Flight Instructor and CFI Jobs

Pay splits by structure. Per hour CFI work in the United States typically runs from about $25 at entry level to $70 or more for instrument and multi engine instruction. Full time salaried instructor jobs at larger academies usually sit between $55,000 and $110,000 a year. The biggest lifts come from adding CFII and MEI ratings and from turbine and simulator instructor roles.

Almost every role needs a Commercial Pilot License and a CFI certificate. A CFII for instrument instruction and an MEI for multi engine instruction open far more of the board and raise pay. Simulator and type rating instructor jobs usually prefer turbine time and an ATP.

You can instruct as soon as you hold the Commercial certificate and the CFI rating, so many new CFIs start near 250 total hours. Some employers ask for a minimum number of dual given hours before they will hire you for specific aircraft or for instrument and multi engine instruction.

Yes. Instructing is the most common way pilots build toward the 1,500 hours required for an Airline Transport Pilot certificate, and many regional airlines recruit directly from the flight schools their instructors teach at. The teaching itself also builds the decision making airlines look for.

A CFI teaches primary and commercial students in single engine airplanes. A CFII adds instrument instruction. An MEI adds multi engine instruction. Holding all three makes you eligible for the widest range of instructor jobs and generally the better paid ones.

AeroScout refreshes this list every day from flight school, airline and training center career pages. The count at the top of the page reflects the live openings right now, and closed roles are removed.