Get ready to push the throttle on one of the most amazing careers out there. Imagine soaring the skies as a skilled, licensed pilot and jetting off to amazing, far-off destinations all around the world. No matter where your work takes you, we know you’ll be loving the view.
Salary Expectations
The hourly wage from the chart is applicable to all air pilots, flight engineers and flying instructors (including charter pilots).
| Job Title | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|
| Air Pilot | $22.85 - $77.88 |
Salary will increase and depend upon experience, years of service, hours flown, the aircraft, location, and weather. Some positions may also include benefits, retention bonus, per diem and other additional pay rates.*
Air Canada
narrowbody Captain with an average salary of $215,000 - $290,000 plus expenses. Upgrading to a widebody Captain typically takes 11-15 years with an average salary range of $315,000 - $350,000 plus expenses. The airline also offers comprehensive benefits, including a pension plan and an Annual Incentive Plan.**
Air Canada pilot baseline salaries are among the highest in Canada as experience and years of service increase, however the first four years of pilot pay with Air Canada is a fixed rate pay, regardless of the plane flown. Air Canada annual salaries are based on 75 hours of flying time, which the airline guarantees as the minimum number of hours a pilot is paid for. New pilots with Air Canada can expect to make $57,375 in their first year and Captains with a lot of seniority and who choose to do overtime can earn over $400,000.*
Porter Airlines
The average pilot salary with Porter is $119,322 per year, with the high range of the salary at $265,000 per year.***
Currently, Porter is offering a $15,000 - $25,000 signing bonus for Direct Entry Dash 8 pilots, depending upon experience. They expect to welcome over 1,200 new pilots in the next 4 years, with the fastest upgrade to a narrow-body jet Captain role in Canada.****
*Canadian Flight Trainers (myflighttraining.ca)
**Air Canada (2024 Job Posting)
***Indeed
****Porter Airlines (2024 Job Posting)
Labour Market Conditions
Air Pilot
With the quick post-pandemic demand recovery for this occupational group in Canada, the projected number of job openings is expected to substantially surpass the projected number of job seekers which will eliminate the temporary surplus situation from the 2019-2021 period. It is expected that we will still experience a shortage of pilots nationally through the 2022-2031 period.
The employment outlook in Ontario will be very good for this occupational group from 2023-2025, with several new positions expected and several positions to become available due to retirements. Employment growth will be from improvement in the level of global air travel, plus the addition of new routes and lower cost air carriers allowing for some opportunities at airline companies over the long run.