New CFI Salary????

[rcreager]

I'm considering starting the dream.....

Can anybody tell me how much a new CFI monthly income is? Just trying to scope out all of the details before i jump into anything. Thanks so much!

[edspilot]

You can search as this has been talked about many times.

 

In a nutshell:

 

Questions for you: Do you have a family? Do you have current debt? Do you have a job now that will allow you to pay-as-you go?

 

The harsh reality is that you will probably start out at $24,000.00 in the US. That is if you can find a salary, most will want to pay you a small salary + per hour. If you find a place that will not pay a small salary then your hourly rate will be in the $50.00 an hour range.

 

You will have a good pay most likely in the summer and less in the winter, if you live in that part of the country. Yes, it is not very much for the investment you have just made. There has always been alot of low time CFIs out there and will continue to be, as I see it.

 

Timing and alot of luck plays into this question. Yes, there are those that get the CFI and start teaching at there training location and have a history with that place and move right along, fast and onto the tours or GOM.

 

Just remember that the training location is going to tell you that they hire their grads first (and they will) but even they can not hire all of their grads, especially if it is a big flight school. The numbers just do not add up for them to keep that promise all the time.

 

I am sure there are others that have more to share but remember it is just like this, "one opinion."

 

Just do what you are doing now ask and ask some more then listen then plan.

 

Plan your work & work your Plan.

 

 

Best of Luck,

 

edspilot

[rcreager]

You can search as this has been talked about many times.

 

In a nutshell:

 

Questions for you: Do you have a family? Do you have current debt? Do you have a job now that will allow you to pay-as-you go?

 

The harsh reality is that you will probably start out at $24,000.00 in the US. That is if you can find a salary, most will want to pay you a small salary + per hour. If you find a place that will not pay a small salary then your hourly rate will be in the $50.00 an hour range.

 

You will have a good pay most likely in the summer and less in the winter, if you live in that part of the country. Yes, it is not very much for the investment you have just made. There has always been alot of low time CFIs out there and will continue to be, as I see it.

 

Timing and alot of luck plays into this question. Yes, there are those that get the CFI and start teaching at there training location and have a history with that place and move right along, fast and onto the tours or GOM.

 

Just remember that the training location is going to tell you that they hire their grads first (and they will) but even they can not hire all of their grads, especially if it is a big flight school. The numbers just do not add up for them to keep that promise all the time.

 

I am sure there are others that have more to share but remember it is just like this, "one opinion."

 

Just do what you are doing now ask and ask some more then listen then plan.

 

Plan your work & work your Plan.

 

 

Best of Luck,

 

edspilot

 

This is very interesting. Much better then i thought it was going to be. Currently, i am in a position at a hospital making $12.95/hour, 40 hours a week. So i make around 24,000 each year. Not a whole heck of a lot but more than i have ever made before. I'm young at 20 years old no dependents or wives...haha. I actually have somewhere to live for free while i train and possibly when i teach. Now $24,000 is not that bad when no rent is involved. I really was thinking that i would have to try and survive on $10,000 or even less when instructing. Problem is i don't know when to begin but i do know that Quantum helicopters is a reputable school from talking to other people and students. What i am concerned about is the DUI i have on my record. I'm starting part time volunteer work at the local free medical clinic, i have taken AA classes, a driving class, a victim impact panel, a 15-hour alcohol education class, and some other stuff. All were requirements of probation. But this was in the past. It was a stupic mistake. What do you think i should do to try to show that i have become more responsible???? anything else i should be doing?

[Helopilt]

Not sure what the specific rules are with the FAA, but before you even think about starting training you may want to make sure you can get a Medical Certificate with that DUI being so recent. Just a thought.

 

You might expect $20-25k as CFI...maybe less these days. Hourly more like $20-25/hr.

Edited August 12, 2009 by Helopilt

[rcreager]

Has anybody ever met a pilot who was successful but had an old DUI on the record?

[Pogue]

Looks like you just need to report it for the medical. You might want to check out AOPA.org for information as well.

 

§ 61.15 Offenses involving alcohol or drugs.

 

(a) A conviction for the violation of any Federal or State statute relating to the growing, processing, manufacture, sale, disposition, possession, transportation, or importation of narcotic drugs, marijuana, or depressant or stimulant drugs or substances is grounds for:

 

(1) Denial of an application for any certificate, rating, or authorization issued under this part for a period of up to 1 year after the date of final conviction; or

 

(2) Suspension or revocation of any certificate, rating, or authorization issued under this part.

 

( Committing an act prohibited by §91.17(a) or §91.19(a) of this chapter is grounds for:

 

(1) Denial of an application for a certificate, rating, or authorization issued under this part for a period of up to 1 year after the date of that act; or

 

(2) Suspension or revocation of any certificate, rating, or authorization issued under this part.

 

© For the purposes of paragraphs (d), (e), and (f) of this section, a motor vehicle action means:

 

(1) A conviction after November 29, 1990, for the violation of any Federal or State statute relating to the operation of a motor vehicle while intoxicated by alcohol or a drug, while impaired by alcohol or a drug, or while under the influence of alcohol or a drug;

 

(2) The cancellation, suspension, or revocation of a license to operate a motor vehicle after November 29, 1990, for a cause related to the operation of a motor vehicle while intoxicated by alcohol or a drug, while impaired by alcohol or a drug, or while under the influence of alcohol or a drug; or

 

(3) The denial after November 29, 1990, of an application for a license to operate a motor vehicle for a cause related to the operation of a motor vehicle while intoxicated by alcohol or a drug, while impaired by alcohol or a drug, or while under the influence of alcohol or a drug.

 

(d) Except for a motor vehicle action that results from the same incident or arises out of the same factual circumstances, a motor vehicle action occurring within 3 years of a previous motor vehicle action is grounds for:

 

(1) Denial of an application for any certificate, rating, or authorization issued under this part for a period of up to 1 year after the date of the last motor vehicle action; or

 

(2) Suspension or revocation of any certificate, rating, or authorization issued under this part.

 

(e) Each person holding a certificate issued under this part shall provide a written report of each motor vehicle action to the FAA, Civil Aviation Security Division (AMC–700), P.O. Box 25810, Oklahoma City, OK 73125, not later than 60 days after the motor vehicle action. The report must include:

 

(1) The person's name, address, date of birth, and airman certificate number;

 

(2) The type of violation that resulted in the conviction or the administrative action;

 

(3) The date of the conviction or administrative action;

 

(4) The State that holds the record of conviction or administrative action; and

 

(5) A statement of whether the motor vehicle action resulted from the same incident or arose out of the same factual circumstances related to a previously reported motor vehicle action.

 

(f) Failure to comply with paragraph (e) of this section is grounds for:

 

(1) Denial of an application for any certificate, rating, or authorization issued under this part for a period of up to 1 year after the date of the motor vehicle action; or

 

(2) Suspension or revocation of any certificate, rating, or authorization issued under this part.

[rcreager]

Thanks Pogue!

[Gomer Pylot]

Being able to get a license with a DUI, and getting a job with one, are not the same thing. There are thousands of new CFIs looking for jobs, and schools tend to be picky about who they hire. They use lots of discriminators, and arrest records are one of them. They're required to do a criminal background check anyway, and having a DUI definitely will not help.

[rcreager]

So you are saying it will be very difficult for me to ever find a job once i complete training?

[AngelFire_91]

Difficult, Yes!

Impossible, No!

 

Granted this is fixed wing, but I know of at least 2 guys that work for major airlines with DUI's on their records. One of them, after receiving the DUI lost all his certificates and ratings when it happened, did all the court mandated stuff, waited the required amount of time the FAA put on him, re-trained and got all his ratings back, and started a motivational business where he goes around to different "at risk" schools and talkes about the dangers of DUI. Applied to A LOT of airlines and during the interviews he was able to prove that he learned from his experience and was actively trying to better others as a result.

 

The Helicopter world is a lot smaller then the Airlines though so it's probably going to be harder then a __________ to do, but I would never say impossible. I also wouldn't want to tell you go for it. Have you spend $70k and be SOL. So I'd say, think LONG and hard about it. Get your private see how you like it, and decide if it's still something worth putting 1000% effort into.

[RockyMountainPilot]

How old were you when you got a DUI?

 

Even when you are in your mid 20's and had a DUI at 18, they might be worried you could do it again. If you are 35 and had a DUI at 18, then they probably won't consider it anything than youthful transgressions.

[rcreager]

Ok, here is the deal. I had one hell of a time trying to figure out my future. To me if i don't have a goal, that involves something i love doing, then i feel like i'm in a circle going nowhere in life, honestly. I found what i want to do for the rest of my life. Why you ask? Because i have never had as much passion twords something as i do for helicopters. This being said. I am in a rather high place in my orginization which is a catholic hospital, considering i just turned 20 a couple months ago. When i was fresh out of high school and still in high school i partied a lot. I had no discetion. But i grew up fast. I really, truly did. I have a lot of potential. I know how hard i can work at attaining things. I have reconsidered a little about my path to my goal of flying instead of jumping in with a DUI on my record and trying to get a job 2 years later and such......

I know education is huge, i'm reminded every day by my boss, the VP of the hospital. I plan on getting my bachelors in something, gotta find what i can fall back on that i love doing. Maybe something in FBO managment, sales, etc. I need to be around aviation. I plan on getting ratings after i graduate and save up a good sum of money. I just grip the realiziation that helo companies will black ball me. I hope they haven't, considering i was so young and stupid. I am volunteering at our free medical clinic right now. What do you think could improve my chances 5-10 or so years down the road to getting that EMS job? THANKS ALL

[rcreager]

I was 19 when i was convicted of dui, it has been over a year since and i am 20 now.

[glennahall]

You may want to revisit your lawyer and see if he can petition the court to drop your dui to a public intox. I've seen that type of thing done. I've even heard of it getting expunged altogether but I've not seen that first hand.

 

If you can get the FAA to be ok with you but can't get Joanetta down in HR who had a sister-in-law cut off in traffic by someone she thought must be drunk to accept your application, you still can live the dream.

 

Go get your A&P and learn to fix those bad boys. Then you become more valuable to the outfits that want a pilot/mechanic. If THEY won't hire you... well do it on your own for fun while working as the best durn Wal-mart manager in the county! "he even gots his own hellichoper!"

 

Just some late night, ambien laced thoughts for ya. Don't give up, though. I'm not.

 

Glenn

[Skidmark]

The harsh reality is that you will probably start out at $24,000.00 in the US.

 

Bah! I hope you are going to buy me a new monitor because I just spit my water all over it. I don't think I even made half that as a CFI. When you "work as a CFI you can easily spend 40 hours a week at work, but get paid for 20.

[rcreager]

Thanks Glennahall, i appreciate it.

[Azhigher]

fyi, i know for a fact quantum has hired a grad that had a dui =)

 

and i make mid thirties as a cfi

Edited August 17, 2009 by Azhigher

[coanda]

factor in time at school and down time, 20-25 a flight hour, in this economy, is about 8-10 an hour. Last summer it worked out to be 12-14 an hour.

 

*I was denied a turbine flying position for having speeding tickets....

[rcreager]

fyi, i know for a fact quantum has hired a grad that had a dui =)

 

and i make mid thirties as a cfi

 

wow, that is the exact school i was impressed with. It's about 20 minutes away from where i would live too.

[lelebebbel]

think about it from an employers POV:

 

as a 200hr CFII, you have the bare minimum qualification for the job, just like many others who apply for the job.

 

the employer has to entrust you with a quarter- or half million dollar helicopter, the life of a student, and as such the reputation and future of the whole company.

You have to convince the employer that you are worthy of that trust.

 

Look at it from the perspective of the person in charge of hiring you, usually the chief pilot or chief instructor.

If he/she hires you and you do something stupid and ball up a machine, his/her boss could go look at your file and say: "why did you hire this guy, he had a DUI! You should've known he would f' up!"

So, hiring someone with a history of doing stupid things could be seen as a personal risk for the chief pilot.

 

In other words, you will need to leave a really good impression with your potential employer to compensate for the DUI.

 

 

About CFI pay:

it will depend a lot on how busy your school is. You can make mid 20s to over 30k a year at a fairly busy school, or way less if business is slow. Expect to be working a lot for it though.

[Pohi]

The time since DUI also is a factor. Two convictions in the last month can't help, but if they were years ago, then it may not be as much of an issue.

 

As far as pay goes, a CFI's yearly pay can be compared to a porn stars salary. Everything depends on the quality of the job, and how often they work.

 

As a CFI, there is no minimum but there eventually will be a cap.

[rcreager]

that is a great comparison.

[wopilot]

The time since DUI also is a factor. Two convictions in the last month can't help, but if they were years ago, then it may not be as much of an issue.

 

As far as pay goes, a CFI's yearly pay can be compared to a porn stars salary. Everything depends on the quality of the job, and how often they work.

 

As a CFI, there is no minimum but there eventually will be a cap.

 

If only I could do both...

 

guess I need to work on Helo flying