Nigerian Pilot Salary Structure 2020 for Monthly Earnings.
Nigerian Pilot Salary Structure… Pilots are celebrated and respected for many reasons including the fact that they have to put in a lot of energy into studying to get their certificates, a lot of dedication and sacrificing many things to become qualified in their professions. Not only that, they undertake one of the world’s most delicate jobs flying people to and fro destinations, with countless people’s lives being in their hands, literally so.
Do pilots earn high in Nigeria? You’ve probably heard the rumour countless times- and the rumours are true- but what you haven’t heard or learnt about are the exact salaries of Nigerian pilots which is what this article is basically about.
If you have to make any list of the top 10 highest paying jobs in Nigeria at any point, pilots would sure appear on the list because of their salaries which are very high compared to what people in other sectors earn monthly or annually in Nigeria.
When referring to Nigerian pilots, I am referring to the pilots who work in normal airports and not the military.
There are so many factors to be considered before arriving at what a Nigerian pilot earns monthly as it is obtainable in other sectors and throughout the aviation industry or sector which is where pilots (in this case, Nigerian pilots work) work primarily.
Factors Which Determine the Salary of a Nigerian Pilot.
- The pilot’s ranking
- The years of experience the pilot has
- The number of hours the pilot flies monthly
- The airline the pilot works in
Now that we have explained the factors which determine what salary a Nigerian pilot earns, let’s address the ranks among Nigerian pilots and what they earn.
Nigerian Pilot Salary Structure per Rank in 2020.
Like in all organizations or career fields, they are ranks of pilots and we would be focusing on the ranks of commercial pilots and what they earn respectively.
- Junior flight officer
- Flight officer
- First officer
- Senior first Officer
- Captain
- Senior captain
- Commander
- Senior commander
New / Novice Nigerian Pilot Salary.
Pilots who are novices with no professional experience flying aircrafts and recently passed out of aviation school has to first acquire a NCAA which is basically a license to fly aircrafts called the CPL (Commercial Pilot License) but the novice pilot is not ranked yet since he or she has no work experience.
Most airlines are unwilling to employ pilots with no professional experience so the best home is being an onboard assistant of some sort learning the ropes until experience is gained.
The average salary for pilots without experience is about #200,000 though some commercial airline pay up to #500,000. First the airline would have to sponsor the novice pilot to undergo further training and certification in what is called the “Type Rating Courses”. They’d first be rated as Junior Flight Officer and Flight Officers next.
Nigerian First Officer and Senior Officers
As I stated above, Nigerian pilots are in ranks and further up are the first officers – referred to as FO- and Senior first officers ( referred to as SFO). Of course, they have different Type Ratings which signifies their ratings which also is a major determinate of what they earn either as FO or SFO.
First Officers and Senior First Officers earn between #300,000 to #800,000 every month as their salary but as I have stated before, the exact salaries an FO and SFO depends on the airline company which employs them, the professional experience they have acquired and the number of hours they fly monthly which could be different from one another, hence the disparity in the salary.
Nigeria Flight Captain Salary
The difference between what a flight captain and a new pilot with no professional experience earn is definitely obvious. As always what a Nigerian flight captain earns depends on the airline company which employs them, the number of hours they fly monthly and tell professional experience and certification they have acquired.
For a Nigerian flight captain who flies locally, the salary could rang from #500,000 to #1 million every month; while if the flight captain flies international routes the salary would range from #1 million to # 2 million every month.
What does it cost to study in an aviation school or study as a pilot in Nigeria?
While the salaries stated above might sound mouth-watering and very high compared to what people earn in other industries in Nigeria, it costs a lot to get fully trained to become a professional pilot.
College of Aviation Technology is the official aviation school in Nigeria where persons who are resident in the country and want to get fully trained as professional pilots have to get enrolled in.
That is not just all though as students would have to spend up to 7 million naira or more on tuition fees and other necessary requirements to get trained and master how to handle and flying aircrafts but the reward is certainly worth it because after the investment comes the prestige, high salary and other pecks which come with being a Nigerian pilot and there is opportunity for career advancement which even means more to be earned over a long period of time.
How to Become Trained as a Professional Pilot in Nigeria?
After reading all of the above, the idea of getting training as professional pilot in Nigeria might become to seem appealing – I bet the mouth-watering salaries convinced you too-, you might be asking how to become a professional pilot in Nigeria.
Below are the top 5 aviation schools in Nigeria
- Dhaewood Aviation Business School (DABS)
- Universal School of Aviation
- Landover Aviation Business School (LABS)
- International Aviatuon College (IVC)
The International Aviation College is located at the International Airport at Ilorin, Kwara State.
- Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT)
The Nigerian College of Aviation Technology is located in Zaria, Kaduna State and it is the oldest aviation school in Nigeria.
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NG Team.
