Aviation careers

Aviation pay follows an unusual curve: years of expensive, badly paid climbing followed by one of the best plateaus in any career. Understanding the shape of that curve matters more than the headline numbers.

What pays: seniority in the flight deck. A wide-body captain at a major US airline earns $400k–$500k under the post-2023 contracts; Delta, United, and American all reset the market upward. First officers at majors start around $110k–$130k and scale fast. Air traffic controllers are the sector’s other elite tier: $140k+ median in the US with no degree required, behind one of the hardest selection filters anywhere. Aircraft maintenance engineers with airframe and powerplant licenses sit at $75k–$110k and are in genuine shortage.

What doesn’t: the bottom of the ladder. Flight instructors building hours earn $30k–$50k, regional first officers historically started painfully low (better now, still lean), and ground crew, ramp, and cabin crew pay stays modest ($35k–$60k) despite the uniform.

Direction of travel: favorable. A structural pilot shortage across the US and Asia keeps pressure on wages, and mandatory retirement at 65 guarantees turnover at the top. The catch is the entry ticket: $80k–$120k of flight training in the US with no guarantee, plus a medical certificate your entire career depends on. Aviation pays superbly for the people who survive the climb.