Pilots are among the well paid employees in Europe and USA. According many companies, young flight officers start after the two-year flight school, which is largely self-paid, with a good salary of 55,000 euros which, including allowances for shift work and flight hours, can result in a starting salary of around 75,000 euros in addition to the agreed amount. The next salary step follows almost every year according to the so-called seniority process. After currently 25 steps, the top pilot level is reached with a salary of almost 200.000 dollars per year, including allowances that can then be more than that gross.
In the transitional pension canceled by a flight company, an ex-pilot has usually received 125,000 dollars up to the statutory pension. As a retiree, there is a company pension and a statutory pension of around 25,000 euros. The termination of this pension at the end of the year and the companies work in terms of low-cost airlines is an important subject for the pilots in the levels of strikes.
After massive job cuts last year due to the pandemic, US airlines are currently vehemently recruiting staff with higher salaries, additional payments or grants. In the meantime, the pandemic in the USA, unlike in Europe, has eased and the amount of passengers is increasing. But due to a lack of staff, a lot of flights in the USA have had to be cancelled. United for example, the fourth-largest airline in terms of passenger capacity, has totally canceled some routes in the midwest and south of the country. They don’t have enough pilots for all the planes, which describes the main issue.
Airline Training
The training to become a commercial pilot, as the work is officially called, is a huge trend with the various airlines. The advantage: Those who pass the aptitude exam here are usually given a permanent job after completing their training. Some airlines require a higher education entrance, as a prerequisite for training. A level 1 certificate is also required. However, regular workout is sufficient for this. During the test, vision (including color vision) and hearing are carried out and other bodily functions (heart, lungs, etc.) are examined. Good knowledge of English (fluent) and maths are compulsory for most. The perfect prerequisites for the job are a high level of resistance, good orientation and a high level of attention span.
Salary and Cost Of Pilot Training
As an option, pilots can also fulfill their training at a private flight school. This is possible here either in one piece, as with the training of the airlines.
Unlike in other training occupations, students do not receive a salary during their training – instead they usually have to pay for the training themselves. The costs for pilot training are quite high: students should estimate at least 60,000 dollars, as the platforms write. So many people have to take out a loan first. Some airlines, such as Lufthansa, advance the amount during the training. Career starters then gradually pay off the amount from their salary.