How much do helicopter pilots earn?
 

I'm not aiming to make a fortune, but what kind of salary do helicopter pilots earn?

I assume it very much depends on the line of work you're in - I guess someone checking power lines for an electricity board will get a very different salary to the pilot of a Sea King Rescue helicopter.

I'm just looking for ballpark figures to get an idea.

Thanks,
Phil

check this out: http://www.justhelicopters.com/

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carpe diem

Thanks, I'll have a look.


Phil

Hi again chopperpilot,
Your right, it very much depends on the job. In Australia, if you work in the Northern Territory as a stock mustering pilot you will be paid by the hour. Somewhere between $50 and $70 an hr depending on experience. If you fly else where around OZ we have an award system that most companies adhere to (mainly because its cheap!!) and this takes into acount whether you fly over water, use an instrument rating, if you are a co-pilot, or if you fly for petroleum companies, or EMS, or if you have one or two engines. This can equate to anything between around $35000 and $70000 Australian. Obviously private owners or in house companies can pay more or less. Hope this helps (if your not in Australia, the way the dollar is, you would be better off trying for a job that pays US dollars) Cheers

Chopperpilot
In the UK as an instructor you can expect to be paid £40-£55 per flying hour depending where you fly. A free-lance commercial pilot will earn from £50-£70 per flying hour depending on experience and the type of work involved, ie. pleasure flying or pipe line inspection etc.
As a North Sea co-pilot with between 500-1000 hours you will be paid between £22,000 and £27,000 or so. These figures are approximate but should give you a rough idea as to wether you want to 'give up the day job'

With some quality experience behind you try and break into the police/hems world. Quality flying..quality salaries. Suggest starting at around 30,000+plus pension

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TC

Beer tokens are few in Rotary. If you want a career and not a life fly fixed wing!

PILOT WAGES
 

Pilots have a relatively short career.Considering it takes a pilot 3 or 4 years after graduation to the time when he/she is considered experienced i.e. employable. With age working against you alot of people after age forty-five develop
health problems that could be career ending.
That could leave a very short employment window .

What do you guys feel would be a resonable wage for ATP pilots in Europe and North America ?

£30,000 basic plus £100 / flying hour? Don't forget all the trimmings too (PHI/LOL/Pension, etc), they account for a lot...

Well it's a start !!!

http://www.gograph.com/Images-7298/A...if/redstar.gif

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Thermal runaway.

What we could really use is some type of pay scale that would take into consideration the position you would be flying. There are numerous types of helicopter operations so you would have to generalize but you would have a base pay (entry level), more for IFR and in particualar SPIFR, Spray work, long line and the list goes on.
In the EMS field, it would be reasonable to have a basic start pay, with additional dollars payed for x ammount of hours expereince in that field, additional ammount for instrument time and then a cost of living allowance depending on where you live. Cost of living is perhaps the most important. I am working in Ann Arbor Michigan making about 50k US. Sounds good until you factor in the cost of living. If you compare that 50k to say Saginaw, I would only need to make 35k.
A little rambling but I think you get the point.

Justa quickie on wages need some help, can anyone supply a breakdown in wages as for a co pilot through to Captain or any info on where I can get one, from any UK company. Have been grounded to to accident and need to find out what I could have earned.

What did you take home last month?
 

How much did you take home last month as a helo pilot? I'm in the employ of HM and took home £2000 after deductions. Just interested to see how life is in the real world!

HM Forces take a dim view of what gets said in Prune from time to time and it's not a good idea to post your name as part of your email address for obvious reasons.... Can I suggest you get a nice anonymous one from hotmail!

As to your question you will never earn as much outside as you do now, especially if you are earning top rate flying pay, the situation is likely to get worse in the very near future when freebie licences are handed out to all and sundry in the military who will promptly jump ship and depress the UK rotary wages even further.

A blonde, a couple of brunettes and one lavishly gorgeous Redhead .....

Oh, you were talking about $$$ .....

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Marc

Purple Pitot - have you heard something I haven't? Where are these people who are going to be given licences to jump ship going to come from or is the jump "ship" part indicative? I had heard that the reverse was true and that salaries should improve accordingly - eventually!

Beware redheads check the underside!

Oh and I took home a broken watch that said 29th, 30th and 31st February - until 3rd March!

"keeping an ear to the ground"

"...you will never earn as much outside as you do now, especially if you are earning top rate flying pay.."
excuse me, but not true, and it still ain't enough for what I do!!

Yeah, that 'double Leman' can be a real ball breaker! (ducks for cover).

To add to the last though, doubtless the statement about never earning that much may be true with most onshore ops (save for a few coporate jobs) but is not true for the N. Sea. Junior Captains take home about £2200 after deductions including coy. pension.

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Another day in paradise

c

Salary AUD$11986.40/mth.
VFR SA315B AS355N onshore

Maintenance bills, hangar bills, office bills, lease payments vehicles & aircraft, wages bills, fuel bills, airways charges, and a little bit left over for myself.

Oh, I must get the GST payment off to little Johnnie. Nothing left for myself :)