Which job is better being a pilot?

Question

which job pays more...private pilot or commercial pilot?

Answer 1

private

Answer 2

Avio is right. Commercial/Cargo will make tops 200k a year, however private (you mean corporate) can potentially make more depending on what the boss wants to pay you. I know of pilots flying a single engine Pilatus making over 120k a year and it makes me sick. I do not have any trust or hope for Commercial airlines pilots making more money. Commercial airlines are failing and broke businesses who want to do no more than cut wages from highly trained pilots. Owners of private/corporate aircraft usually have alot of money and can be very generous with wages if they want to be.

Answer 3

private pilot

Answer 4

A private pilot holds one of the most basic ratings and is not qualified to be paid.  You have to have commercial ratings to be paid as a pilot. You don't necessarily need to have the ATP ratings to fly charter which CAN pay more, but is less predictable and has potential to be a lot more demanding- depending on your employer.  

Commercial pilots tend to start for regional airlines and make very little flying there. Last I checked they started around 21 or 25K a year.  That's beans.  But, working for an airline like Southwest you can make over 200K a year.  American pilots used to be paid over 300K but they took some serious pay cuts when the airline industry fell sharply.  Southwest may not be the best paid- but they have the best job security. Many airlines require 1000 up to 1800 hours of flying as PIC.  Regionals and shippers like FedEx can help build up these hours to make one eligible for hire at commercial airline.

If you have a family or will have one soon I'd suggest the commercial route just because it tends to be more steady.  If you live alone, plan to for awhile, and like a little unpredictability- look into charter. Either way you have to have a commercial rating or better to do it.

Answer 5

John Travolta and Harrison Ford are private pilots. I'm betting they make more than anyone who makes their living from flying. (Travolta and Ford may actually have commercial tickets but they don't make their living from it.)

Answer 6

First off you must be a commercial pilot to collect a pay check from flying an airplane.

Now if you are a personal pilot for a guy with a Cessna 150 making $6.00 an hour you are better off flying for the airlines...now if you can some how land a dream job flying a personal 747 for some family who pays $300,000 a year you are better off doing that job.

Answer 7

commercial pilot

Answer 8

I wish people would limit their answering on here to subjects they know a glimmer of something about.  It's really disgusting when I see people sincerely wanting information, coming on here, and getting garbage from ignorant people who post their wild guesses where people are expecting answers.

Having said that:  A Private Pilot cannot be paid for piloting services.  It is a felony at the federal offense level for a private pilot to accept compensation.

There are very rich people who are private pilots.  They have/make lots and piles of money, but not for flying their airplanes.

No professional pilot makes as much as $300,000.00.  About $175K is tops, and that is really rare.  Certainly nobody in air cargo is making that kind of money.

Answer 9

obvsly a commercial pilot.. you have a job.. you have scheduled flights.. you have a fixed figure salary which goes up with experience.. but a private pilot, you never kno.. what plane you get, hor many hrs you fly,etc etc...

Answer 10

private pilots dont get paid lol

Answer 11

Most definetly a commercial one. My uncle is a commercial pilot is a UPS pilot (cargo) and gets paid well over three hundred thou a year.