Air Pilot Salary in Canada | By Province

In Canada, the median salary for a pilot is $52/hr. in 2025.

Air Pilots in Canada: job prospects, employment requirements, licensing.

Air pilots in Canada, classified under NOC 72600 as air pilots, flight engineers and flying instructors, fly fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters to provide commercial air transportation, charter services, crop spraying, aerial surveying, firefighting, and other specialized operations. Approximately 19,200 people worked in this occupational group in 2023, with 38 percent aged 50 and over. Job prospects indicate a strong risk of labour shortage nationally through 2033, with about 8,700 projected job openings exceeding the expected 5,300 job seekers, driven by strong demand in commercial aviation, retirements, and industry growth. Median hourly wages stand at about 52.00 Canadian dollars nationally, with typical ranges from 24.04 to 106.00 dollars per hour depending on experience, type of operation, airline, aircraft type, and seniority, often resulting in high annual earnings especially for airline captains. Most positions require a commercial pilot licence or airline transport pilot licence, extensive flight hours, and Transport Canada certification, with work conditions involving irregular and long hours, shift work, overnight stays away from home, significant time in the air, and high levels of responsibility for passenger and crew safety in varying weather and operational conditions.

Licensing

Air pilots, flight engineers, and flying instructors are regulated everywhere in Canada. You are required to be registered with the federal regulatory authority to be authorized to practise as an air pilot, flight engineer, and flying instructor anywhere in Canada.

AIR PILOT (NOC 72600)
2025	Wages/hr
Community/Area	Low	Median	High
Canada	24.04	52.00	106.00
Newfoundland and L	20.00	41.87	84.13
Prince Edward Island	N/A	N/A	N/A
Nova Scotia	24.00	44.00	77.16
New Brunswick	27.00	55.29	85.10
Quebec	27.81	50.56	86.72
Ontario	28.85	63.00	126.92
Manitoba	22.81	45.11	80.84
Saskatchewan	24.23	50.00	79.07
Alberta	28.05	54.11	89.95
British Columbia	30.00	57.69	96.15
Yukon Territory	N/A	N/A	N/A
Northwest Territories	24.55	41.43	59.91
Nunavut	N/A	N/A	N/A
Source: Job Bank. 2026

In 2019, air pilots reported higher salaries in Ontario

AIR PILOTS, FLIGHT ENGINEERS AND FLYING INSTRUCTORS (NOC 2271)
2019	Wages ($/hour)
Province/Territory	Low	Median	High
Canada	17.5	37.5	64.1
Newfoundland and L	17.5	34.79	57.69
Nova Scotia	17.5	34.79	57.69
Quebec	15.5	40.87	48.08
Ontario	20.19	41.03	77.58
Manitoba	18	36.06	57.69
Saskatchewan	15.63	32.05	60
Alberta	19.23	40	62.5
British Columbia	15.38	32.05	54.95
New Brunswick	N/A	N/A	N/A
Prince Edward Island	N/A	N/A	N/A
Yukon Territory	N/A	N/A	N/A
Northwest Territories	N/A	N/A	N/A
Nunavut	N/A	N/A	N/A
Source: Job Bank. May 2019

According to the latest figures, in Canada, pilots earned a median wage of $38.46/hr in 2016. In 2016, pilots, flight engineers and flying instructors reported the highest median wages in Alberta.

AIR PILOTS, FLIGHT ENGINEERS AND FLYING INSTRUCTORS (NOC 2271-B)
2016	Wages ($/hr)
Province/Territory	Low	Median	High
Canada	18.32	38.46	64.1
Alberta	18.32	38.46	92.31
Saskatchewan	28.37	45.19	84.92
Northwest Territories	19.47	33.14	72.34
Nova Scotia	21.35	35	72.12
Ontario	17.31	33.65	65.93
British Columbia	22.94	48.08	60.1
Manitoba	19.78	37.1	59.13
Newfoundland and L	19.27	33.27	58.37
Québec	19	38.46	48.08
New Brunswick	N/A	N/A	N/A
Nunavut	N/A	N/A	N/A
Prince Edward Island	N/A	N/A	N/A
Yukon	N/A	N/A	N/A
Source: Job Bank. November 2016*

*Wages are reviewed and updated on the Job Bank Web site on an annual basis.

AIR PILOT SALARY IN CANADA (2019)