How is the pay of a pilot calculated? Just a fix monthly amount, or does it depend on flight time?

Question

When someone i.e. has to fly one hour in the holding, does he get more then, because his flight time was augmented for one hour?

Answer 1

Pilots are hired at a certain base salary and guaranteed hours to reach that goal. They are paid hourly and therefore do get paid overtime if they work additional hours.

Answer 2

It actually depends on the airline that the pilot is flying for. At most of the major airlines, pilots are paid based on flying hours and they are guaranteed a minimum number of hours per month. Hourly pay can vary depending on the terms of the employment agreement which sometimes give a different value to different types of hours. i.e. more pay per hour if the flight is at night - that's airlien specific though.

Other airlines simply pay a set monthly salary where it doesn't matter how much the pilot flies, they will get the same amount of pay. This is mostly seen at the lower levels of the industry, but there are some major airlines that do this. Also many airlines have 'probation' for the first few years where pilots receive a set monthly salary for the first few years they are with the company, and then after a couple of years, move onto 'formula' or hourly pay.

Some airlines also use a combination method whereby the pilot receives a set base salary regardless of how much she flies, but then receives additional pay for each hour or mile flown. Again, this is seen more at the lower levels of the industry.

Cheers,

James Ball

Author of "So, You Want to be a Pilot, Eh? - A Guidebook for Canadian Pilot Training"

http://www.piloteh.com

http://www.piloteh.blogspot.com

Answer 3

--Depends on the company.

Answer 4

I am a pilot in China its a fiexd salary. Havent been to work for 3 weeks.

It depends on the country and company.

Answer 5

Pilots only get paid for their time flying, but if your flight is supposed to depart at 12:00 and departs at 01:00 instead you get paid for that as well because your "working". and there.

I guess yo could say that a pilot only get's paid whilst he's inside the cockpit