Helicopter pilot pay scales: what employers publish

An Air Evac Lifeteam posting for a Helicopter Pilot (HAA) in Big Spring, Texas states a salary range of $115,387 - $126,926 including a 30% geographic modifier; it does not state a pay period. It also lists a $15K sign-on bonus subject to eligibility, retention bonus plans ($40,000 after 3 years, plus additional retention bonuses once completed), on-duty housing and a 7 days on / 7 days off schedule. The posting was shown as posted 5 days ago when read on 2026-10-25.

Note: Single posting for one base; the range includes the 30% geo modifier, so other bases will differ. Posting may expire or be removed. The posting does not say whether the range is yearly. Employer's own posting on its careers site.

GMR's pilot careers page states, for rotor-wing (helicopter) air ambulance pilots, a 'competitive salary ($87,019 - $121,997) DOE + geographic modifiers and base location', a $15,000 sign-on bonus for new pilots, a $40,000 / 36-month GMR Pilot Retention Bonus Plan, on-duty housing at most bases, a 7-on/7-off schedule at most bases, and healthcare, life and disability insurance and a 401k with company match for full-time employees. The page states no pay period and is undated.

Note: Page is undated; figures are as read on 2026-10-25. GMR covers Air Evac Lifeteam, Guardian Flight, REACH, Med-Trans and AirMed brands per its careers site. The same page lists a separate range of $79,382 - $193,800 for fixed-wing pilots, which is not a helicopter figure.

An Air Methods posting for a Helicopter Pilot (HCA Healthone AirLife, Holyoke, CO; ID 2026-11032; posted 10/22/2026) states a salary range of $82,900 - $93,251 per year and a 'Pay Scale' of Step A $82,900, Step B $86,216, Step C $89,665 and Step D $93,251, 'based on flight and EMS experience', plus a $25,000 stipend, an experience stipend of up to $12,000, off-duty housing available and a $15,000 sign-on bonus.

Note: Other Air Methods postings read the same day showed different stipends by base (for example a $60,000 base stipend on a fixed-wing posting and a $3,000 IFR stipend on a relief posting). The posting lists internal bidding ending 11/5/2026, so it may close soon. Air Methods' pilot careers page says pilots are represented by OPEIU Local 109 and compensation is guided by the union agreement (https://www.airmethods.com/roles-at-air-methods/pilots/); no dollar figures on that page. Employer's own posting.

PHI Air Medical's pilot careers page states that its package 'includes competitive pay, shift bonuses, shift incentives, Annual Safety Bonus, and much more', and that the salary range for pilots 'is based on region, flight time, years of EMS experience, and hours with equipment and aircraft specific to the bases'. No dollar figure is stated.

Note: Heading on the page reads 'Pilot Salary Range & Benefits' but no numbers appear. Page is undated; read 2026-10-25. Individual job postings were not found with pay figures.

Metro Aviation's benefits page lists 100% company-paid benefit premiums for medical, dental and vision (employee and dependents), a 401(k) with a 75% match of up to 7% of total earnings, PTO / sick time / 7 company holidays, 100% pilot flight physical reimbursement, hardship stipends, base modifiers and pilot housing at select locations, and a '4% Annual Increase', noting that this is not a guarantee for every employee. No pay dollar figure is stated.

Note: Pilot page (https://choosemetro.metroaviation.com/pilots/) states hour requirements only and no pay. The Metro openings listing (metroaviation.workgr8.com) loads its jobs with scripts and no posting text could be read, so no posted salary was captured. The pilot brochure linked from the pilot page is dated March 2022 and was not used. Page is undated; read 2026-10-25.

Several Air Methods helicopter pilot postings read on 2026-10-25 state a salary range that includes a geographic modifier (ACCRA). Thermal, CA (posted 8/5/2026): $91,190 - $102,576 with 110% ACCRA, plus a $7,500 stipend and an experience stipend of up to $12,000. Twentynine Palms, CA (posted 9/24/2026): $99,480 - $111,901 with 120% ACCRA, plus a $25,000 stipend and an experience stipend of up to $12,000. Lone Tree, CO regional relief posting (posted 10/10/2026): $91,190 - $102,576 with 110% ACCRA, plus a $25,000 stipend. DeFuniak Springs, FL (posted 10/15/2026): $99,480 - $124,651 'including stipends and ACCRA'. Each also lists the same Step A to Step D base scale as the existing Air Methods row ($82,900 to $93,251). Pay period is stated as per year on the structured fields of the other Air Methods postings read.

Note: Other postings cited: https://pilot-careers-airmethods.icims.com/jobs/10356/helicopter-pilot/job?in_iframe=1 (Thermal), https://pilot-careers-airmethods.icims.com/jobs/10745/program-regional-relief-helicopter-pilot/job?in_iframe=1 (Lone Tree), https://pilot-careers-airmethods.icims.com/jobs/10752/helicopter-pilot/job?in_iframe=1 (DeFuniak Springs). Across about 40 helicopter postings read, listed sign-on bonuses ranged from $10,000 to $40,000 and listed base, location or annual stipends from $7,500 to $40,000 depending on the base, plus a $3,000 IFR stipend on some. The Thermal posting says ACCRA is not included in base salary and gives a worked example multiplying Step A by 1.4 to reach $116,060, which does not match the 110% stated in the same posting; verify before relying on it. Postings may close or change at any time.

Air Evac Lifeteam line pilot postings on the GMR pilot careers site state these ranges including a geographic modifier: Abilene, TX $91,421 - $100,564 (3% modifier); Fayetteville, GA $106,511 - $117,162 (20% modifier); Quincy, IL $110,949 - $122,044 (25% modifier); a national float pilot posting in Nashville, TN $102,073 - $107,399 plus a $12K float stipend. A Weatherford, OK posting advertises '$225,000 Total Potential' with potential to earn up to $85,000 bonus and a pay range potential of $129,899 - $142,893 that is bonus eligible. Postings list a 15K sign-on bonus subject to eligibility and retention bonus plans ($40,000 after 3 years). No pay period is stated in the postings.

Note: Posting ages on the site are shown as relative times (1 day to 2 weeks ago when read on 2026-10-25), so exact posting dates are not stated. Other URLs: https://pilot-careers-gmr.icims.com/jobs/61349/line-pilot---ael-153-fayette-co%2c-ga/job?in_iframe=1 and https://pilot-careers-gmr.icims.com/jobs/61236/ael-helicopter-pilot---haa/job?in_iframe=1. Search listing: https://pilot-careers-gmr.icims.com/jobs/search?ss=1&in_iframe=1. The Weatherford figures are described by the employer as 'potential' and include bonus eligibility, so they are not a base range.

A REACH Helicopter Pilot (HAA) posting in Klamath Falls, OR states a salary range of $102,073 - $112,280 with a 15% geographic modifier, a 15K sign-on bonus subject to eligibility and retention bonus plans ($40,000 after 3 years plus additional retention bonuses). It was shown as posted 1 week ago when read on 2026-10-25, and states no pay period.

Note: Employer's own posting. Exact posting date not stated. A Med-Trans helicopter float pilot posting on the same site states $102,072 - $112,280 including a 15% geo modifier.

Bristow's careers page says it offers 'market competitive benefits and compensation' and lists items such as attractive salary and major medical. A Bristow posting for a VFR offshore oil and gas Captain (Pilot - BSEE, 5x2 schedule, New Iberia, LA; requisition R-0005633, start date listed 2026-07-06) lists relocation support, 'supplemental comp available in addition to base' and other contract related benefits, with no dollar figure.

Note: Posting was shown as 'Posted 30+ Days Ago' and may be filled or expired. Careers overview page: https://www.bristowgroup.com/careers. The Workday listing page itself is script-rendered; the posting was read through the employer's public job feed. Other Bristow pilot postings (for example S92 Captain Falklands, AW139 Captain Brazil) are outside the US offshore scope and were not used.

No pay figure or pay factor was found. The PHI Aviation posting for 'Captain, VFR Oil & Gas' (requisition REQ000550, Gulf of Mexico Pool, start date 2025-11-04) lists duties and qualifications (1500 hours PIC, FAA Commercial with instrument, Class I medical) but no salary or pay-related items.

Note: The page was read successfully; it simply contains no pay information. Posting date is from 2025 and may be expired. Only one PHI Aviation pilot posting appeared in the employer's job feed on 2026-10-25. PHI careers home https://phihelico.com/careers/ was not found to list pay.

CAL FIRE's classification page for Forestry Fire Pilot states pay of $7,754 - $10,232 per month base salary, $2,635 - $3,478 extended duty week compensation paid every 4 weeks, and annual compensation of $127,303 - $167,998. It also says employees are eligible for medical benefits and may be eligible for other pay differentials. Minimum experience listed is 2,000 hours pilot-in-command in helicopters.

Note: Page is undated. A CalCareers posting for Forestry Fire Pilot (JC-514159, Riverside County, final filing date 4/17/2026) states higher figures: $7,948 - $10,488 per month base, $2,701 - $3,564 extended duty week compensation and $130,489 - $172,188 annual compensation (https://calcareers.ca.gov/CalHrPublic/Jobs/JobPostingPrint.aspx?jcid=514159). The two pages differ, so the classification page may be out of date; the posting had closed before retrieval. State employee pay can change with bargaining agreements.

The CHP officer salary and benefits page states, under flight officer pay, that officers who fly airplanes or helicopters earn $10,809.00 - $13,405.00 per month for a pilot, and $9,668.00 - $11,983.00 per month for a flight observer. The page text introduces these as annual salaries but gives them as monthly amounts. It also lists shift differentials ($1.00 per hour for swing shift, $1.50 per hour for graveyard) and other specialty pays.

Note: Page is undated. Pilots are sworn officers, so the figures apply to officers assigned as pilots, not to civilian hires. Pay can change with bargaining agreements.

HTS's careers page says the company is seeking apprentices, licensed engineers and qualified pilots, and lists a Pilot in Command trainee program for S-61N and CH-54 (SK-64) heavy-lift helicopters. No pay figure or pay factor was found on the page.

Note: Page read successfully on 2026-10-25 and contains no pay information.

USAJOBS announcement AIA 27-01 13051330 (open 10/01/2026 to 10/31/2026) for Air Interdiction Agent states a salary of $88,509 - $163,996 per year, pay scale and grade 'GS 11' with promotion potential 13 (career ladder GS-11, GS-12, GS-13, promotion after 52 weeks at each grade with supervisor approval). It says AIA special salary rates are posted on OPM's site and 'If you do not see your geographic area listed, select the "Rest of United States" pay table' (special salary rate noted as effective 1/1/2022). The position is covered by Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP), 'additional compensation of 25% of the base salary and locality pay'. Example annual compensation including special salary rate + LEAP: GS-11 1st year $110,636, GS-12 2nd year $132,606, GS-13 3rd year $157,686; with a 25% retention incentive at certain UAS sites: GS-11 $110,636, GS-12 $159,127, GS-13 $189,223. A one-time $10,000 recruitment incentive is also stated.

Note: Posting closes 10/31/2026. The role covers airplane and/or helicopter pilots (dual-rated or either rating), not helicopter-only. Retention incentive is contingent on location and eligibility. The OPM special salary rate table itself was not captured; figures here are only those the posting states. The CBP careers page for Aviation Enforcement Agent (https://careers.cbp.gov/s/career-paths/amo/aea) could not be read, so nothing from it is used.

Maryland recruitment #26-002281-0005 for MSP Pilot I-A (MSP Helicopter Pilot, Second-in-Command), opened 9/18/2026 with a filing deadline of 10/18/2026, states a salary of $101,678.00 - $142,396.00 per year, full-time.

Note: This posting closed on 10/18/2026 (before retrieval). The MSP helicopter pilot career page (https://mdsp.maryland.gov/careers/career-paths/aviation-command-careers/helicopter-pilot) separately states 'The top base salary for MSP Pilot IV is $176,532, with annual salary increases contingent on funding' and non-competitive promotion to Pilot III after three years as Pilot II and to Pilot IV after three years as Pilot III. Pay grade code was not shown on the bulletin text read.

Kansas Highway Patrol posting 220162 for a part-time, unclassified Helicopter Flight Instructor (Topeka/Shawnee County; also acts as pilot-in-command, instructor and/or tactical flight officer) states a salary of $60/hr. The page shows 'Posted 7 months ago' and a page timestamp of 2026-03-19.

Note: Posting states a single hourly rate rather than a span. It is a part-time (999) instructor position, not a full-time line pilot, and may be filled or expired. Employer's own posting.

Arizona DPS posting 1238-24E-01 for Rotary Wing Pilot I (statewide, full-time, opening date 03/01/2024) states a salary of $44.04 hourly, $91,601.12 annually. It describes helicopter work in emergency medical evacuations, search and rescue and law enforcement operations and says the recruitment establishes an 18-month eligibility list.

Note: Posting dated 03/01/2024, so very likely expired and pay may have changed; treat as historical. States a single hourly/annual figure rather than a span. Employer's own posting hosted on GovernmentJobs.

The City of Los Angeles class specification for Helicopter Pilot (class code 3560) states an annual salary of $152,444 to $189,402, noting that the annual salary is at the start of the pay range and the range is subject to change. An exam bulletin was open 10/2/2026 to 10/15/2026 with interviews scheduled 11/30/2026 to 12/11/2026. The class operates department-owned turbine helicopters for utility, security and transportation work, including external loads.

Note: Exam bulletin had closed before retrieval. Position page: https://personnel.lacity.gov/jobs/position-information/index.cfm?job_id=3560 (table last updated October 23, 2026). The department that owns the helicopters was not named in the text read. Not a law enforcement role.

DFAS publishes monthly basic pay for warrant officers effective January 1, 2026. For example, W-1 is $4,056.60 per month at 2 years or less and W-4 is $5,719.80 per month at 2 years or less; see the armyWarrantOfficerTable for the full set of grades and years-of-service columns used here. W-5 has no figure listed until 'Over 20' years.

Note: Basic pay only; it does not include aviation incentive pay, flight pay, housing or other allowances. The page states 'Page updated January 15, 2026'. Direct fetch of the parent DFAS Pay Tables index page was refused, but the warrant officer table page was read in full.