Salary ranges by position Position
Low
Instructor Line Pilots Lead Pilots Chief Pilots
<40K (65%) <40K (5%) <40K (4%)
40-60K (4%) 61-75K (8%)
EDITOR’S COMMENT ON COVID-19 PANDEMIC IMPACTS
Median
76-90K (13%) 91-110K (21%) 111-130K (17%) 111-130K (20%)
Training/Check Airman 91-110K (35%) 131-150K (12%) Director of Ops
High
131-150K (4%) >200K (3%) >200K (8%) >200K (16%)
176-200K (12%) 131-150K (25%) 176-200K (17%) Salary ranges by certificate/ratings
Pilots who hold an ATP not only have a $10,000 to $15,000 per year higher median salary than those who do not, but a larger percentage of them make up the higher income brackets. Three factors may influence the higher earnings for ATP certificate holders:
1. Many employers pay an ATP bonus.
2. Higher-paying jobs generally require an ATP as a prerequisite to being hired.
3. Pilots may have more tenure as a working pilot prior to obtaining the ATP.
INSIGHT: The ATP rating could well be worth it! The illustration below shows a majority concentration of ATP holders (approx. 51%) reside in the upper-income brackets when compared to a similar concentration of CPL-Instrument certificate holders who continue to remain in the middle-income brackets.
Many operations in the industry such as utility, tours, and training have been paused as a result of travel restrictions. Additionally, these restrictions and stay- at-home orders meant that fewer people were moving about for work and recreation, which in turn reduced the call volumes of most air ambulance operators. That reduction in call volume equates to less hiring of pilots and less pressure to raise wages to be competitive.
In an April 2020 Rotorcraft Pro web and social media survey we asked pilots, “Has the COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on your helicopter operations?” The response that it had a “devastating” impact was 44%, with another 39% indicating that there was a minor- to-moderate impact on their operations.
We view this current pause in both demand and rising pay for helicopter pilots as temporary. As people return to normal daily living, the need for helicopter services will return to normal in most sectors. The big question is: when? The answer to that question hinges on many factors beyond anyone’s control. Factors include the rebound of the global economy, the result of the 2020 U.S. election, and whether or not there’s a second wave of COVID-19.
Nearly 100% of this survey data was collected in the months just prior to the pandemic and the slowdown of the global economy. Anecdotally, the underlying demand for helicopter pilots still remains, but the shortage the industry was facing just two months ago has been temporarily satisfied. This is mainly due to the pilots who left the industry for the airlines over the last two years, were recently furloughed and are currently returning to the helicopter industry en masse.
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