US regional airlines, compared
First-year first officer pay, bonuses, flow-through and hiring at 11 regionals. Every figure links to its source and the date we checked it. Anything we couldn't confirm says Unverified. Click a column header to sort.
| Airline | First-year FO pay | Top captain pay | Sign-on bonus | Flow-through / major partner | Upgrade time | Hiring status | Minimums to apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $102.00/hr *source · checked 2026-10-17 | $228.75/hr (Year 19+) *source · checked 2026-10-17 | Unverified | American Airlines (wholly owned; American Eagle)source · checked 2026-10-17 | Captain pay rates at 750 hrs of 121 time (pay, not seat)source · checked 2026-10-17 | Hiringsource · checked 2026-10-17 | ATP or R-ATP; 1,500 TT (R-ATP 1,250/1,000/750 accepted); ATP written; 1st-class medicalsource · checked 2026-10-17 | |
| $102.00/hr *source · checked 2026-10-17 | $228.75/hr (Year 19+) *source · checked 2026-10-17 | Unverified | American Airlines (wholly owned; American Eagle)source · checked 2026-10-17 | Unverified | Hiringsource · checked 2026-10-17 | ATP or R-ATP mins; 25 hrs actual multi-engine; ATP-CTP; 1st-class medical *source · checked 2026-10-17 | |
| $102.00/hr *source · checked 2026-10-17 | $228.75/hr (Year 19+) *source · checked 2026-10-17 | Unverified | American Airlines (wholly owned; American Eagle)source · checked 2026-10-17 | Unverified | Hiringsource · checked 2026-10-17 | ATP or R-ATP; 1,500 TT, 50 multi-engine, 250 PIC (or R-ATP mins); 1st-class medicalsource · checked 2026-10-17 | |
| $92.73/hrsource · checked 2026-10-17 | $222.54/hr (Year 20) *source · checked 2026-10-17 | $7,500 (CL65/E175 type-rated pilots only)source · checked 2026-10-17 | Delta, United, Alaska, American; interviews after 24 months as Captain; United Aviatesource · checked 2026-10-17 | Unverified | Hiringsource · checked 2026-10-17 | ATP or R-ATP; 1,500 TT (R-ATP 1,250/1,000/750 accepted); 25 hrs actual multi-enginesource · checked 2026-10-17 | |
| $92.73/hr *source · checked 2026-10-17 | $222.19/hr (Year 20) *source · checked 2026-10-17 | Unverified | American, Delta, United (no single-major flow)source · checked 2026-10-17 | Can bid upgrade after 850 hrs of Part 121source · checked 2026-10-17 | Hiringsource · checked 2026-10-17 | ATP or R-ATP mins; ATP written preferred *source · checked 2026-10-17 | |
| $106.66/hr *source · checked 2026-10-17 | Unverified | $20,000–$40,000 (by Part 121 experience)source · checked 2026-10-17 | Delta Air Lines (wholly owned; contractual path to Delta)source · checked 2026-10-17 | Early Captain pay at 850 hrs (Retention Program opt-in)source · checked 2026-10-17 | Hiringsource · checked 2026-10-17 | ATP or R-ATP; 1,500 TT (R-ATP 1,250/1,000/750 accepted); 25 multi-engine; 1st-class medicalsource · checked 2026-10-17 | |
| $92.72/hr *source · checked 2026-10-17 | $222/hr (Year 18+) * [APC (last resort, may be outdated) · update date not shown]source · checked 2026-10-17 | Unverified | Alaska Airlines (path to Alaska)source · checked 2026-10-17 | Unverified | Unverified | 1,500 TT or R-ATP qualified; 25 multi-engine; Commercial ME/instrument; 1st-class medicalsource · checked 2026-10-17 | |
Mesa AirlinesFreshWebsite | $101.00/hr *source · checked 2026-10-17 | Unverified | Unverified | United (United Express; Aviate). Owned by Republic Airways Holdings since the Nov 2025 merger; still flies as a separate airline.source · checked 2026-10-17 | As little as 15 months (2,500 TT + 1,000 hrs 121)source · checked 2026-10-17 | Hiringsource · checked 2026-10-17 | Not listed by the airline |
| $96.00/hr *source · checked 2026-10-17 | Unverified | $5,000 (paid after First Officer IOE)source · checked 2026-10-17 | Unverified | Unverified | Unverified | ATP or R-ATP; 1,500 TT (R-ATP 1,250/1,000/750 accepted); 1st-class medicalsource · checked 2026-10-17 | |
CommuteAirFreshWebsitePilot hiring | $79.57/hr *source · checked 2026-10-17 | Unverified | $20,000source · checked 2026-10-17 | United (United Express; Aviate)source · checked 2026-10-17 | Unverified | Hiringsource · checked 2026-10-17 | ATP or R-ATP mins; 1st-class medicalsource · checked 2026-10-17 |
GoJet AirlinesFreshWebsitePilot hiring | $94.11/hr *source · checked 2026-10-17 | $216.35/hr (Year 18) *source · checked 2026-10-17 | $18,000 *source · checked 2026-10-17 | United (United Express; Aviate)source · checked 2026-10-17 | Unverified | Hiringsource · checked 2026-10-17 | ATP, R-ATP or Commercial ME; ATP/R-ATP total-time mins; 25 multi-engine; ATP-CTP; 1st-class medicalsource · checked 2026-10-17 |
* See the airline's page for notes (premiums, conflicting sources, third-party figures). Top captain pay is the highest longevity step on the current captain scale (step shown). Pay is the base hourly rate before per diem, premiums or profit sharing.
Recent changes
- 2026-10-17 Envoy Air, First-year FO pay:
$99.00/hr→ $102.00/hr - 2026-10-17 Air Wisconsin, Sign-on bonus:
Unverified→ $5,000 (paid after First Officer IOE) - 2026-10-17 All airlines, Minimums to apply:
(new field)→ Minimums to apply added for 10 of 11 airlines (Mesa lists none) - 2026-10-16 Air Wisconsin, Top captain pay:
$221.25/hr→ Unverified


