04.07.2026 10:10
A captain pilot working for American Airlines shared his pay stub on social media platform X, sparking a frenzy with its staggering figures. The pilot, revealed to earn an annual salary of $458,000 (approximately 21.4 million TL), caused great astonishment among social media users.
Salaries in the aviation industry have always been a topic of curiosity, while a transparent sharing by a captain pilot working in the USA went viral on social media. On platform X, formerly known as Twitter, an unnamed pilot shared his own salary slip with his followers.
HOURLY WAGE 360 DOLLARS
According to the details on the payslip, the captain pilot's annual earnings were seen to be a full 458 thousand dollars (approximately 21 million 429 thousand TL). It was calculated that the pilot, estimated to be flying a Boeing 737 type passenger aircraft, had an hourly flight fee equivalent to about 360 dollars.
EARNINGS VARY BY AIRCRAFT TYPE
This striking picture, which also reflected in the US media, revealed the earnings gap across different aircraft types. According to sectoral data, the salary scale for pilots varies as follows:
- Boeing 737: Average hourly earnings are around 360 dollars.
- Boeing 777 or Airbus A350: Captain pilots flying larger wide-body and long-range aircraft can see hourly earnings up to 450 dollars.
FEDERAL RESTRICTIONS ON FLIGHT HOURS
While the hourly salaries being so high draws attention, an important detail in the news is that pilots' working hours are not entirely unlimited. Under US aviation regulations, pilots' in-flight hours are strictly limited by federal rules to ensure maximum passenger and flight safety.