American Airlines Pilot Salary: Earning Over 6-Figures

Key Takeaways

• The American Airlines pilot salary for a captain is considerably higher than that of the first officer, by a ratio of almost three times as much
• Long-haul pilots make more than short-haul pilots, but not as much as you might think
• First officers’ salaries roughly triple over the first 12 years of flying, while captains’ salaries increase more modestly

How Much Do American Airlines Long-Haul Pilots Get Paid?

Long-haul pilots make more money than short-haul pilots, because the expertise and experience level needed are considerably higher than for short domestic hops. Once you get bumped up to a long-haul position, you can expect the salary for pilots to increase as well.

While there are a range of different models used for long-haul flying, one of the most common is the Boeing 747, which is one of the highest-paid models to fly. Because the American Airlines pay scale will be adjusted in 2027 based on a new contract, the amounts paid for this plane are changing over the next few years.

As of 2023, pilots in their first year make roughly $402 an hour and first officers make about $108 per hour. By 2027, captains of such jumbo jets will make upwards of $470 an hour in their first year flying these two models for American Airlines, while first officers make more than $126 an hour in their first year.

How Much Do American Airlines Short-Haul Pilots Get Paid?

The gap in American Airlines pilot salaries between short-haul and long-haul pilots isn’t as big as you might think.

The hourly rate for a first-year captain flying a 787 (a common domestic plane in the American Airlines fleet) is $383 as of 2023, which is only $19 lower than for one of the above plane models commonly used for long-haul flights. In 2027, the first-year captain’s hourly pay rate will rise to about $448 for first-year pilots captaining a flight.

For first officers, the story is much the same. A first officer on a 787 will make about $108 hourly as of 2023, rising to almost $127 in 2027.

Keep in mind that pilots fly an average of about 1,000 hours per year. While international flights are longer and pilots therefore rack up more hours per flight, domestic flights are shorter, so pilots can fit more of them into the schedule. As such, the hours even out over the course of the year for domestic and international pilots.



True, if you multiply these numbers by 1,000, you can see that pilots will make tens of thousands of dollars a year more flying the 747 compared to the 787. However, the biggest difference maker in salary for captains and first officers is not the types of flights you’re making, but rather how long you’ve been in the biz.

American Airlines Pilot Salary by Seniority

An American Airlines pilot salary goes up every year. As of 2023, a captain’s hourly rate on the 747 will go from about $402 an hour to $438 per hour in Year 12, while in 2027 the numbers range from roughly $471 to $513 per hour in Year 12.



The numbers for first officers show more impressive growth. In 2023, you’ll see a jump from $108 to $299 per hour, roughly, while in 2027 that goes from $127 to $334. Stick with it!

Hiring Requirements for Becoming an American Airlines Pilot

In order to make an American Airlines pilot salary, you must fulfill some basic obligations. While simple, these obligations aren’t necessarily easy to fulfill. You must start planning right away in order to start down the track to commercial pilot. They include:

• Learning to fly
• Gaining flight hours (usually by teaching others to fly to build up your hours)
• Join a regional airline once you hit 1,500 hours

From there, you can build up additional experience and eventually become a captain for a major domestic or international route.

Where Are the American Airline Bases?

American Airlines bases exist across the United States. According to the website, their main hubs are in “Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Washington, D.C.”

What Planes Are in the American Airlines Fleet?

The American Airlines fleet includes a number of planes, including:



• Airbus A319, A320, A321, A321 Transcon, and the A321neo
• Boeing 737-800, 737 MAX, Boeing 777-200, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 787-8, and Boeing 787-9
• CRJ-200, CRJ-700, CRJ-900
• ERJ-145, ERJ-170, and ERJ-175

The American Airlines pilot salary chart lists additional aircraft models compared to their website’s listing of models currently flying passengers, so where confused, reference this list for the planes that are currently in its fleet.

Bottom Line

At the end of the day, an American Airlines pilot salary is an excellent way to make a living. If you’re looking for international adventure, great money and benefits, and an exciting career, then you might want to look into a career airline pilot program.

Here at JA Flight, we are committed to helping all students build the necessary time requirements through flight instruction, internships, and affiliations. For those interested in becoming a professional pilot, we welcome you to join us at our premier career pilot center in the Chicago area. If you’re ready to start your career, we’re ready to help you today!