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Flying Instructor salary in Australia

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.

Roles that pay more than flying instructor

The largest typical pay rise is $46,900 a year, moving into Pilot.

• Pilot+$46,900/yr

How to negotiate a higher flying instructor salary

• Know the market rate before you ask. The median full-time flying instructor salary is $91,000; use that, not a guess, as your anchor, and adjust for your experience and employer.
• Use demand as leverage. Flying Instructors are on the national skills shortage list, so employers are more likely to move on price to keep or attract someone in a role they're struggling to fill.
• Lead with what's scarce, not just tenure. Skills like Teaching and instruction and Plant and equipment operation tend to command a premium over general flying instructor experience, name them specifically when you ask.
• Bring a real alternative to the table. Pilot pays a typical $46,900 a year more and draws on similar skills, even mentioning you're weighing it up is a legitimate data point in a pay conversation.
• Time it deliberately. Reviews, the end of a project you delivered, or taking on responsibility beyond your job description are stronger moments to ask than an arbitrary date on the calendar.
• Ask for a number, not a raise. "Based on the market rate and [specific contribution], I'd like to move to X" gets a clearer answer than "I think I deserve more."

Flying Instructor salary questions

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