How is an American Airlines pilot paid?

American Airlines pilots are paid at an hourly rate that depends on years of service, aircraft type and rank, according to the Dallas Morning News, and the paper notes that pilots are only paid for the time they are flying. An Allied Pilots Association spokesman told the paper that pay rises with each year of service up to 12 years, after which a first officer's rate per flight hour reaches its cap. American's own announcement of the 2023 agreement gives no figure per rank; it says the four-year deal delivers more than $9 billion of compensation and quality-of-life benefits to 15,000 pilots.12

What does a first officer earn at American Airlines?

In 2024, American paid its first-year first officers $116 an hour under the new contract, a flat rate for every pilot in that first year, the Dallas Morning News reported. Aviation consultant Kit Darby told the paper that, depending on how much a new pilot flies, this could mean an average of $114,180 a year; that is his estimate, not a contract rate. At the top of the scale, a first officer earned between $246.47 and $305.50 an hour in 2024, depending on aircraft type.23

What does an American Airlines captain earn?

A top-of-scale captain at American earned between $360.85 and $447.24 an hour in 2024, depending on the aircraft, according to the Dallas Morning News. Kit Darby estimated this at an average of $462,072 a year, an estimate rather than a contract figure. In December 2025, Fortune described a pay statement shared on social media by a Miami-based Boeing 737 captain showing about $458,000 of year-to-date earnings and an hourly rate just above $360 per flight hour.313

What pay rises does the 2023 contract include?

Under the contract ratified in August 2023, pilots received immediate raises of 21%, followed by 5% in 2024, 4% in 2025 and 2026, and 3% in 2027, CNBC reported. The union said compensation would rise by more than 46% over the four years, including 401(k) contributions. The Allied Pilots Association valued the deal at $9.6 billion, and 73% of pilots who took part voted in favour, according to the Associated Press. The union said it included $1.1 billion in one-time payments and ratification bonuses.45

What comes on top of hourly pay?

International flying adds $7 an hour for captains and $5 for first officers, and long-haul narrowbody trips to Europe, South America and Hawaii add $8 and $6, according to the Dallas Morning News in 2024. The May 2023 summary of the agreement in principle, published by Airways Magazine, listed an international override of $6.50 for captains and $4.50 for first officers. The same summary listed company 401(k) contributions rising to 17% on 2 May 2024 and 18% on 2 May 2026. When the final deal was ratified, the Dallas Morning News reported that these increases would move to 1 January 2024 and 1 January 2026, subject to ratification of the United pilots' deal. American's profit sharing programme is funded by 10% of adjusted pre-tax earnings up to $2.5 billion and 20% above that, according to its annual report for 2025; it accrued $55 million for all employees for that year.3678

Is a new pilot contract on the way?

According to American's annual report for 2025, the Allied Pilots Association represents 14,970 mainline pilots, and the contract becomes amendable in 2027. On 7 August 2026, the union entered Section 6 bargaining after it could not agree that the 2023 contract had been sufficiently implemented; the amendable date remains 1 August 2027. The union delivered its opening proposal on 19 August 2026, focusing on pilot retention, scheduling and work rules, process improvements and pilots' share in the airline's strategic plan. After a board meeting on 6 and 7 October 2026, the union said protocol talks were complete and contract talks had begun in earnest.891011

How does this compare with US pilots generally?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, US airline pilots, copilots and flight engineers had a median annual wage of $232,140 in May 2025. The highest 10% earned more than $463,830.12