JetBlue pilot salary: What the low-cost airline pays its flight deck

JetBlue celebrates the joy of flying through generous pay and incentive packages for its captains and first officers — here's how much they can make

Oct 5, 2024 - 04:30
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JetBlue pilot salary: What the low-cost airline pays its flight deck

People love to fly JetBlue Airways (JBLU) , the low-cost air carrier, for its inexpensive fares and free perks like carry-on luggage, high-speed in-flight WIFI, and tasty, brand-name snacks like Cheez-Its and Dunkin coffees.

JetBlue’s pilots revel in flying for the airline since it offers great pay, extensive health coverage, and free go forwards and backwards benefits for themselves and their families. Moreover they receive kind of an even deal of flexibility—one JetBlue pilot interviewed by JobShadow said that he only works between 15 and sixteen days a month.


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And while JetBlue consistently finds itself among J.D. Power’s list of Top Airlines for Customer Satisfaction, its flight deck gives the corporate similar acclaim. JetBlue’s pilots are said to be just a couple of the happiest within the airline industry, rating their jobs Four.Four out of 5 stars on Glassdoor, which is quite 30% higher than the industry average.

Related: JetBlue analyst puts faith at the back of stock after upgrade

What is JetBlue Airlines?

Founded by David Neeleman in 1998, JetBlue took its low-cost go forwards and backwards cues from the opposite popular carrier, Southwest Airlines. The reality is, Neeleman had previously served on Southwest’s executive planning committee but became fired by Southwest’s CEO, Herb Kelleher, reportedly over clashing personalities. Kelleher became a cigarette-smoking, Wild Turkey-drinking former litigator, while Neeleman became a father of nine who subscribed to the Mormon faith.

Neeleman started his airline with out a aircraft, no personnel, and no big investors — only a vision to “put people first.”

The Brazilian-born innovator correctly compelled just a couple of different Southwest execs into joining him at JetBlue: John Owen, who became Southwest’s Treasurer and later a VP of operations, served as JetBlue’s founding CFO. In an interview with the entrepreneurial blog Forward Obsessed, Owen credited Neeleman for now now not only providing his employees with monetary compensation but also giving them “psychic income,” which meant that they found their jobs to be meaningful and have became excited to do their part to help the corporate grow.

JetBlue also stood aside from other airlines with its aircraft.

After the September eleven terrorist attacks, as an instance, JetBlue became the first to install bulletproof cockpit doors. “We were determined to make passengers feel safe and snug,” Owen said, “The reinforced cockpit doors made a bold statement about our commitment to passenger safety and helped change the trajectory of our bookings.”

Solely operating Airbus A320 and A220 and Embraer E190 airplanes added efficiency and helped cut back training and maintenance costs for JetBlue’s fleet — and in 2024, the corporate shunned just a couple of the disruptions other airlines faced when Boeing’s 737-9 MAX series planes were grounded by the FAA.

Not only did JetBlue consciously streamline its fleet; it also revolutionized its passenger experience. By offering exceptionally trained flight attendants, seats with extra legroom, lie-flat airplane beds on international flights, and satellite TVs in every seatback, JetBlue built strong brand loyalty, earning top marks on J.D. Power’s Customer Satisfaction surveys from nearly day one.

This day, JetBlue’s 286 aircraft transport nearly forty three million passengers to destinations within the U. S., Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, and Central and South America.

Stock-wise, the corporate beat analyst expectations for the 2d quarter of 2024, reporting a quarterly profit of $25 million, and in September, a Bank of America analyst raised its price target from $Three to $6, upgrading the stock from “underperform” to “neutral.”

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What number pilots does JetBlue have? Where are their pilot bases?

JetBlue has Four,436 pilots based out of the next hubs:

  • Boston
  • Newark, N.J.
  • New York
  • Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
  • Los Angeles
  • Orlando, Fla.

Is JetBlue hiring pilots?

In accordance with JetBlue’s Careers page, the corporate is actively hiring First Officers for its Gateway University program, which is a career pathway for current aviation students.

It’s also hiring through its Gateway Family Program. Candidates needs to be the offspring, significant other, sibling, or parent of a JetBlue crewmember to be eligible.

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How an even deal do JetBlue pilots make?

In accordance with data from Glassdoor, which compiles user-reported incomes in addition as government data, the estimated total pay range for a JetBlue pilot is between $208,000 and $376,000 per year. This includes base salary and incentives like bonuses and profit sharing.

Related: Boeing's turbulent descent: The corporate’s scandals & mishaps explained

Pilots receive a minimum pay of 70 hours per thirty days, and their compensation is predicated on the kind of aircraft they fly, the variety of hours flown, how an even deal experience they have, and whether their flights are domestic or international.

JetBlue First Officer salaries

In accordance with the aviation academy Thrust Flight, JetBlue’s First Officers receive salaries which are competitive with regional carriers:

First Officer pay by experience

Thrust Flight

Years of ExperienceSalary

Year 1

$ninety four,000

Year 5

$166,000

Year 12

$189,000

JetBlue Captain salaries

When they log 1,five hundred flight hours, pilots can apply for the position of Captain, which enjoys increased pay — and greater responsibility — as they're the aircraft’s commanding officers and primarily to blame for the security of all onboard.

JetBlue Captain pay by experience

Thrust Flight

Years of ExperiencePay

Year 1

$246,000

Year 5

$259,000

Year 12

$283,000

Which airline has some of essentially the most effective possible-paid pilots?

Epic Flight Academy reports that JetBlue’s Captains are kind of an even deal of some of essentially the most effective possible-paid within the industry, ranking alongside Delta, American Airlines, Southwest, and United in the case of compensation at nearly every experience level:

Pilot salaries by airline

Epic Flight Academy

AirlineYear 1Year 6Year 12

American Airlines

$331,010

$354,five hundred

$469,550

Delta Air Lines

$340,360

$354,550

$447,240

JetBlue

$317,600

$341,710

$447,240

Southwest Airlines

$334,000

$347,000

$364,000

United Airlines

$323,000

$336,000

$352,000

JetBlue’s pilots revel in six-figure salaries which may most likely soar over $400,000 per year.

Chris Sattlberger; Getty Images


More pilot salaries:

  • United Airlines pilot salaries: From raises to furloughs in twelve months
  • Delta pilot salaries: What the sector’s biggest airline pays its flightdeck
  • Southwest Airlines pilot salaries: What the low-cost carrier pays its flight crew

Is it demanding to turned into a JetBlue pilot? JetBlue pilot requirements

JetBlue has a stated goal to rent hundreds of pilots by 2030. Interested candidates can follow a few career pathways to land a seat within the cockpit:

  • Gateway University: It truly is a Four–8 year program for students enrolled in an AABI-accredited flight program at a partner college or university. After logging five hundred hours as certified flight instructor, graduates work as pilots at Cape Air, JSX, Tradewind Aviation or the opposite partner regional airline.
  • Gateway P.c. out: For candidates with little to no flying experience, this Three.5-year program trains them to work as a flight instructor at the CAE Phoenix Aviation School
  • RTP: It truly is a Three–6 month program for aviators trained by the U.S. militia that provides 50 hours of multi-engine time and ATP/CTP courses through SkyWarrior in Pensacola, Fla.
  • Gateway Flex & Gateway Direct: For current JetBlue crewmembers only, this Three.5–5-year program offers education, training, and time-building experience within the cockpit of an approved partner airline.
  • Gateway Family: Established for childhood, stepchildren, siblings, spouses, and fogeys of current JetBlue Crewmembers, this four-year program trains pilots to work at Cape Air, JSX, Tradewind Aviation, or the opposite partner regional airline.

Which implies that one can turned into a JetBlue pilot, candidates should meet all FAA requirements, including obtaining the Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) Certificate, the present top quality medical certificate, 1,five hundred hours of fixed-wing flying time, successful completion of a drug screening test, and other requirements.

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