How much does a Flight Instructor make?

The average salary for a Flight Instructor is $109,884 per year in United States. Salaries estimates are based on 1052 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by a Flight Instructor employees in United States.

The highest salary for a Flight Instructor in United States is $149,751 per year.

The lowest salary for a Flight Instructor in United States is $82,413 per year.

If you are thinking of becoming a Flight Instructor or planning the next step in your career, find details about the role, the career path and salary trajectory of a Flight Instructor.

Flight instructors enjoy a highly meaningful career that is an alternative to a traditional desk job. Flight instructors in the military receive perks such as educational stipends for themselves and their families, superb healthcare, special shopping discounts on military bases, preferred admissions to some degree programs, housing, and vacation days. Additionally, they enjoy a lifelong community and a sense of honor for their country.

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When it comes to earnings, 63% of flight instructors are satisfied with the salary they receive, according to anonymous employee ratings on Glassdoor. In addition to salary, top performers may be rewarded with $8,248.41 in additional pay through bonuses, profit sharing, and more.

Flight instructors can earn a maximum $197,335.65 total pay annually according to the flight instructor career path. Of course, it can take years of flights to reach this income level. Most instructors start out their career earning closer to the position's minimum of $63,729.51 in total pay each year. On average, flight instructors earn $109,878.46 between salary and additional pay annually.

There are several ways to raise your salary as a flight instructor. The easiest method may be to simply find additional students to teach. To obtain more students, it may be necessary for you to learn to fly different types of planes or relocate to a region of the country where there is a larger demand for flight training. You can also improve your marketability by obtaining a college degree in aviation, obtaining a FAA Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) Certification, and becoming a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI). Your total pay should improve once this investment in education is combined with more hours spent in the cockpit.

There will come a point in your career when you want to negotiate for a higher salary as a flight instructor. To have the best chance of success, you need to understand the average pay for a flight instructor of your experience. Read job postings online to discover what others near you are offering, and use this as a bargaining chip to leverage a higher pay from your employer. If you have experience with different types of aircraft, highlight this during the meeting and use it as a selling point to ask for 15% to 20% more than you're currently making.