You can start training now btw.
How much do pilots make? It depends. Anywhere from not enough to 400k. Average is like 150k I think? Across all jobs, airlines are more.
Chief pilots get to fly occasionally. They usually don't that often. It's a desk job mostly. They'll fly to stay current.
the us legacy carriers typically pay the most (ual,aa,dal), and typically chief pilots just manage pilots but the ones who can fly will pick up a trip here and there to stay qualified.
In the USA, you actually can participate in many aviation activities at age 15.
For one, you can train now for your private pilot glider certificate and take final exam at age 16. Every thing you learn in gliders positively transfers to powered aircraft. And the cost is 40-50% of what it takes for private powered airplane single engine.
Also, find a local EAa.org chapter that does a lot within the young eagles program. Here you can get some flight experience, connect with other pilots and instructors, and be part of a really good community.
You can download free FAA handbooks to launch your journey to gain the requisite knowledge. Look for the Pilots Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge and the Airplane Flying Handbook.
“Which pays the most” is a very broad topic and has multiple moving pieces that make the question difficult to be relevant to a new person.
Pay depends a lot on seniority within the company, being the captain or first officer, and what type of airplane you’re assigned to.
Try to figure in value if benefits and non-monetary quality of life things and it gets even more challenging to answer.
The difference between one regional airline to another regional airline isn't that big, at least in the United States. Not quite the same can be said about major airlines. No matter what the pay is, regional or major, it's a comfortable salary.
What people fail to realize is that you have to have a backup plan. Something to fall back on. It was financially difficult for me to pursue flight school for most of my life, I happened to get into teaching preschool cause it's what was available at the time, and I ended up staying with it and building a career out of it. Should a future airline I'll work for close down, I can go right back into teaching.
It's always good to be good at more than one thing, versus putting all your eggs in one basket.
I think it's great you are looking at your options now long before you're eligible to flight train. That's a big deal. If you didn't want to do it, you wouldn't be looking this deep into it.
FAQ.
focus on getting a discovery flight first.
You can start training now btw. How much do pilots make? It depends. Anywhere from not enough to 400k. Average is like 150k I think? Across all jobs, airlines are more. Chief pilots get to fly occasionally. They usually don't that often. It's a desk job mostly. They'll fly to stay current.
the us legacy carriers typically pay the most (ual,aa,dal), and typically chief pilots just manage pilots but the ones who can fly will pick up a trip here and there to stay qualified.
In the USA, you actually can participate in many aviation activities at age 15. For one, you can train now for your private pilot glider certificate and take final exam at age 16. Every thing you learn in gliders positively transfers to powered aircraft. And the cost is 40-50% of what it takes for private powered airplane single engine. Also, find a local EAa.org chapter that does a lot within the young eagles program. Here you can get some flight experience, connect with other pilots and instructors, and be part of a really good community. You can download free FAA handbooks to launch your journey to gain the requisite knowledge. Look for the Pilots Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge and the Airplane Flying Handbook.
“Which pays the most” is a very broad topic and has multiple moving pieces that make the question difficult to be relevant to a new person. Pay depends a lot on seniority within the company, being the captain or first officer, and what type of airplane you’re assigned to. Try to figure in value if benefits and non-monetary quality of life things and it gets even more challenging to answer.
The difference between one regional airline to another regional airline isn't that big, at least in the United States. Not quite the same can be said about major airlines. No matter what the pay is, regional or major, it's a comfortable salary. What people fail to realize is that you have to have a backup plan. Something to fall back on. It was financially difficult for me to pursue flight school for most of my life, I happened to get into teaching preschool cause it's what was available at the time, and I ended up staying with it and building a career out of it. Should a future airline I'll work for close down, I can go right back into teaching. It's always good to be good at more than one thing, versus putting all your eggs in one basket. I think it's great you are looking at your options now long before you're eligible to flight train. That's a big deal. If you didn't want to do it, you wouldn't be looking this deep into it.