Regional To Widebody: How US Pilot Pay Climbs From $90 To $465 An Hour

A first-year regional airline first officer in the United States can now earn around $90 to $110 for each flight hour under a contract. On the other end, a senior widebody captain at a major airline can earn more than $465 for the same hour of work. The difference is striking, but the path between those figures is not a simple series of annual raises. Pilot compensation changes sharply when a pilot upgrades to captain, moves from a regional airline to a major carrier, changes aircraft categories, and accrues seniority.