What Delta Pilots Earn in Minnesota Right Now

If you've ever wondered what kind of paycheck comes with sitting in the cockpit of a major airline, we now know. In fact, new figures break down what pilots for Delta Air Lines, the largest airline serving Minnesota, are taking home. And the numbers might surprise you.

Pilots for any commercial airline today earn some pretty hefty salaries. Not that they're not deserved, of course, seeing as a pilot for a major airline has a job that is incredibly complex and comes with an immense amount of responsibility, right?

MSP as a Major Delta Hub in the U.S

Here in Minnesota, Delta is the largest airline in the state. And the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) is Delta's second-largest hub in the country outside of its home base in Atlanta. And those Delta Air Lines pilots signed onto a new contract in March 2023 that included some substantial raises.

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When it was first signed over two years ago, Delta's pilots made news across the airline industry for being offered a new contract that included a 34% raise over the next four years! That's not a typo (not 3.4%, for example), it is, in fact, a pay increase that will be at least 34%!

Delta Pilot Pay Range: From Entry Level to Captain

According to this CNBC story, 78% of Delta's 15,000 pilots-- a decent number of whom are based here in the North Star State-- approved that new deal, and the contract went into effect on March 2nd. It meant all Delta pilots earned an 18% raise in 2023 with another 5% raise in 2024, a 4% raise this year, and another 4% in 2026. Altogether, that's a 34 percent increase in salary over four years.

This Flying story says that even before this historic raise, Delta pilots were already earn inga pretty hefty salary, depending upon their experience and the aircraft they fly.

Pilot pay at Delta Air Lines ranges from $64,000 per year for a new first officer up to $257,000 per year for a senior captain.

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What Delta Pilots Get Beyond Their Salary

And, in addition to great pay, Flying says Delta pilots also get some decent benefits, too, including:

• Profit-sharing
• Retirement savings plan
• Training and professional development
• Competitive life insurance
• Comprehensive medical insurance, including dental and optometry
• Paid leave benefits
• Free and discounted flights

If you'd like to earn your wings and become a pilot, it's going to cost you. Flying says flight school tuition can run anywhere from $80,000 to a whopping $400,000, depending on what type of school you attend. So, you'll need some of those salaries just to pay off the debt you incurred while in flight school!

Both stories noted that the massive raise Delta offered its pilots is a result of the company's attempts to retain pilots in the wake of a continuing shortage caused by the pandemic, and has been duplicated at several other airlines, as well.

Now, while pilots DO make a pretty good living, they're likely NOT among the richest people in America. Keep scrolling to see WHO are the richest-- and how they did it!