The alleged income of an American Airlines pilot has left people absolutely stunned.
The r/Salary subreddit sees a lot of people posting their earnings, whether to encourage others to get what they’re worth, ask questions about negotiating better terms, or just for bragging rights. This week, someone popped in claiming to be a Miami-based pilot for American Airlines with year-to-date take home pay totaling a whopping $457,894.51.
How much do American Airlines pilots make?
The original post was deleted after the eye-popping number went viral, and the salary is unverified, but the amount is in line with what a pilot who’s been at a major commercial airline for over 10 years could very well be be making, according to various online sources.
According to American Airlines, the average salary for their new hires is $90,000 per year, whereas captains generally make a minimum of $135,000 per year and often upwards of $235,000 per year.
Of course, there’s a lot of work required to get to that point. Pilots have to be trained, obtain specific certifications, and log upwards of 1500 in-flight hours before they can even join a regional airline owned by American Airlines. And the requirements for other major commercial airlines are similar.
An incredible salary…right?
The reactions to the alleged salary were all over the place. There admittedly were some people who seemed to think half a million dollars was too much money for someone responsible for keeping a large aircraft (and all its passengers) in the sky.
In fact, some folks even questioned whether it was enough money, although many were just in awe of the number.
Becoming a pilot—let alone a top-paid pilot—take a lot of time, money, and skill. But with a payout like this, it’s easy to understand why some folks would want to do it.
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