Pilot Salary in India: How Much Do Pilots Earn?
Introduction
Working in Aviation is undoubtedly a dream job for many. Soaring through the skies, enjoying luxurious stays at 5-star hotels, and enjoying a high social status are just a few of the many benefits of being a pilot. However, at the core of all the benefits of being a pilot is the high niche status of a pilot, which allows him to earn a good salary and other attractive benefits. So, given that this is a skill and expertise-based job, the salary and benefits vary as per the experience and seniority of the pilot, the type of aircraft flown, and the airline the pilot works for. This article shall shed some light on the same topic.
Unlike a lot of other industries, aviation is an industry that has a proper structure and a workflow in terms of a hierarchy of seniority and a set of SOPs (STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES) that naturally reward one as per his/her experience and competence. Hence, as much as the salary of cockpit crew varies from airline to airline, it can still be considered in the same bracket across various airlines in India.
Commercial Pilots Salary in India by Rank
Given this, the average figures that a commercial pilot makes in India based on their rank per month are:
| JUNIOR FIRST OFFICER (JFO) | ₹75,000 – ₹1,10,000 (STIPEND) |
| FIRST OFFICER (FO)₹4,50,000 – ₹6,50,000 | ₹2,50,000 – ₹3,00,000 |
| SENIOR FIRST OFFICER (SFO) | ₹3,00,000 – ₹3,50,000 |
| CAPTAIN | ₹4,50,000 – ₹6,50,000 |
| LINE TRAINING CAPTAIN (LTC) | ₹6,50,000 – ₹8,50,000 |
| TYPE RATING INSTRUCTOR (TRI) | ₹7,50,000 – ₹9,00,000 |
| DESIGNATED EXAMINER (DE) | ₹10,00,000 – ₹12,00,000 |
A pilot doesn’t need to be restricted to working only for an airline. They may opt to work as a private pilot for a VIP or any private institution or a small aviation company and make a fixed monthly income of around ₹1,00,000 to ₹2,00,000. The same can even be a contract-based income, which varies as per the contract, the number of flights, and the kind of routes operated.
A pilot can also choose to operate as a Cargo Pilot transporting mail and cargo for some of the leading logistics/cargo institutions and can expect a monthly income of ₹2,00,000 to ₹4,00,000.Coming back to an airline pilot’s progression, the journey from a JFO to a Captain takes somewhere around 4-5 years in India. The duration can increase or decrease depending on the pilot’s performance and airline vacancies.
Usually, the JFO stage lasts for 6-8 months upon joining the airline. The JFO trains on the simulator of the airline’s aircraft to understand the SOPs and the philosophy by which the airline operates and gets accustomed to the culture of the airline. For the duration, he/she makes a stipend as mentioned above.
Upon completion of training, the JFO is then line-released as an FO, and he/she starts operating regular flights.
Upon completing 1500 hours of flying and getting AIRLINE TRANSPORT PILOT LICENSE (ATPL), the FO is then promoted to SFO as he/she has gained enough experience. The average time taken to be promoted to SFO is 1.5-2 years after line release.
Once the SFO’s performance and expertise match the expectations of the airline, he/she is promoted to Captain, which generally happens within 4 years in India.
After that, with increasing experience and competence, a pilot can become an LTC who releases junior pilots as FOs, then a TRI, and then finally a DE who carries all the checks for pilots due for their promotion. The total duration to reach DE can be around 10 years from line-release.
The above journey and salaries are for AIRBUS and BOEING pilots. The salaries are a bit lower when it comes to smaller aircraft like the ATR-72, which is a turboprop small aircraft usually operated on regional short-duration routes.
Pilots who operate widebody planes like the Boeing B777, B787, B747 or AIRBUS A380, A350, etc., draw even larger salaries as they fly long-haul international flights, increasing their flight hours and international allowance.
