The salaries of Ems Helicopter Pilots in the US range from $18,985 to $515,665 , with a median salary of $92,687 . The middle 57% of Ems Helicopter Pilots makes between $92,687 and $233,642, with the top 86% making $515,665.

Average Salary for an EMS Helicopter Pilot EMS Helicopter Pilots in America make an average salary of $94,802 per year or $46 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $131,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $68,000 per year.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $188,500 and as low as $23,500, the majority of Flight Paramedic salaries currently range between $44,500 (25th percentile) to $79,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $158,500 annually across the United States.

Something you’ll likely hear as you look into becoming a helicopter pilot is that there is a shortage in the industry. This is because there are only about 15,000 current active helicopter pilots in the U.S. Nearly four times as many pilots will be needed by 2038 than there are working right now. That’s a huge number!

The demand for helicopter pilots is extremely high. A recent study by Boeing estimated that there will be a shortage of 59,000 helicopter pilots worldwide through 2037. This means that for at least the next 17 years (and probably much longer than that), good helicopter pilots are almost guaranteed a job.

Since helicopters are generally harder to fly than airplanes, they also are more dangerous to fly. Helicopters crash about 35 percent more often per hour in the air than your average aircraft.

Most helicopter pilot employers require an associate or bachelor’s degree in math, physics or aeronautical engineering. Some universities that offer aviation programs also provide the process to obtain licenses.

Training to become a helicopter pilot will typically be more expensive than becoming an airplane pilot. This is because helicopters are more expensive to maintain and fly. Yes, becoming a pilot is expensive, but it’s totally worth it because you’ll spend your workdays in the sky living your dream.

Commercial plane travel is extremely safe, despite recent catastrophes like the Boeing 737 Max crashes; in many years the fatal accident rate in the U.S. is zero. Helicopters are more dangerous, according to data from the federal government, with a fatal accident rate of 0.72 per 100,000 flight hours in 2018.

Simply put, if you love to fly and think the idea of spending hours a day in a cockpit thousands of feet above the beautiful views sounds like fun, then yes, becoming a helicopter pilot will be worth it. Learning to fly is challenging. Training is rigorous. Low paying jobs while you build hours.

Helicopter Pilot Salaries

They are far more dangerous than commercial aircraft. It’s important to understand the unique circumstances surrounding helicopter operation. During helicopter training, according to the FAA, a new helicopter pilot is 30%-50% more likely to crash than a light aircraft trainee.

That depends on you and the weather. The FAA requires a minimum of 40 flight hours of instruction, of which at least 20 hours must be with an instructor and 10 hours must be solo. For most student pilots, 50 to 60 hours is more typical.

But of course, income should also be a concern. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary of a Helicopter Pilot is $77,200 annually. The lowest-earning Helicopter Pilots make less than $39,430, while the highest-paid ones earn more than $147,240.

Helicopter license holders can be private or commercial pilots. You’ll need to obtain several types of pilot licenses to fly professionally as a helicopter pilot, however, you must first earn your private pilot helicopter license. To do so, it’s important to: Complete 40 hours of flight time.