Commercial Pilot Salary

Commercial pilots sure have an enviable job, as they take their planes from one place to another, reveling in the joy of flying over mountains and oceans, and getting an opportunity to see different lands all over the world. In fact, most children who happily vocalize their dream choice of profession in the future, categorically state that they either want to become a pilot.

Since the history of time, flying has held a strange sort of fascination for mankind. The chance to soar above the clouds and see everything from an eagle's point of view has fixated us for many centuries. Over a period of time we have invented various machines, and technology today permits us to turn these dreams into a reality. It is the commercial pilots who are living their dream, as millions of businessmen and families fly thousands of miles everyday. For carrying out this highly satisfying and often dangerous job, it goes without saying that the salary range is fairly substantial.

Job Description

Fundamentally, they have to fly a plane, but this is easier said than done. There are a number of complex buttons and levers inside an aircraft and to fly this monstrous machine in the air, it requires years of study and practice. The sheer amount of time it takes for a pilot to get trained, and the vast sums of money that he must dish out in order to receive the training, ensures that the salary falls in an extremely high bracket.

• Check the validity of information pertaining to route, weather conditions, passenger details, and aircraft safety.
• List out the flight plan which includes speed, altitude, and route, to ensure that the flight reaches on schedule.
• Measuring the amount of fuel required.
• Ensuring that all safety measures are in order.
• Briefing the cabin crew, and maintaining contact with them throughout the flight.
• Checking if navigation systems are working properly before take off.
• Maintaining contact with airport towers.
• Ensuring that all safety regulations are followed by the passengers.
• Analyzing data from the various instruments of the aircraft.
• Reacting promptly to any emergency situations.
• Maintaining a logbook and reporting after the flight has landed.

All these are highly complicated tasks to be carried out, and require a lot of skill from the pilot. Someone who carries out so many activities deserves to be adequately remunerated, as there are many lives depending on the competency of this one person. This explains the high levels of salaries.

Commercial Pilot Requirements

All pilots must have a license, be over 18 years of age, and have at least 250 hours of flying experience. Individuals who are enrolled in FAA flight schools may have fewer hours of flight experience. There are certain physical requirements for airline jobs as well, as a pilot must have excellent vision and hearing. There are a number of tests that a pilot must pass before he can fly, and these include written tests about the various rules, techniques, principles and fundamentals of safe flying, and also real time flight module tests to check a potential pilots temperament. These various flight schools have their own requirements for enrolling a person, and only academically sound individuals are considered. A degree in science or any scientific or aviation related field is mandatory.

Average Salary

As mentioned earlier, this profession has many special requirements and as a result the rewards reflect that. The average salary for a commercial pilot is in the range of $100,000 - $200,000 per year. This is a very high amount indeed, and the reasons for that are crystal clear. The remuneration received obviously depends on the nature of the cargo (people or goods), the type of aircraft, the reputation and size of the airline, the speed of the aircraft, and the amount of distance to fly. A more experienced pilot will obviously command a higher pay package.

All this goes to show that the dreams of many young boys and girls is a fairly achievable one, and it is something that can also give them financial security for the rest of their lives. Thus, this is a profession that must be greatly encouraged. Building a career path towards this from a fairly early stage is highly recommended. But one should not get carried away simply by the high salary range. This is a risky profession and can get quite stressful as well. So everything must be taken into consideration beforehand.