Guides · Updated
Pilot Pay Calculator (2026): Estimate Airline and Helicopter Pilot Pay
Pilot pay calculator
Pick an airline or helicopter preset, or start from custom, then edit any number to match your contract. Results are estimates before taxes. They leave out profit sharing and bonuses unless you add them.
$106.66/hr first-year rate, 75-hour monthly guarantee and $2.25/hr per diem, all from Endeavor’s page.
Source: Endeavor Air pilot compensation · Checked Oct 20, 2026.
| Base pay ($106.66 × 75 h × 12) | $95,994 |
|---|---|
| Per diem ($2.25 × 0 h × 12) | $0 |
| Estimated annual total, before taxes | $95,994 |
| Per month (total ÷ 12) | $8,000 |
Add your monthly TAFB hours to include per diem.
Estimate only, before taxes and other deductions. It excludes profit sharing, bonuses, overrides, premiums and longevity raises unless you add them. Pay rules differ by contract, seat, aircraft and base, so check your pay scale or offer letter.
How to use the calculator
Pick a preset to load an airline’s published year-1 first officer rate, guarantee and per diem (each preset shows its source and the date we checked it). You can also pick a salaried helicopter posting, or start from custom. Then edit anything to match your contract: add credit hours above guarantee, your TAFB (hours away from base) for per diem, bonuses or profit sharing, and retirement contributions. The page URL updates as you type, so Copy link shares your exact numbers.
The math is simple on purpose: base pay = hourly rate × (guarantee + extra credit hours) × 12, and per diem = per diem rate × TAFB hours per month × 12. Everything is a pre-tax estimate.
How airline pilot pay works
Hourly rate
Airline pilots are paid by the hour, from a pay scale set by seat (FO or captain), year of service, and often aircraft size. United, for example, says every new-hire first officer starts at $125.52 per flight hour in 2026 (United Airlines careers).
Minimum monthly guarantee
The guarantee is the floor: hours you are paid each month even if you fly less. Published examples: Endeavor 75 hours (Endeavor Air), Envoy 72 for lineholders and 75 for reserves (Envoy Air), SkyWest 75 after IOE (SkyWest), CommuteAir 76 (CommuteAir pilot careers), and Delta 65 (AirlinePilotCentral: Delta). Fly or pick up more than the guarantee and you are paid for the extra credit.
Credit hours vs block hours
Block hours run from brake release to block-in. Credit hours are what you are paid for, and contracts add credit through rigs and minimums. Envoy pays the greater of scheduled or actual block hours, leg by leg (Envoy Air). SkyWest lists a 4.2-hour minimum daily guarantee (SkyWest), and AirlinePilotCentral lists Delta’s minimum at 2:30 per calendar day with an average daily guarantee of 5:15 (AirlinePilotCentral: Delta). Endeavor lists trip and duty rigs (Endeavor Air). That is why credit hours usually run higher than block hours.
Per diem
Per diem is paid for every hour you are away from base (TAFB), not just hours flown. Published rates: Endeavor $2.25/hr (Endeavor Air), Envoy $1.95 plus $5 per international overnight (Envoy Air), and CommuteAir $2.10 (CommuteAir pilot careers). AirlinePilotCentral lists 2024 rates of $2.85 domestic / $3.30 international at Delta (AirlinePilotCentral: Delta) and $2.90 CONUS / $3.45 elsewhere at United, with 2.5% annual increases (AirlinePilotCentral: United). APA’s 2023 agreement summary set American at $2.85 domestic and $3.40 international, adjusted each January (APA TA 2.0 summary (Jul 27, 2023)). Your line or bid shows your TAFB, and the calculator does not assume one.
Longevity steps
Year 2 is where pay jumps. Envoy goes from $99.00 to $161.25 (Envoy Air). CommuteAir goes from $79.57 to $93.36 (CommuteAir pilot careers). On United’s 2026 table, FO pay goes from $125.52 to $239.41 on widebodies and $192.22 on regular narrowbodies (AirlinePilotCentral: United). Year-1 pay is the lowest you will see on any scale.
Profit sharing and retirement
Profit sharing varies by year and is never guaranteed. AirlinePilotCentral lists Delta payouts of 16.6% (paid 2019), 5.6% (2023) and 10.4% (2024) (AirlinePilotCentral: Delta). Employer retirement contributions can add a lot too: AirlinePilotCentral lists an 18% direct 401(k) contribution in 2026 at both Delta and United (AirlinePilotCentral: Delta, AirlinePilotCentral: United), and CommuteAir matches 50% of contributions up to 16% (CommuteAir pilot careers). The calculator leaves these out unless you enter them.
Presets and sources
Year-1 first officer figures, checked Oct 20, 2026. The annual column is an estimate: rate × guarantee × 12, with no per diem, extra credit or bonuses.
| Airline | Year-1 FO rate | Guarantee | Per diem | Est. base/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endeavor Air (Endeavor Air) | $106.66 | 75 h | $2.25/h | $95,994 |
| Envoy Air (Envoy Air) | $99.00 | 72 h line / 75 h reserve | $1.95 | $85,536 (at 72 h) |
| SkyWest (SkyWest) | $92.73 | 75 h after IOE | not published | $83,457 |
| CommuteAir (CommuteAir pilot careers) | $79.57 | 76 h | $2.10 | $72,568 (+$20,000 FO bonus listed) |
| United (United Airlines careers; guarantee via Air Gazette (AirlinePilotCentral 2026 tables)) | $125.52 | 70 h | $2.90/h (2024, AirlinePilotCentral: United) | $105,437 |
| Delta (Air Gazette (AirlinePilotCentral 2026 tables); AirlinePilotCentral: Delta) | $118.00 | 65 h | $2.85/h (2024) | $92,040 |
| American (Air Gazette (AirlinePilotCentral 2026 tables); APA TA 2.0 summary (Jul 27, 2023)) | $113.00 | 73 h (long-call reserve) | $2.85/h (2023, indexed) | $98,988 |
The Delta and American rates come from AirlinePilotCentral’s 2026 tables as summarized by Air Gazette, which is a secondary source. Per diem marked 2023 or 2024 is the most recent published figure we found, so today’s rate is probably a little higher. Treat every preset as a starting point and edit it to your contract.
Helicopter pilots: salaried jobs
Most helicopter jobs (HEMS, public safety, tours) pay a salary, not an hourly credit rate. The helicopter presets use published ranges from postings we checked on Oct 14, 2026 (helicopter-jobs.com): Air Methods HEMS $82,900–$93,251, Life Flight Network $101,752.56–$120,251.04, HeliService USA AW169 EMS $110,000–$130,000 and LAFD $152,444–$189,402. The calculator starts at the bottom of each range. For the bigger picture, see helicopter pilot salary.
Pay in the news this week
- On Oct 14, about 650 Horizon Air pilots (Teamsters Local 1224) picketed at Sea-Tac. The union says they have gone three years without a raise (FOX 13 Seattle).
- Air traffic controllers get a 2.8% pay parity increase that took effect Oct 18, 2026, retroactive to the first full pay period of 2026, under an FAA–NATCA deal (NATCA (Oct 16, 2026); FAA (Oct 16, 2026)).
- The 1,500-hour rule is back in public debate after a New York Times op-ed and the replies to it (X news story on the 1,500-hour debate). If you are still building time, our hours-to-ATP tracker maps the 750 / 1,000 / 1,250 / 1,500 pathways.
Keep going
Compare year-1 rates in regional first officer pay and airline pilot pay, see who is hiring in airline pilot hiring 2026, and check your hours in hours to ATP.
FAQ
How is airline pilot pay calculated?
Pilots are paid an hourly rate for each credit hour, with a minimum monthly guarantee. A simple annual estimate is hourly rate × monthly credit hours × 12, plus per diem (per diem rate × hours away from base × 12). Profit sharing, bonuses and retirement contributions come on top.
What is a pilot’s minimum monthly guarantee?
It is the number of hours you are paid each month even if you fly less. Published examples: Endeavor 75 hours, Envoy 72 (lineholders) or 75 (reserves), SkyWest 75 after IOE, CommuteAir 76, and Delta 65 per AirlinePilotCentral.
What is the difference between credit hours and block hours?
Block hours are measured from brake release to block-in. Credit hours are what you are paid for, including rigs and daily minimums in your contract, so credit is usually equal to or higher than block.
How much is airline pilot per diem?
It is paid per hour away from base (TAFB). Published examples: Endeavor $2.25/hr, CommuteAir $2.10 and Envoy $1.95 (CommuteAir and Envoy don’t state the unit; per-hour is the norm). AirlinePilotCentral lists 2024 domestic rates of $2.85/hr at Delta and $2.90/hr (CONUS) at United.
Does the calculator include taxes or profit sharing?
No. Results are pre-tax estimates and leave out profit sharing, bonuses, overrides and premiums unless you enter them. Always check your own pay scale or offer letter.
Related guides
- Regional FO pay
- Airline pilot pay
- Airline pilot hiring 2026
- Hours to ATP
- Helicopter pilot salary
- Free 2026 Pilot Pay Guide (PDF)
Data checked Oct 2026. Pay and postings change, so verify with the employer. Estimates are labeled.