What is the average annual salary of a Pilot and First Officer (co-pilot) at a commuter airline?
Some commuters pay better than others. In 2004 on the low end one can expect less than $17K/yr at the smaller carriers, while some of the larger pay up to $22K/yr. A new hire regional First Officer is very low paid until they gain some seniority with their company. It may take a few years to see the $30K mark. The average first year hourly pay is about $20 per flight hour at most regionals, with a “minimum guarantee” of no less than 75 flight hours of pay per month, but not more than 100 hours (the legal max). This means they will gross $1,500 a month base pay at the minimum. While on trips with overnights they will accrue “per diem” pay for the time spent away from base, which can add an extra $200-300 per month. These links below will provide you with specific regional airline pilot pay by hourly rates and years of service. To find the minimum monthly base pay, multiply the hourly pay by the airlines monthly guarantee (usually 75-80 hours per month):
