On Monday, an unidentified American Airlines pilot, posted a weekly pay slip to social media, detailing his $361-an-hour base rate. His paychecks for the week of November 16 and December 1 showed that the pilot made $35,963.66 for the 4-week period. A profit-sharing program added another $3,638.70 to the captain’s paycheck, while another $3,805.78 went to “premium incentives,” which means the pilot flew late at night. The stub also showed the pilot’s year-to-date earnings: a whopping $457,894.51. Commenters noted that the pilot makes in a day what they make in a month. Others defended the salary, pointing out the inherent risks of the job, as well as the rare skills and years of training involved. The three major airlines — Delta, American and United — all add profit-sharing incentives in their pilot contracts. To get a pilot’s license, one must spend around 10 months in flight school and take out an estimated $100,000 in student loans. After school, pilots must log 1,500 hours of flight time, generally in a smaller airspace. Pilots must have near-perfect vision without contact lenses, require few medications, and have no disabilities. They also have to undergo periodic medical and mental health checks, as well as undergoing random drug and alcohol tests. Considering those factors, it’s surprising that people are questioning why they make what they do.
