How Much Does a 747 Pilot Make?

The large, wide and familiar Boeing 747 plane symbolizes power, freedom and modern air transportation. Being at the helm of one is no easy task, but the money can be good. How much does a pilot make when behind the wheel of one of these beauties? The salary depends on the pilot's rank (captain or first officer), years of service and the airline. United and Delta operate these planes, as do a certain number of cargo airlines.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that airline and commercial pilots earned a median pay of ​$134,630​ a year in 2021 flying planes, helicopters and other kinds of aircraft. A United pilot salary for a captain could start at ​$177​ an hour for a first-year captain and increase to as much as ​$190​ an hour by 12 years. A Delta airline pilot salary for flying a 747 is also based on seniority and is estimated to range from ​$199 to $217​ an hour. A UPS pilot salary can be even higher and is estimated to be as high as ​$252​ an hour.

First officers are second in command, work under captains, act as co-pilots and make less money. With United, these employees start at about ​$33​ an hour and can work their way up to ​$148​. Delta shows higher pay rates, ranging from ​$56 to $148​ an hour, and UPS first officers get approximately ​$178​ an hour when they have 15 years of flying experience with the company.

Commercial aircraft pilots also fly planes for other purposes, like traffic monitoring, emergency rescues and evacuations, aircraft testing, firefighting and crop dusting. While commercial airlines use two-person teams to pilot their fights, smaller companies might hire one pilot to fly their planes. However, working for a larger airline can come with higher pay and better benefits. Most of these pilots get a per diem allowance for their time away from home plus paid time off, health care coverage and free flights for family members.

There were ​113,900​ airline and commercial pilot jobs in ​2020​, and this field is projected to grow by ​13 percent​ from 2020 to 2030, which is faster than average. It is expected that there will be ​14,700​ jobs at the end of that time. The job training is moderate, and as long as the travel, leisure and delivery industries are up and running, things should continue to keep going up.

Airline and commercial pilots may be able to deduct job-related expenses when their employers don't reimburse them. These might include license fees, passport or visa fees, training costs, union dues and the price of a uniform that is only worn at work. A pilot's travel expenses may also qualify as deductions when they are paid out of pocket for transportation to the airport or a hotel as well as lodging and meals.

Other expenses, like internet fees, out-of-town ATM fees, small travel toiletries and even a new travel case might qualify as long as the pilot only uses them for work purposes. It makes sense to save all of the receipts and to keep track of what they were for. These employee expenses can be claimed on a Schedule A when tax time rolls around. Tax-filing pilots must follow plenty of IRS rules to do this correctly, and not all expenses will qualify for these deductions. For additional information about what airline pilots can and cannot claim as an expense on taxes, you should refer to the resources provided by the IRS.