DPE rates

brien23

brien23

Pattern Altitude
Joined
May 31, 2005
Messages
1,624
Location
Oak Harbor
Display Name
Brien
Home Airfield
76S
I got this from a new DPE in the area, is what he charges about the same elsewhere.

My fees are:
All checkrides: USD 1,000
Retest flight: USD 500
Retest oral plus flight is full fee
Discontinue is free
 
brien23 said:
I got this from a new DPE in the area, is what he charges about the same elsewhere.

My fees are:
All checkrides: USD 1,000
Retest flight: USD 500
Retest oral plus flight is full fee
Discontinue is free
Click to expand...

Seems big cities it’s around 1200

Rural around 800
 
750 for private. 100 an hour for retest.
 
$900 for all rides other than CFI initial here.

CFI initial is $1300.
 
A grand seems like a lot but considering that it's basically eating up half a day or so.... and maybe another half a day if it gets discontinued... it's still a lot per hour but it's not so bad I suppose... still...

Boy I wish that I could remember what I paid for my rides, PPL in 1991, 1.5 hours logged... and Instrument in 1992, 2.2 hours logged
 
Brad W said:
A grand seems like a lot but considering that it's basically eating up half a day or so.... and maybe another half a day if it gets discontinued... it's still a lot per hour but it's not so bad I suppose... still...

Boy I wish that I could remember what I paid for my rides, PPL in 1991, 1.5 hours logged... and Instrument in 1992, 2.2 hours logged
Click to expand...
When they can go out and get $1200-$1400 a day flying a light jet, they’re working at a discount to provide DPE service.
 
RyanB said:
When they can go out and get $1200-$1400 a day flying a light jet, they’re working at a discount to provide DPE service.
Click to expand...

Not really

Being able to avoid FAA medical clown shoes is worth a ton

Being home every night is great

Being 100% in charge of your schedule is priceless

If it wasn’t for my retirement and some other benefits I’d seriously consider leaving 121 to DPE
 
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DPEs are scarce, so they can set their rates and get them. Although the DPEs I'm friends with are fed up with the bureaucracy they are getting from the FAA, and many are saying it isn't worth it, even at $1,000 a day.
 
midwestpa24 said:
DPEs are scarce, so they can set their rates and get them. Although the DPEs I'm friends with are fed up with the bureaucracy they are getting from the FAA, and many are saying it isn't worth it, even at $1,000 a day.
Click to expand...

Pilots complain

How many have given up DPEing??
 
Roller said:
Being able to avoid FAA medical clown shoes is worth a ton

Being home every night is great

Being 100% in charge of your schedule is priceless
Click to expand...
Pretty much describes the contract flying that they’re giving up to do checkrides.
 
$300 for my Commercial back in 2006. Seems like supply/demand is on the side of DPE's now... ;-)
 
I paid $600 for instrument check ride in New England last month. Other DPEs I reached out to were quoting more in the $1k range.
 
MauleSkinner said:
Pretty much describes the contract flying that they’re giving up to do checkrides.
Click to expand...

I do contract flying too

I need AT LEAST a 2nd class, often a 1st

Lots of times it’s a over night

I’m working their schedule, I can’t say I’ll fly you this day instead
 
midwestpa24 said:
I know of at least a couple that may not have given it up completely, but they limit who and when they do check rides anymore.
Click to expand...

Exactly they complain but you don’t hear many dropping their DPE status
 
~$800 in the UP / Northern Wisconsin.
 
It’s been a couple of years since I last asked, but PPL was $900; IRA or CSEL were $1200. At fault discontinuance was half-price.
 
Roller said:
Exactly they complain but you don’t hear many dropping their DPE status
Click to expand...

They are only doing a handful a year, usually for folks they know or specialty type rides, unique aircraft types, warbirds, etc. They may still have the credential, but they aren't messing with the routine private, instrument, commercial type rides anymore. Might as well have dropped their status for the majority of people looking for DPEs.
 
2 years ago every examiner except one in our area was hired into 135 operations making scheduling check rides challenging. The one was a full time examiner for a large flight school, who has since retired, I don't know why.
At least one examiner has left his 135 gig, and is back to pretty much full time examiner. But I keep getting calls from pilots asking who might be available. I have never had to have anyone way more than about 2 weeks, but other instructors/pilots are telling me it will be months. While the examiner won't say this, my reading between the lines is good instructors have no trouble getting checkrides scheduled. Instructors that keep sending unprepared students, the DPE will be booked up for the next 6 months.
I was just told the FSDO is bringing on 3 more DPE's in our area, I know one of them, haven't heard who the other two are.

I have been hearing about $700 for private examines and $1300 for CFI.

Brian
CFIIG/ASEL
 
brcase said:
. . . . I have never had to have anyone wait more than about 2 weeks, but other instructors/pilots are telling me it will be months. While the examiner won't say this, my reading between the lines is good instructors have no trouble getting checkrides scheduled. Instructors that keep sending unprepared students, the DPE will be booked up for the next 6 months . . .
Click to expand...
I booked two or three weeks out. But didn't mind since I was already signed off and had a plane available. It was just more practice.
 
I need to get serious about pursuing this DPE thing for retirement. Seriously, it'd be right up my alley. Too bad it's such a captured market.

The contract flight comparison made me chuckle. On the schedules alone the rate delta would be worth it to me. Especially since my only interest in contract work would be single-pilot, which is defintionally lesser paid.

Who sets the manning/end-strength nationally for DPEs? Individual FSDOs, or is it HQ FAA? Trying to understand who standing in the way of opening up these positions to us highly qualified outgroupers.
 
RyanB said:
When they can go out and get $1200-$1400 a day flying a light jet, they’re working at a discount to provide DPE service.
Click to expand...

Private pilot checkride (1997): $135
Instrument rating checkride (1997): $135
Commercial checkride (1999): $150
CFI checkride: free
II checkride (2000): $200


The $200 from year 2000 adjusted for inflation will be about $400 today. So the rates being charged today are 2 to 3 times higher than inflation.
 
small GA all around has followed that increase, outpacing inflation....seems like it all started ramping up around 25 years ago or so....
 
sarangan said:
The $200 from year 2000 adjusted for inflation will be about $400 today. So the rates being charged today are 2 to 3 times higher than inflation.
Click to expand...
Just my opinion, but I think that you are seriously underestimating inflation.
Using four numbers (from Google), the average cost of a new home, an existing home, a new car, and a used car . . .
1997: $175,400, $126,500, $19,236, and $8,399 . . .
2024: $512,200, $408,000, $48,641, and $26,000 . . .
The rate of increase has been: 292%, 323%, 253%, and 310%.

But your statement that costs have well exceeded inflation holds. I paid a DPE $800 in 2024, which is $135 x 5.93.
 
Rene said:
Just my opinion, but I think that you are seriously underestimating inflation.
Using four numbers (from Google), the average cost of a new home, an existing home, a new car, and a used car . . .
1997: $175,400, $126,500, $19,236, and $8,399 . . .
2024: $512,200, $408,000, $48,641, and $26,000 . . .
The rate of increase has been: 292%, 323%, 253%, and 310%.

But your statement that costs have well exceeded inflation holds. I paid a DPE $800 in 2024, which is $135 x 5.93.
Click to expand...

Doom?

If someone can’t carve out a very nice life as a DPE they have some major lifestyle problems
 
I
Rene said:
Just my opinion, but I think that you are seriously underestimating inflation.
Using four numbers (from Google), the average cost of a new home, an existing home, a new car, and a used car . . .
1997: $175,400, $126,500, $19,236, and $8,399 . . .
2024: $512,200, $408,000, $48,641, and $26,000 . . .
The rate of increase has been: 292%, 323%, 253%, and 310%.

But your statement that costs have well exceeded inflation holds. I paid a DPE $800 in 2024, which is $135 x 5.93.
Click to expand...
I used the CPI index calculator at https://www.calculator.net/inflation-calculator.html
 
Yeahhhhhhh you'll need to be one of "the good ole boys" to bag this.

I have a friend very well qualed with apps into 4 local FSDOs and not even so much as a "confirmed receipt" out of anyone. He's pestered the hell outta them too.

It never occurred to me until now that DPEs don't need medicals, presumably because the applicant is deemed PIC and signed off by a CFI for the flight even if he fails midway through. Huh. I just assumed acceptance of the large envelope-o-cash they all require would nudge them into 2nd class territory.
 
sarangan said:
I used the CPI index calculator at https://www.calculator.net/inflation-calculator.html
Click to expand...
Yes, but the CPI is constantly being gerrymandered to make the effect of the government's unbridled love of printing money less noticeable. To whit, the "basket" of goods in the CPI keeps changing. Volatile goods are consistently removed. The bottom line is that as prices have risen since at least the 1950s, people respond by lowering their standard of living. But, everybody needs a home and transportation which is why I chose house and car prices.
 
Roller said:
Doom?

If someone can’t carve out a very nice life as a DPE they have some major lifestyle problems
Click to expand...
Yeah, but most DPE’s could be flying in a jet. A lot of jet jobs are paying upwards of $1000 a day. DPEs often are asked to fly in airplanes of questionable airworthiness and fly with some applicants who really aren’t that good and they have a big responsibility with their judgment.
 
RyanShort1 said:
Yeah, but most DPE’s could be flying in a jet. A lot of jet jobs are paying upwards of $1000 a day. DPEs often are asked to fly in airplanes of questionable airworthiness and fly with some applicants who really aren’t that good and they have a big responsibility with their judgment.
Click to expand...

I work that area too, I’d trade a few of my types for my DPE


If many of these “poor me” DPEs could, I doubt they’d take me up on that
 
Wow, last time I had a checkride was 2017 IIRC and it was $300. Has it really come up that much or are these just coastal/major metro prices?
 
Rene said:
Yes, but the CPI is constantly being gerrymandered to make the effect of the government's unbridled love of printing money less noticeable. To whit, the "basket" of goods in the CPI keeps changing. Volatile goods are consistently removed. The bottom line is that as prices have risen since at least the 1950s, people respond by lowering their standard of living. But, everybody needs a home and transportation which is why I chose house and car prices.
Click to expand...
You don't have the vocabulary or pop culture references of someone your age...
 
AvNavCom said:
Sounds like I need to work on becoming a DPE after I retire!
Click to expand...
IF you could get hired, it might be an enjoyable and lucrative career.

This isn't directed at you, but the comment reminds me of when I owned a veterinary clinic and presented an estimate or invoice to a client after bringing their almost dead pet back t life.
"Wow. I should be a veterinarian." was a common refrain.

I always wanted to say something like: "Good idea. Go for it and then see how long it takes and how much YOU would charge"
 
JOhnH said:
IF you could get hired, it might be an enjoyable and lucrative career.

This isn't directed at you, but the comment reminds me of when I owned a veterinary clinic and presented an estimate or invoice to a client after bringing their almost dead pet back t life.
"Wow. I should be a veterinarian." was a common refrain.

I always wanted to say something like: "Good idea. Go for it and then see how long it takes and how much YOU would charge"
Click to expand...
I'm a physician, so trust me when I say that I'm intimately familiar with many years of hard, sustained effort and ongoing education to stay current, only to have some patients rolling their eyes at my stupidity because they're convinced that an evening of internet searches and chatting it up on echo-chamber forums means that basically anyone can do my job and that I'm probably a parasite. And I don't even charge my patients, since they're TRICARE beneficiaries. And they STILL complain about not getting their money's worth.

So yes, I'm acutely aware that DPE takes skill, time, and effort, and should be compensated in a commensurate manner. Thus, my comment was entirely in jest.
 
AvNavCom said:
I'm a physician, so trust me when I say that I'm intimately familiar with many years of hard, sustained effort and ongoing education to stay current, only to have some patients rolling their eyes at my stupidity because they're convinced that an evening of internet searches and chatting it up on echo-chamber forums means that basically anyone can do my job and that I'm probably a parasite. And I don't even charge my patients, since they're TRICARE beneficiaries. And they STILL complain about not getting their money's worth.

So yes, I'm acutely aware that DPE takes skill, time, and effort, and should be compensated in a commensurate manner. Thus, my comment was entirely in jest.
Click to expand...
I assumed it was in jest. That is why I started off with the disclaimer that my comment wasn't aimed at you.

But when I would hear it at the hospital, I assumed the person had no idea what went into that invoice. I believe that you do
 
Racerx said:
You don't have the vocabulary or pop culture references of someone your age...
Click to expand...
Thanks. I don't like or hang out with people my own age. But, I haven't perfected my time machine yet. :cool:
 
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