CFI Pay
 

Hey y'all, Im a CFI CFII MEI, and i was wonder what other instructors are making. I was flying in so-cal and started off at 12.50/ hr then got bumped up to 15/ hr about 7 months later.

I instructed for two large 141 flight schools and made between $7.50 and $11/hour. For a little while I was instructing freelance through a flying club and was able to charge $20/hour and provide students with still cheaper rates than the big schools. That didn't last very long though.

Part 61 $40 an hour, $35 an hour ground. A different school on the same field pays $45 an hour and this rate seems to be catching on in the area. Keep in mind this is before we take a huge tax hit as a general contractors.

$20 at my 141 school

$21 (school charges $60) at a mid-sized 141 in the Boston Area, although the cost of living in this area is stupid high. In a few months I will be asking for a raise.

That is ridiculously low, especially for Socal. I got my first instructing job three years ago in Socal making $17/hr and was barely scraping by. A year later we took a company wide 15% paycut and I bailed for greener pastures in sunny Florida starting out in the low 20s per hour.

I work at a busy flying club west of the Mississippi. I charge whatever I want, but just about everyone charges $45 for Private students, $50 for anything beyond private, both ground and flight. The school keeps 25% of what we charge. Plenty of guys grossing over $5000 a month. So far, this is the best job I've ever had in my life. Bosses/owners are super cool, great environment/atmosphere, great people, planes range from good to great.

In 2009, was making $19 an hour for the first 20 hours then it went up $1 an hour every 10 hours. Was paid bi-weekly, so getting to $21 an hour wasn't hard. That included ground instruction too.

When I was in florida I was making 20 an hour and in nj started at 23 raised to 24 about year later.

I instructed at American Flyers for $ 16/hr starting pay. Got a whopping $1.50 raise after two years.

I made $20 p/hour flight, $15 p/hour ground at the 141 school I taught at in FL. And I would generally charge anywhere from $40 to $50 p/hour if it was 61 instruction in a person's private airplane or ground.

In St. Louis, MO the school I teach at starts at $16.50/hr, I came in with CFII so I started at $17.50/hr, and multi instructors make $20/hr. All of the pay is the same for ground and flight time.

In 04-05' I was getting $20/hr in metro Detroit area. I don't know how anyone can do less than $25/hr now unless you are getting paid 40hrs a week. Last time i gave dual i charged $45/hr in owner aircraft, but that was 2 yrs ago.

Made $16.xx at American Flyers. Left there to make $25 at a 61 school. One year later was making $30.

The school I went to was generous,however it's in a small boarder town in az. It's a two year college with a flight program since 1964. Good maintenance, friendly personal but close to no multi. If you have some dual given and a four year you start at no less than 40k a year. You can get more depending on experience. So if you like small town living and am in no hurry for multi it's a good place.

$25-40 an hour in S. Florida at Part 61/141 schools. You could make more if you're independent, but you'd better be good at finding students.

In Denver in 1998 I started as an independent contractor at $20/hour handshake to handshake. I was charging $45/hour when I quit 3 years later. I kept it all, but did pay a monthly $30 dues to belong to the club, Part 141 flying club. I learned that the students you want, successfull business people or their kids, are happy to pay more if they have a perceived benefit (ie you have a good reputation). I constantly was improving my CFI resume if you will. I got checked out in as many planes as i could, Learned to instruct aerobatics, etc. Don't sell yourself short in this business. You should not be charging any less for ground time, the client is paying you for your time, flying or otherwise. You should charge a short notice cancelation fee (not for wx or mx) but for a student no show.

If your employer is making most of their money off you, I recommend finding a place where they make most of their money of the plane rentals.