CFI Rates - Independent

Independent CFI Hourly Cost?

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Mtns2Skies

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Mtns2Skies
What have you been seeing in your area for hourly cost of independent CFI's? Location matters too.
 
Totally varies. I paid $25/hr for a CFII for instrument (felt bad, that was way to cheap). Paid $20/hr for a tailwheel instructor because he just liked doing it. On the other side, I paid a young CFI $75/hr to teach me how to move the gear lever for an endorsement.
 
RyanShort1 said:
It varies - and it should. I wouldn't want to pay a rookie independent CFI the same as one with a lot more experience and things to teach.
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How do you define rookie CFI in this instance?

When I was a new CFI, I got paid what the school paid me. They charged what they charged.
 
Location. Experience. Ability to teach.

CSIPs (Cirrus) in a big city cost a lot more than young and new CFI in a rural area.

I paid an older gentleman with tons of experience $100/hr for Baron instruction; in Atlanta, and he had an office at PDK, which is where the Baron was hangared. I pay a CSIP with thousands of hours in Cirrus $80/hour; if I remember correctly. I do an annual IPC for insurance with him, and a BFR last year as well. He also flies jets and does ferry work as well. Both very knowledgeable and good at instructing.

I've had a CFI many years ago for the "10 hours time-in-type" on an Arrow (already had > 100 hrs of retract time) for the insurance at the club. I think I spent more time teaching him about the Garmin 530 in the plane than he did teaching me about the Arrow. o_O We were coming back from lunch on a xc and he was concerned about how high we were flying at 8,500'. :rolleyes: I pulled out an oxygen sat meter and we were both in the 90's and fine. I don't remember what I paid, but I'm pretty sure I over paid. ;)
 
From $50/hr flight time, $35/hr ground, to $35/hr flight time and nothing for ground time. It really depends on your area.
 
Looks like $46.52 is the average in the Boise valley...
 
Mtns2Skies said:
What have you been seeing in your area for hourly cost of independent CFI's? Location matters too.
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By "independent CFIs" do you mean those one-CFI-one-airplane operations, or those CFIs without an airplane, that work only with owners?
 
RussR said:
By "independent CFIs" do you mean those one-CFI-one-airplane operations, or those CFIs without an airplane, that work only with owners?
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The latter. No airplane - only working with owners.

Well I have an airplane, but I sure as hell am not instructing in it :)
 
idahoflier said:
Looks like $46.52 is the average in the Boise valley...
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I am guessing you got that number similar to how I did, looked a list of about 23 instructor approved for a local Club and averaged the rates they have posted.
Might be a bit skewed as I reduce my rates for that club because I learned to fly in that club and I really like flying their airplanes.

Brian
CFIIG/ASEL
 
RyanShort1 said:
LOL at asking me to define that.
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I think it’s a legitimate question. How do you decide if the rate someone charges is worth the instruction they’re providing? If CFI #1 is charging $80/hr for the same type of instruction that I can get for $50/hr from the low-time CFI #2, is the extra $30 bucks an hour really worth it? If the quality of instruction is truly better, I can justify the cost difference, but I’m not going to pay more just because one guy has more time than another.
 
RyanB said:
I think it’s a legitimate question. How do you decide if the rate someone charges is worth the instruction they’re providing? If CFI #1 is charging $80/hr for the same type of instruction that I can get for $50/hr from the low-time CFI #2, is the extra $30 bucks an hour really worth it? If the quality of instruction is truly better, I can justify the cost difference, but I’m not going to pay more just because one guy has more time than another.
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Oh, it's totally a legitimate question, but the answer would be so subjective it's not worth trying to type it.
 
My first 16hrs were at a flight school, the instructor was only there to get his 1500hrs and had an airline job waiting for him. He was NOT a good instructor. The guy I did my tailwheel endorsement with was like flying with an old friend, and the learning was fast and fun. My instrument instructor was a former military guy that should probably hung it up, in his 80's. Some days he would contradict what he had instructed me on the previous day, and if I asked a question he was belligerent. I made notes of all my questions and went back to my motel to find the answers for myself.
They all had different abilities in teaching, some made it hard and miserable, some made it fun. They all charged different amounts. The funny thing is, with all the instructors I have flown with, the ones that charged the most were the worst at instructing.
 
My data point for Atlanta suburban area… I charge $70/ hr for actual instruction time whether ground or in airplane. This spring another independent instructor and I bought a 172 to have a plane available at our airport. We charge $125/hr wet Hobbs time for that. I charge the same whether in that 172 or in the student’s plane.
 
Cfi for my private in 2019 charged 25 ground/ 35 air, but I was his first student in several years, so it was about right. The other guys I flew with at that time charged 40.

The cfii who did my private charged 40. He decided to raise his price during that time, but finished me up at that price. He was well worth it and I always rounded up and occasionally just added some extra. He did my complex/ lance transition then for $50/ hour.
 
Data point for the DFW area....

A common rate for an independent CFI/CFII "in someone else's airplane" is $50/hour for flying. Ground Training varies widely.

Many of the MEI's I know are in the $65-ish range.
 
A side bar to add to this conversation is "when does the money clock start and stop?"

Many around here use the Hobbs time (aka same time entered into the logbook). Frequently the charge for ground time pre and post is a fixed amount agreed to by the student.

I know of others who have done "handshake to handshake". Example: if the CFI wants $50/hr, arrives at 9am, and departs at 11:30am, then he asks for $125.00
 
I average out on what the schools charge for a CFI. I also cut discounts at times, LEO, Other CFIs, etc.
 
AggieMike88 said:
A side bar to add to this conversation is "when does the money clock start and stop?"

Many around here use the Hobbs time (aka same time entered into the logbook). Frequently the charge for ground time pre and post is a fixed amount agreed to by the student.

I know of others who have done "handshake to handshake". Example: if the CFI wants $50/hr, arrives at 9am, and departs at 11:30am, then he asks for $125.00
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At this point, it depends. If I am working through a flight school, I follow the company method.

When I am teaching in a client's airplane, I charge based on Hobbs with a 2 hour minimum and additional half hour increments. Keeps the math easy, I don't have to track tenths of hours like a damn lawyer, and my rate contemplates a certain amount of ground will typically take place.
 
I used to charge $45 when I was full time at a flight school (last year). School kept $10. Working 6 days a week was almost enough to pay the bills.

Now that I have a part 135 job, I do occasional freelance for $40. Freelance really just about covers my fuel since it will be a 25-35 min drive for one lesson. I do it b/c I enjoy it but part time instructing isn’t too lucrative.
 
Jim K said:
Cfi for my private in 2019 charged 25 ground/ 35 air, but I was his first student in several years, so it was about right. The other guys I flew with at that time charged 40.

The cfii who did my private charged 40. He decided to raise his price during that time, but finished me up at that price. He was well worth it and I always rounded up and occasionally just added some extra. He did my complex/ lance transition then for $50/ hour.
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Those are more reasonable rates than what others are throwing around on here and more like what I am accustomed to seeing and paying. At the rates some are quoting, I’m surprised that anybody can afford to learn to fly these days.
 
What kind of instruction are we talking about?

Primary instruction seems to be in the $35-40/hour range. Instrument instruction is usually $50/hour. Multi varies a bit, depending on what kind of training is being sought and what kind of airplane it is in. Basic multi training is generally in the $50/hour range but you're probably looking at a day rate for initial or recurrent training in something bigger.

Higher risk/more specialized training such as seaplane, tailwheel, helicopter, etc. can be all over the board and the rates seem to be at least somewhat dependent on how well the student knows the instructor, and how the insurance situation is being handled.
 
mondtster said:
What kind of instruction are we talking about?

Primary instruction seems to be in the $35-40/hour range. Instrument instruction is usually $50/hour. Multi varies a bit, depending on what kind of training is being sought and what kind of airplane it is in. Basic multi training is generally in the $50/hour range but you're probably looking at a day rate for initial or recurrent training in something bigger.

Higher risk/more specialized training such as seaplane, tailwheel, helicopter, etc. can be all over the board and the rates seem to be at least somewhat dependent on how well the student knows the instructor, and how the insurance situation is being handled.
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Those are all fairly low prices for DFW and Midland is worse. A lot probably depends on the local cost of living, hangars, etc. Also, precious few are getting rich even at over $50/hr. YMMV, but you're usually getting what you pay for, except in rare occasions where it's usually an older person doing it for the love of flying...
Most of what I make on instruction directly subsidizes the plane. I already know I'll probably be a loss on the year as the photography work has been soooo busy I've had less time than anticipated to fly tailwheel with students.
 
Jason Miller of the Finer Points podcast apparently charges $200/hour in the SFO area. He does mostly Cirrus instruction, if I recall correctly, but that includes Private Pilot instruction.
 
RyanShort1 said:
Those are all fairly low prices for DFW. A lot probably depends on the local cost of living. Also, precious few are getting rich even at over $50/hr. YMMV, but you're usually getting what you pay for, except in rare occasions where it's usually an older person doing it for the love of flying...
Most of what I make on instruction directly subsidizes the plane. I already know I'll probably be a loss on the year as the photography work has been soooo busy I've had less time than anticipated to fly tailwheel with students.
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Indeed, my local prices are low. It is partially a product of living in the sticks but also because people just won't pay more for the instruction since they simply price shop rather than shop based on CFI expertise/experience. The good, experienced instructors are the ones that lose on the deal. Aircraft maintenance is the same way, we have some really good mechanics in the area but the price shoppers who don't care about the quality of work have really driven the good shops and mechanics into the dirt.

Ironically, the cheapest hourly instruction rate I've personally paid was for the highest risk, most specialized instruction I've received. The instructor is very good at what they do and has a lot of very specific experience. I've learned far more from working with them than I would have if I would have sought the same training anywhere else. I never even asked what the hourly rate was going to be, because it didn't matter to me. But when they almost apologetically told me it was going to be $30/hr I knew there was no way I could pay them that little. Even double the rate was underpaying them.
 
I charge $55 flight, $45 ground/Sim. I only charge when the engine is running unless the lesson calls for extensive ground time ie X-C planning. I'm an experienced CFI that also owns an airplane (don't instruct in that) & feel I have a lot to offer to my learners. That said, I'm also retired without money concerns so my instruction money just helps my feed my own aviation addition.
 
Paying $60/hr at L45 (Central CA). Seems fair, especially considering the Cherokee rental is inexpensive. If I'm subsidizing the poor kid rate for some kid, I'm not going to lose any sleep over that.
 
Clip4 said:
Nationally the CSIP rate is $80-$90 an hour.
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LOL. I used to fly with a Cirrus owner who liked alternating instructors for recurrent training and getting non-CSIP perspectives. He used to complain I wasn't charging enough.
 
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