Hi all-

I've heard a few different takes on this and just wanted to get a sample size from anyone willing to respond and list what their understanding is of the typical airline pilot progression these days may be. Below is about the average I have heard from asking around in-person:

Regional FO - $60K-$80K - Stay in seat for about 2 years
Regional Captain - $80K-$120K - Stay in seat for about 4 years
Major FO - $100K-$200K - Stay in seat for about 8 years
Major Captain - $300K-$400K+ (up to about $700K after about 15 years in seat)

I'm curious to hear if people on this forum think this is wrong or right. Thanks!

Looks about right. That regional FO pay depends on bonuses.

Also top major CA pay will be highest at majors which have widebodies... assuming you get hired young enough to get to WB CA.

Thanks for the response. Almost seems too good to be true!

$700k??? Guess I missed that memo, which airline is this the norm at???

It is. These are the best of times in the airline job.

So to be realistic take the average of the numbers you heard and zero....and then subtract 20% and you will have a much more accurate expectation of what a 30 yr career will pay.

I heard this from one person - he is currently a captain at a regional. He said $500K-$700K for senior major captains (widebodies).

So regional FO $56K,
regional CA $80K,
major FO $120K,
major CA $280K for a 30 year career? What about the time in seat progression?

Yes.
.....

Regional FO: $40-60k+ (maybe more, but only as long as the bonuses last.
Regional CA: With today's fast upgrade, probably $80K to start, but that goes up to $120-150K at the better regionals, but might need 15-20 years longevity.
Big Six/Legacy FO: $150-250k ($100k first year at most places).
Big Six/Legacy Narrow Body CA: $300-400k+
Big Six/Legacy Widebody CA: $400-700k+ (there are people who have made $1 million, but that depends on special circumstances, overtime availability and shortage of typed pilots).

Second-tier/LCC majors will be less, but significantly more than regionals in almost every case.

Look at the airline pay scales under "Airline Profiles".

US major airlines mostly all work the same, pay scale is 1-12 years based on date of hire. So on your 11th anniversary you reach the max. So whatever your seat and equipment is, you get that hourly rate based on your longevity.

Contracts typically have additional raises which apply to the entire pay scale. People below 12 years get these in addition to their anniversary raise. These can be any interval, typically annually, but could be six months, two years, even three years. These are sort of inflation adjustments. Once you're a 12+ year CA on the biggest plane, the inflation raise is all you get.

Good rule of thumb for top tier majors...

Multiply hourly rate x 1000. Add 10% for bonuses. Add 15% to that for 401k (or look up the actual value for the airline in question).

If you want to work extra (pick up occasional convenient trips), add another 5-10%. If you want to aggressively chase premium pay open time, that could be an additional 30-50% (more in extreme cases), but that means giving up all QOL.

There is prob ONE person per airline that makes this and I’d bet they have ZERO life outside of work!