"Don't Be Surprised by My Salary"... Shocking Hourly Wage Revealed by U.S. First Officer

Hourly Wage of About 290,000 KRW, 80 Hours of Work Per Month Earns $17,109
Equivalent to Approximately 23.31 Million KRW... Monthly Salary Rises to 37.05 Million KRW Upon Promotion to Captain

Garrett Way, known as the first officer of American Airlines. Garrett Way YouTube

The annual salary disclosed by a first officer at a U.S. airline on his YouTube channel has become a hot topic. Although layover time and preparation time are not recognized as working hours, it is reported that he receives $17,109 (approximately 23.31 million KRW) for working 80 hours per month. If promoted to captain, his salary increases by $10,000 to $27,199 (approximately 37.05 million KRW).

According to the New York Post on June 25 (local time), Garrett Way, known as the first officer at American Airlines, posted a video on his YouTube channel titled, "How much money do pilots at major airlines make?"

Garrett Way surprised viewers by revealing that, as a first officer, he earns $213.97 (about 290,000 KRW) per hour. However, since pilots do not work a typical 9-to-5 schedule like most office workers, they may spend several days without flying and often experience long waiting periods between outbound and return flights.

Garrett Way, known as the first officer at American Airlines. Garrett Way YouTube

For example, in what he described as his favorite route?from New York's JFK (John F. Kennedy) Airport to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport in Arizona?he has to wait 24 hours during the layover before returning. Although the total duty period is 40 hours, he only gets paid for 10 hours of flight time, making this a route that is not favored by younger pilots.

As a result, Garrett has focused on routes that allow him to earn more money with the shortest possible rest periods. He told the Daily Mail, "Today, I operated a round-trip direct flight from LGA (LaGuardia Airport) to DFW (Dallas Fort Worth). I worked just over 7 hours and earned $1,556 (about 2.12 million KRW), but the total time away from base was just over 9 hours."

Meanwhile, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), as of May this year, the median annual salary for pilots and first officers at U.S. airlines is $226,600. This is 4.58 times higher than the median for all occupations in the U.S., which stands at $49,500.