American Airlines pilots are paid an hourly rate from a contractual grid indexed by seat, year of service and aircraft, not a salary. Published figures put a year-one first officer at around $113 to $116 per flight hour and a senior wide-body captain at roughly $465 per flight hour, with a 16 percent employer retirement contribution paid on top of everything earned.
Every figure on this page carries the source it came from and the date that source published it, because pilot pay is contractual and changes on scheduled dates. For how hourly pilot pay works in general — credit hours, monthly guarantees, per diem and why a rate multiplied by 2,080 is meaningless — read our airline pilot salary guide first. This page is specific to American.
American Airlines Pilot Pay Rates, With Sources
| Seat And Stage | Published Hourly Rate | Source And Date |
|---|---|---|
| First officer, year one | $113.00 | Air Gazette carrier comparison, 2 June 2026, citing Airline Pilot Central January 2026 tables |
| First officer, first year | $116.00 in 2024 | The Dallas Morning News, 25 March 2024 |
| First officer, top of scale | $246.47 to $305.50, depending on aircraft | The Dallas Morning News, 25 March 2024 |
| Captain, top of scale | $360.85 to $447.24, depending on aircraft | The Dallas Morning News, 25 March 2024 |
| Captain, wide-body, year twelve | $465.13 | Air Gazette carrier comparison, 2 June 2026, citing Airline Pilot Central January 2026 tables |
| International premium | $7.00 per hour captain, $5.00 first officer | The Dallas Morning News, 25 March 2024 |
The two first-officer figures do not agree, and that is worth understanding rather than glossing over. One is a March 2024 newspaper report of the rate in force that year; the other is a 2026 comparison drawn from a pay-table aggregator, and that comparison itself notes that some American and Delta rates at intermediate service years are modeled estimates rather than transcribed contract values. If a number is going to drive a decision, take it from the Allied Pilots Association contract itself.
What Is Not On The Hourly Grid
These items come from the Airline Pilot Central American Airlines profile, read on 13 September 2026.
| Item | Published Value |
|---|---|
| Employer retirement contribution | 16 percent defined contribution |
| 401(k) matching | Yes |
| A and B fund | Frozen defined benefit plan for legacy American pilots |
| Per diem, domestic | $2.30 per hour |
| Per diem, international | $2.80 per hour |
A 16 percent direct contribution is the item most comparisons ignore, and it is large. On $300,000 of earnings it is $48,000 a year paid on top of your pay, before any match. When people say American pays slightly less per hour than United, the retirement line is part of why that comparison does not settle the question.
What A Year Actually Adds Up To
Airline pilots are paid for credit hours, not for hours at work, so annualising a rate requires an assumption about how much you fly. The assumption below is ours and it is deliberately conservative: 900 credit hours in a year, which is 75 a month. Line-holders with good seniority routinely fly more; pilots on reserve are paid to their guarantee whether they fly it or not.
| Seat And Stage | Hourly Rate Used | At 900 Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| First officer, year one | $113.00 | $101,700 |
| First officer, top of scale, narrow-body | $246.47 | $221,823 |
| First officer, top of scale, wide-body | $305.50 | $274,950 |
| Captain, top of scale, narrow-body | $360.85 | $324,765 |
| Captain, top of scale, wide-body | $447.24 | $402,516 |
| Captain, wide-body, year twelve | $465.13 | $418,617 |
These are arithmetic on published rates, not salaries American advertises. Add per diem for every hour away from base, add the 16 percent retirement contribution, and subtract nothing for the year in which you are on reserve and unable to pick up extra flying. A first-year first officer is the one row on that table that people consistently under-estimate the difficulty of, because the pay is at its lowest in exactly the year the schedule is at its worst.
The Contract Behind The Numbers
American's pilots are represented by the Allied Pilots Association. The current agreement took effect in August 2023 and runs to August 2027, and was reported by The Dallas Morning News on 25 March 2024 as delivering more than 40 percent in pay increases over four years. Because the increases are scheduled rather than immediate, a rate quoted in 2024 is not the rate in force now, and a rate quoted now will not be the rate in force in 2027.
That is the single most useful thing to know about reading airline pay tables. Ask three questions of any figure: which seat, which year of service, and effective from when.
How American Compares With Delta, United And Southwest
At the top of the scale the three legacy carriers are within a few percent of each other. Published year-twelve wide-body captain rates are $483.74 at United, $465.13 at Delta and $465.13 at American. Year-one first officer rates are $125.52, $118.00 and $113.00 in the same order. American's retirement contribution of 16 percent is the lowest of the three, against 17 percent rising to 18 percent at both United and Delta, and its per diem is the lowest as well.
None of that decides anything on its own. Base, upgrade time and which fleet your seniority lets you hold move lifetime earnings far more than two percent on a grid. We set the comparison out properly on best-paying airlines for pilots.
What The Federal Data Says
For context outside any one carrier, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $232,140 for airline pilots, copilots and flight engineers in May 2025 data, with the 10th percentile at $106,710 and the 90th at $463,830. Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, airline and commercial pilots, May 2025 wage data, read 13 September 2026; percentile figures as published by O*NET OnLine from 2025 BLS wage data.
Notice that American's top wide-body captain rate annualises close to the federal 90th percentile. That is not a coincidence. The top of a legacy carrier's captain scale is the top of the profession.
What It Takes To Be Hired There
An unrestricted airline transport pilot certificate requires 1,500 hours of total time under 14 CFR 61.159, including 500 hours of cross-country, 100 hours of night and 75 hours of instrument time, plus 250 hours of pilot-in-command time in an airplane. Reduced minimums exist under 14 CFR 61.160 for military pilots and for graduates of qualifying degree programs, but they do not apply to training at a Part 61 school like ours.
In practice the path runs certificates, then instructing or another flying job to 1,500 hours, then a regional or cargo carrier, then a major. Our airline pilot career program covers the certificate stage over about nine months for $84,000, and time-building jobs for new commercial pilots covers what comes after. Pilots stop flying Part 121 aircraft on their 65th birthday under 14 CFR 121.383(d), which is why the age you start matters — see career change to pilot.
Related Reading
- Airline pilot salary guide — how hourly pilot pay, guarantees and seniority work.
- Best-paying airlines for pilots — the carriers compared on published rates.
- Delta pilot salary — the Pilot Working Agreement and what it pays.
- United Airlines pilot salary — the full published grid by fleet and year.
- Airline hiring minimums — what carriers ask for beyond the regulation.
American Airlines Pilot Salary FAQ
How Much Does An American Airlines Pilot Make?
American pilots are paid per flight hour from a contractual grid. Published rates run from about $113 per hour for a year-one first officer to $465.13 for a year-twelve wide-body captain, sourced to Air Gazette's 2 June 2026 comparison citing Airline Pilot Central's January 2026 tables. At 900 credit hours a year those rates work out to roughly $101,700 and $418,617 respectively, before per diem and the 16 percent retirement contribution.
What Is American Airlines First-Year Pilot Pay?
The Dallas Morning News reported on 25 March 2024 that a first-year first officer at American was paid $116 an hour that year. A 2026 comparison lists $113.00 for year one. The two figures come from different sources and different points in a contract that contains scheduled increases, so check the Allied Pilots Association contract for the current value.
What Does A Top American Airlines Captain Earn?
The Dallas Morning News reported top-of-scale captain rates of $360.85 to $447.24 an hour in March 2024 depending on aircraft type, and a 2026 comparison lists $465.13 for a year-twelve wide-body captain. At 900 credit hours a year the higher figure annualises to about $418,617 before per diem and retirement.
Does American Airlines Pay A Retirement Contribution?
Yes. Airline Pilot Central's American profile, read 13 September 2026, lists a 16 percent defined contribution with 401(k) matching, plus a frozen defined benefit plan for legacy American pilots. On $300,000 of earnings, 16 percent is $48,000 a year paid on top of pay.
What Is American Airlines Pilot Per Diem?
Airline Pilot Central's American profile lists $2.30 per hour domestic and $2.80 per hour international, read 13 September 2026. Per diem is paid for every hour away from base, not only flight hours, so it accumulates across an entire trip.
Is American Airlines Pilot Pay Better Than Delta Or United?
At the top of the scale the three are within a few percent. Published year-twelve wide-body captain rates are $483.74 at United and $465.13 at both Delta and American. American's 16 percent retirement contribution is lower than the 17 percent rising to 18 percent published by United and Delta, and its per diem is lower too. Base, upgrade time and fleet matter more than these differences.
How Many Hours Do You Need To Fly For American Airlines?
An unrestricted airline transport pilot certificate requires 1,500 hours under 14 CFR 61.159, including 500 cross-country, 100 night and 75 instrument hours. Major carriers usually hire pilots with considerably more than the legal minimum, generally after several years at a regional or cargo operator.
When Do American Airlines Pilots Have To Retire?
On their 65th birthday. 14 CFR 121.383(d) prohibits a Part 121 certificate holder from using the services of any person as a pilot who has reached 65, and paragraph (e) puts the same duty on the pilot. The rule applies to both seats.
The First Step Is Not A Pay Table
Every rate on this page sits several years and 1,500 flight hours away from a first lesson. If that is the career you want, start by finding out whether you enjoy flying the airplane. A 60-minute discovery flight is $229, you fly it from the left seat, and it is credited in full toward your training if you enroll within 24 hours. To map the route from zero to an airline seniority number, book a free consultation or call (818) 330-1318 any day between 9 AM and 9 PM. We are at 7900 Balboa Blvd, Main Terminal Unit 108, Van Nuys, CA 91406, at Van Nuys Airport.
