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The U.S. Air Force Pilot is one of the best jobs in the Air Force. If you’re thinking about flying across the blue sky on national missions, you might want to learn more about the Salary.

Aside from what they earn, many military pilots have fulfilled their lifelong dream of serving their country in the Air Force.

As for the pay, you can make a total of about $53,990.52 a year even as a freshman out of college with fewer than 100 flight hours to your name.

So, if you’re considering joining the Air Force, asking questions about the pay is quite reasonable. No one goes into a battle blindly. And that includes the struggle of your finances.

To get you on track, we’ve provided every detail you need to know about the Air Force Pilot’s Salary in 2023.

What Does It Mean To Be an Air Force Pilot?

A US Air Force Pilot flies aircraft such as fighter jets, bombers, tankers, transport planes, and uncrewed aerial vehicles (known as UAVs) for the United States military.

To be one of those, you must master aviation skills, conduct flight operations from transportation to combat missions, and train and lead flight crews.

What is the Role of the Air Force Pilot?

Air Force pilots are trained to fly military aircraft and operate sophisticated military weapons.
You’ll be the country’s first line of defense. The following are more specific roles of an Air Force Pilot:

Receive military strategy training.
Set mission plans and meets with teammates for briefings.
Inspect and fuel your plane to make sure it’s ready to fly. You are in charge of navigation, surveillance, and rescue operations.

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What is the Average Air Force Pilot Salary in 2023?

We see the average U.S. Air Force Pilot salary as low as $67,411 and as high as $145,003 per year.

Below, you’ll see a summary of U.S. Airforce Pilot Earnings from salary aggregate websites:

Ziprecruiter	$84,185
Salary.com	$97,988
Indeed.com	$113,806
Comparably	$145,003

Average Air Force Pilot Salary

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Factors Affecting the Salary of Air Force Pilots in the U.S.

Years of Service

The length of your military service affects your pay. This means that the longer you serve as a military pilot, the more money you’ll make.

The higher your rank as a military pilot, the more money you’ll make. So, it would help if you were willing to put in the time and effort to achieve your optimal military pilot pay.

Rank

Another factor that might affect your pay as a U.S. Air Force Pilot is your rank. Earning a degree may help you advance to higher-earning positions more quickly.

For instance, a Graduate Degree in aviation can take four years to complete. According to, Glassdoor, people that have, earned that education typically make $128,479 compared to $73,474 for those without that type of education.

How Much Does an Air Force Pilot Salary Make in the U.S.?

Now that you have learned what could affect your Salary let’s show you the salary breakup by year, month, week, and hour.

How Much Does Air Force Pilot Salary Make A Year in 2023?

Air Force Pilot salaries in the United States range from $26,972 to $708,579, with a median income of $129,635, according to comparably. The top 86 percent earn $708,579.

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How Much Does Air Force Pilot Salary Make a Month in 2023?

An Air Force Pilot’s Salary is $5,617 per month, according to Ziprecruiter. This works out to be approximately $32.41 an hour.

Similarly, the earlier comparably yearly earnings give us $2,248 and $26,877.25 when divided by twelve months.

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How Much Does Air Force Pilot Salary Make Weekly in 2023?

The weekly earnings of an Air Force Pilot are $1,296. This was gotten from ZipRecruiter’s $5,617 monthly salary.

You might want to compare this with the data from comparably above. We divided the monthly range of $2,248 and $26,877.25 by 4weeks and got a weekly pay of $562 and $6,719.3125.

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How Much Does Air Force Pilot Salary Make Per Hour in 2023?

A US Air Force Pilot’s Salary per hour is approximately $32.41. This is the equivalent of $1,296/week or $5,618/month from ZipRecruiter data.

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U.S. Air Force Pilot Salary Based on Location

Now that we’re done with the salary breakup let’s see how much you can earn based on location.

What Are The Top Ten Cities With The Highest Salary For Air Force Pilot Jobs?

Below, you’ll find ten cities where the typical Salary for an Air Force Pilot Officer job is above the national average.

Atkinson, NE, is at the top of the list, with Bridgehampton, NY, and Deer Park, CA, close behind in the second and third positions.

Deer Park, CA, beats the national average by $14,002 (16.6%), and Atkinson, NE, furthers that trend with another $33,720 (40.1%) above the $84,185 average.

With average incomes higher than the national average in these ten places, the potential for economic success as an Air Force Pilot Officer appears to be extremely promising.

Finally, the average pay in these top 10 cities differs only by 24% between Atkinson, NE, and Belgrade, MT emphasizing the little opportunity for wage advancement.

When comparing location and compensation for an Air Force Pilot Officer position, the likelihood of a cheaper cost of living may be the most crucial element to consider.

City	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Atkinson, NE	$117,905	$9,825	$2,267	$56.69
Bridgehampton, NY	$102,131	$8,510	$1,964	$49.10
Deer Park, CA	$98,187	$8,182	$1,888	$47.21
Green River, WY	$96,559	$8,046	$1,856	$46.42
Johnstonville, CA	$95,452	$7,954	$1,835	$45.89
Tacoma, WA	$93,320	$7,776	$1,794	$44.87
Stamford, CT	$93,095	$7,757	$1,790	$44.76
Roslyn Estates, NY	$93,003	$7,750	$1,788	$44.71
Bellevue, WA	$92,497	$7,708	$1,778	$44.47
Belgrade, MT	$91,924	$7,660	$1,767	$44.19

Source: ZipRecruiter

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U.S. Air Force Pilot Salary Based on Level

Remember, your level is another factor that affects how much you can earn.

How Much Does Air Force Pilot Salary Make Based on Entry Level?

Starting as a pilot ranked O-1 with fewer than two years of service. So at entry-level, you’d earn roughly $3,470 per month.

After four years, that would increase to $4,375, then to $5,500 per month after eight years of duty when you reach rank O-2.

How Much Does Air Force Pilot Salary Make at the Senior Level?

Senior-level Air Force pilot’s Salary after four years would increase to $4,375 and then to $5,500 per month after eight years of duty when they reach rank O-2.

Air Force Pilot Salary Chart

Salary for Air Force Pilot in The U.S. Based on Field

Salaries of Military Pilots, including Air Force Pilots, are the same across the board no matter what kind of military pilot you are.

This means that military helicopter pilot salary, military jet pilot pay, and U.S. military fighter pilot earnings will all be the same for officers of the same rank with the same number of years in the service.

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Are Other Benefits of Being an Air Force Pilot Aside From the Salary?

Training

The Air Force offers you up to a year and a half of training. This will equip you before you step into your first assigned aircraft.

In addition, most of your instructors will have combat/deployment experience, and you’ll rarely go more than a few days without flying.

Also, you’ll have near-unlimited access to world-class simulators with instructors to practice whenever you want on that equipment.

Flight Pay

Like other Aircrew members, an Air Force Pilot receives flight pay, also known as Aviation Career Incentive Pay (ACIP).

The incentive starts at a miserly $150 per month but increases to $1,000 at the peak of your flying career.

Although Aircrew members are supposed to receive flight pay only during the months that they perform flight duty, there are some allowances for pilots in non-flying assignments to continue receiving flight pay.

Bas and Bah

Military members receive a Basic Allowance for Sustenance (BAS) and a Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) from the government (BAH).

These are (great) benefits that come with being a military member. You don’t have to pay taxes on them because they’re “allowances” rather than pay.

Whether you spend that amount each month or not, you get to keep the entire amount of your allowances.

Regardless of rank or service duration, all officers receive the same amount of BAS. It’s meant to cover food expenses. The BAS is $280.29 per month as of 2021 for officers.

BAH is designed to cover the average housing cost in your designated area. Your zip code determines your worth, pay grade, and whether or not you have dependants living with you.

Retirement Funds

The U.S. Government matches Military Officer’s contributions to a retirement account, called a Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), up to 5% of your base pay each month.

It is a great retirement plan. You should contribute at least enough to receive the government’s 5% match.

Retention Bonuses

Later in your career, the military may try to convince you to stay by offering you a large sum of money.

If you’re planning on staying anyhow, this is a fantastic offer. But if you’re not sure about surviving, it’s a trap!

The Air Force awarded retention bonuses for pilots ranging from $15,000 to $200,000 on April 6, 2022.

What are Air Force Pilot Job Prospects?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the overall employment of airline and commercial pilots is projected to grow by 13% from 2020 to 2030. This is faster than the average for all occupations.

In addition, about 14,500 openings for airline and commercial pilots are projected each year, on average, over the decade.

Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Specifically, The U.S. Air Force is one of the most prestigious places of work. Aside from handling matters of national security, the Armed Force offers many other job opportunities for U.S. Citizens.

Conclusion

The U.S. Air Force Pilot is a respected position, the pay might not add you to Forbe’s billionaire list but it does pay well in its category.

In addition, it’s a challenging but rewarding position that also prepares you for civilian life after service as there are many commercial airlines where you can work.

Frequently Asked Questions on air force pilot salary

How much money does a US Air Force pilot make?

Air Force Pilot salaries in the United States range from $26,972 to $708,579, with a median income of $129,635, according to comparably.com.

How much do pilots earn per month in the USA?

There are monthly salaries as high as $12,583 and as low as $1,583. However, the majority of Airline Pilot salaries currently range between $2,667 (25th percentile) to $6,167 (75th percentile) across the United States.

Which country pays pilots the most?

Top 6 Highest Paying Countries for Aviation Jobs in the World

Qatar – Average monthly Salary of $18,333.
UAE – Monthly average Salary of $16,666.
Netherlands – Average monthly Salary $20416.
France – Average monthly Salary of $19583.
Ireland – Average monthly Salary $18750.
Canada – Average monthly Salary is $18750.

Is pilot a high-paying job in the USA?

As a result, commercial pilots are paid well. According to The Occupational Outlook Handbook, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Salary for commercial pilots is $134,630 per year, which was the average annual wage in 2021.

How much money does a US Air Force pilot make?

Air Force Pilot salaries in the United States range from $26,972 to $708,579, with a median income of $129,635, according to comparably.com.

How much do pilots earn per month in USA?

Which country pays pilots the most?

Top 6 Highest Paying Countries for Aviation Jobs in the World

Qatar – Average monthly Salary of $18,333.
UAE – Monthly average Salary of $16,666.
Netherlands – Average monthly Salary $20416.
France – Average monthly Salary of $19583.
Ireland – Average monthly Salary $18750.
Canada – Average monthly Salary is $18750.

Is pilot a high paying job in USA?

References

www.comparably.com – Us Air Force Pilot Salary
www.glassdoor.com – Air Force Pilot Career Path
www.indeed.com – Pilot yearly salaries in the United States at U.S. Air Force

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