Flying Instructor
Flying instructors teach people to fly, building the handling skills and judgement a pilot needs before they fly solo.
- Median salary*
- $91,000
3.6%vs last year, before tax
- People employed
- 970
3.0%vs last year
- Projected growth
- +13.7%
to 2035
- AI exposure*
- Low
- automation risk
- Average hours
- 40/wk
matches all-jobs average
- Shortage status
- In shortage
national
Flying instructors work at flying schools, aero clubs, charter operators and defence training units, teaching students from a first trial flight through to a commercial pilot licence. They hold a Civil Aviation Safety Authority instructor rating, which is what separates them from the pilots they teach, and the job runs on a cycle of pre-flight briefing, in-flight demonstration and post-flight assessment. Most of the week is spent either in the air or preparing the next lesson, with paperwork in between.
How much do flying instructors earn?
The median full-time salary for a flying instructor is $91,000 per annum, before tax, up $19,400 since 2018.
Pay usually combines a base rate with an hourly flying component, so the total depends on how many hours you actually fly and how often weather grounds the schedule. Instructor grade matters too, since a Grade 1 or 2 instructor can sign off more training than a newly rated Grade 3. Large flying schools and defence contracts tend to pay more steadily than small aero clubs, and many instructors treat the role as a step toward charter or airline flying where the earnings are higher.
What does a flying instructor do day to day?
The list below is what fills most weeks; the exact mix shifts with seniority and whatever stage the current work is at.
- Briefing students on manoeuvres, weather, airspace and fuel planning before each flight
- Demonstrating take-offs, landings, stall recovery and emergency procedures in the aircraft
- Assessing student performance against competency standards and recording the outcomes
- Supervising solo flights and keeping radio contact with students from the ground
- Maintaining training records and aircraft documentation for regulatory audits
What skills do flying instructors need?
Employers look for teaching and instruction, plant and equipment operation, emergency response, backed by AvPlan EFB fluency and strong written communication.
Specialist skills
- Teaching and instruction
- Plant and equipment operation
- Emergency response
Software and tools
- AvPlan EFB
- OzRunways
- Garmin G1000 avionics
- Flight Schedule Pro
- Flight simulator software
General skills
- Written communication
- Safety and compliance awareness
- Attention to detail
- Problem solving
- Time and deadline management
Is the job growing?
About 970 people work as flying instructors in Australia, and employment is projected to grow 13.7% over the decade to 2035. That's healthy, above-average growth, and the role should stay in solid demand.
How do you become a flying instructor?
Here's the path most flying instructors take, step by step.
- 1Get a Class 1 aviation medical certificate
A commercial pilot licence requires a Class 1 medical, so book the examination with a CASA designated aviation medical examiner early. Not everyone is cleared, so it is worth confirming before you commit to the cost of training.
- 2Complete a commercial pilot licence
Training happens at a CASA approved flying school and covers theory exams, a set number of flight hours and a flight test. It can be done full time over roughly a year or part time around work, and you pay for aircraft hire and instructor time as you go.
- 3Add an instructor rating
The entry point is a Grade 3 instructor rating, gained through a training course and a flight test with a CASA approved testing officer. It is what allows you to teach students toward their first licences and endorsements.
- 4Start instructing and build flying hours
Most people begin at a flying school or an aero club, often on casual or part-time hours at first. Instructional hours count toward the experience that charter and airline operators look for when they hire.
- 5Upgrade your instructor grade
Moving to Grade 2 and then Grade 1 lets you train other instructors and take on chief flying instructor duties. Those roles carry more responsibility for a school's training standards and are usually better paid.
Ready to apply as a flying instructor?
Whether you're working toward becoming a flying instructor or already are one and want a hand with the next step (sharpening your resume for ATS screening, tightening your cover letter, or knowing what you'll actually be asked at interview), here are examples grounded in this specific role, not generic templates.
What jobs can a flying instructor move to?
Moving into Pilot typically comes with the biggest pay rise, worth $46,900 a year more on average.
| Move to | Typical pay change | Overlap | Retraining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot Flying instructors bring instructional flight hours and airmanship, moving into pilot roles with further licence endorsements and command experience.Known move | +$46,900 | 25% | reskill |
Moves are chosen from Jobs and Skills Australia's Data on Occupation Mobility, which follows income tax records between 2011-12 and 2020-21, together with entry requirements and skill overlap. A known move is one people were seen making in that data. Pay change compares median full-time pay for the two roles.
Who works as a flying instructor?
The typical flying instructor is 39 years old; 89% are men, 66% work full-time, and full-timers average 40 hours a week.
- 39
- Median age
- 11%
- Female share
- 66%
- Full-time
- +0h
- vs all-jobs avg
What's it like being a flying instructor?
The job has a steady rhythm of briefings and flights, with weather, aircraft availability and student progress all shaping the day. Instructors carry real responsibility early, because a student's first solo flight depends on your judgement, and the work rewards people who enjoy explaining a skill and watching someone improve at it. It suits someone patient, precise and comfortable repeating the basics many times with different students.
What people like
- You see the moment it clicks. A student's first solo or a clean forced landing after weeks of practice is a result you caused, and that feedback comes often in this job.
- The working day is in the air. Most of the week is spent flying and briefing rather than at a desk, which is why many pilots take the role on purpose.
- The hours lead somewhere. Instructional flying counts toward the total experience that charter and airline operators ask for, so the job builds your own career while you teach.
- Small schools mean variety. A day might move from a trial flight with a nervous beginner to circuit practice with a commercial student, which keeps the teaching fresh.
What people find hard
- Pay starts modest for the responsibility. Many instructing jobs pay a base rate plus flying hours, so a slow month or a new Grade 3 rating means a lean start.
- Weather decides the schedule. Marginal conditions cancel lessons at short notice, which reshuffles the timetable and can leave gaps in both flying hours and pay.
- You teach the same lessons repeatedly. Stalls, circuits and emergency drills come around every week with each new student, and not everyone finds that satisfying long term.
- The paperwork follows you home. Training records, endorsements and aircraft documentation have to be kept accurate for audits, and that side of the job rarely fits neatly into a flying day.
Based on our synthesis of professional-body surveys and public accounts of the role, not first-person verified reviews.
Which industries employ flying instructors?
Education and Training employs the largest share of flying instructors, followed by Transport, Postal and Warehousing.
Top employing industries
- 1Education and Training
- 2Transport, Postal and Warehousing
- 3Public Administration and Safety
Ranked by employment share; the source doesn't publish an exact percentage per industry.
| Diploma / Advanced Diploma | 40.2% | |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor degree | 25.6% | |
| Certificate III/IV | 12.5% | |
| Year 12 or below | 10.3% | |
| Postgraduate | 8.4% |
Will AI replace flying instructors?
Flying instruction rates low for AI exposure because the core of the job happens in an aircraft with a student at the controls. Online ground school and simulator software have taken over part of the theory delivery and let students rehearse emergencies before they fly them, but nothing in that toolkit decides whether a student is ready to fly alone, which is the instructor's call.
Share of typical working time by exposure level
- In-flight instruction and demonstrationStall recovery, forced landing practice and radio calls happen in real time with a student on the controls, which automation does not reach.35%low
- Ground briefings and theory lessonsLesson plans and airspace briefings can be drafted with AI tools and delivered through online ground school, but the instructor still checks what the student actually understood.25%moderate
- Assessment and endorsement sign-offDeciding that a student can fly solo or pass a flight test rests on observed performance in the aircraft and the instructor's judgement.25%low
- Training records and compliance paperworkLogbook entries, endorsement records and reporting are the clerical side, and scheduling and record-keeping software already handles much of it.15%moderate
Common questions about becoming a flying instructor
Straight answers to the questions people ask most.
How much does a flying instructor earn?
The median is $91,000 per year before tax for full-time flying instructors. Pay usually combines a base rate with an hourly flying component, so the grade of your instructor rating, the size of the school and how many hours the weather allows all move the total.
How do you become a flying instructor in Australia?
You need a commercial pilot licence and then an instructor rating, which is a separate course and flight test with a CASA approved testing officer. Most people get the licence first, then add the Grade 3 instructor rating and start teaching at a flying school or aero club.
Are flying instructors in demand in Australia?
Flying instructors are currently in shortage nationally, and employment is projected to grow 13.7% over the decade to 2035 over the decade to 2035. That matters most for newly rated instructors looking for a first school, and it helps to be willing to move to where the training organisations are.
Will AI replace flying instructors?
Not the flying part. Simulators and online ground school already handle some theory and let students rehearse emergencies cheaply, but in-flight instruction, assessing whether a student is safe, and signing off a first solo all depend on an instructor in the aircraft or on the radio. The administrative side, including records and reporting, is where automation has made the biggest difference so far.
What can flying instructors move into?
The common move is into pilot roles, where instructional hours and airmanship are exactly the experience operators want, and pilot work typically pays $46,900 more. The flow runs both ways, because pilots also move into instructing when they want to teach or build hours, and the licence they already hold is most of what the change requires.
How many hours do flying instructors work?
Full-time flying instructors average 40 hours a week, and 66% of them work full time. Days often start early, because light, wind and student availability decide when lessons can run.
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