the ability to salary sacrifice certain things (as I do a vehicle), yearly increments @ $1000/year to 15 years, and several different types of insurance policies / benefits. All of which boost the package up a fair bit. I would suggest the average touring offshore captain would be on a base around 75k to 80k and about 12k of DTA’s (Daily Travel Allowance.. not taxed). SAR jocks about the same base (offshore pay scale) and 5k DTA’s due to occasional trips here and there. There are always exceptions to the rule of course, corporate flying in a nice machine would be something you would negotiate and may be well above figures mentioned here, but that’s a 24/7 job with a phone permanently attached…... they deserve it.

Buju, Almost AUD$12000/month?! Typo or is that right? If so, doing what and what would I have to do to join??

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clear in live

Pay Increments
 

I have been asked to put a case together for a pay rise which some of us feel is now due over and above our 3%. I am trying to get a list together of the sort of increments that Scotia, Bristows etc add to their basic rate of pay for extra qualifications such as Flying Instructor, Mil A2 QHI, NVG, IR, etc.

While we are at it can I ask the starting rates for SFO on the North Sea and what the annual increments are (and where do they finish)

Thanks

LA,
With the Election just round the corner , you should try to strike your deal now , for after, me thinks El Presidente Toni(sorry Tony) will nail everyone down to less than inflation, best of luck!

I'm glad to see that there are efforts being made to improve the lot of the police / Hems pilots. For too long we've been fobbed off with salaries below the going rate which have resulted in experienced guys doing a demanding job being paid less than PPL instructors let alone our North Sea colleagues. Perhaps its time for the peasants to revolt !!!!!!!

Letsby
email me with your contact details if you wish and I may be able to help though the info is about a year out of date.

Which part of the industry are you from LA?

If it's the police, try humberside, they've just advertised for line pilots and the starting salary is a healthy jump over your average police unit.


I suspect if you're tied into the civil service side of the police force, you'll be tied into Unisons pay rises.

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Thermal runaway.