How much money do commercial pilots make?
Of course, the big “it depends” answer applies here, too. As someone already said, “commercial” pilots include anyone who flys an airplane for money. Most people, however, mean “airline pilot” when they refer to a commercial pilot so I’ll answer accordingly… The short answer to your question is that once you’ve been at a big carrier, you can expect to make between $150K to $250K per year. Some might make a little less, some a little more. The reason for the big range is that, well, there’s a big range! Right now, FedEx and UPS pay as much or more than any of the US Airlines. Historically, Delta, American, United, Continental US Air, and Northwest were referred to as “Majors.” They paid the best and had the most opportunity for upward advancement in pay and equipment size. In the past 6 years, airlines have had some financial troubles and these “majors” don’t pay near what they used to. Most people refer to these group of airlines as “Legacy” carriers. It’s still possible to earn $200
