Airline Compensation Estimate

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1	Intro To This Spreadsheet
2		General Notes	Latest Update

3	Updates?	Comment On Cells to Notify Me of Updates
4	The document link is:	https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ux46WJDhqjEa1pPuBvcqO8Je9U0byJmEQ4O9RDdSFf8/
5	Overall	I have tried to estimate minimum pay over certain time periods for flight attendants and pilots. This pay assumes you keep your job and are paid the minimum amount the airline will pay you over a certain time period. For most airline pay, multiply the hourly rate by 1000 to get a rough estimate of yearly pay ($30 an hour is roughly 30,000 a year). Divide the hourly pay on this sheet in half to roughly compare the hourly pay to a 40 hour a week job, 30 an hour at an airline is similar to 15 an hour at an hourly job.
6	Flight Attendant	Most airlines pay too little to earn a living. For most airlines, the only way to afford to work for them is if your life is subsidized elsewhere, maybe you live at home, or have a partner who supports you, or have a retirement income. For the airlines that pay too little, usually folks are doing it for the travel benefits and get support elsewhere. There are a few major airlines that pay enough that you could make a living, if you need to earn money, those are the only airlines I’d consider as working at one airline generally does not help to get to another. It’s harder to get info for flight attendants, please link or share any updates you may have.
7	Pilot Regional	I tried to estimate the minimum cumulative pay over 4 years using current upgrade estimates, that is likely the minimum amount of time you’d be there if you are trying to get to one of the most desirable airlines. 1000 PIC turbine seems to be the bar for the most desirable major airlines. If you want to skip a regional, some major airlines will hire you without an ATP, others will hire you with 500 or less airline time. Common wisdom is that ANY major airline is better than ANY regional. I’d try to find somewhere with a base you think you’d be okay living in (or commuting to), and the best airline that you’d be willing to be stuck at if you never move on. Unless you have a flow to a major you are really aiming for or really want a major that wants 1000 PIC turbine, I’d try to get to a major as soon as you can. While money is flowing now, historically regional seem to be a tool for majors to earn more money, and bankruptcies seem to follow to cut rates when needed, if the regional survives at all.	Dec 2022. Tried to include latest rates, things have been changing fast. Note that some bonuses may have be be repaid if you leave early. Corrected an Envoy pay mistake. ExpressJet has been removed. Currently most regionals are shrinking. Upgrades and movement are likely to be slow. Most regionals are hiring direct entry captains. Added an averages header.
8	Pilot Major	I’ve estimated cumulative pay over 10 and 20 years. I have used the rates for the lower of the B737 or A320 where able, and as the average upgrade time is 5 years, have used that for all airlines. My assumptions going into the estimates can bias the results. For almost any major, your pay is high enough to be amazing, I’d try to find an airline you think will be around, you’d be happy at, and has a base you are willing to live in. American, Delta, and United compete one rates, and differ mainly on culture and other areas. It seems to take at least 20 years to become a wide body captain, so if you are over 45, unless you have a specific reason like wanting global standby benefits in retirement on the airline you worked for, or wanted to fly a specific plane, I would go to the first major possible as the shorter career earnings are close enough.	Dec 2022. Tried to include new rates and new likely rates. Most majors are flat or growing. I used the A320/321 and B737, whatever is lower, when able, as well as made all calculations off of that scale with a 5 year upgrade time for ease of comparison. Jul 2023: updated American, Delta, United, used American 2024 rates, all companies have pay match clauses so hourly will be roughly the same.
9	Gross and Net Income	This is a sheet I used to help decide on a major airline to go to. I used it to try predict the chances the airline would stick around. You can see the net profit over certain periods, as well as the average growth.	2018
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