Aug. 8, 2025
Salaries are up over last year in many business aviation sectors, including flying and non-flying positions, according to the 2025 NBAA Compensation Survey results.
This year’s survey shows first officers’ compensation up over 12% from last year, while captains’ compensation is up more than 10%, noted Dr. Christopher Broyhill, CAM, an aviation compensation expert and NBAA Business Aviation Management Committee member who collaborates on the survey.
Additionally, non-flying aviation managers are reporting salary increases of over 20%, while directors of maintenance are up more than 8% and flight attendants’ salary grew by almost 18% on average, he added.
“The findings of the 2025 NBAA Compensation Survey clearly demonstrate the continued growth of the business aviation sector, which is instrumental in enabling us to attract and retain top-tier talent,” said Jo Damato, CAM, senior vice president of events and professional engagement at NBAA. “This survey reaffirms NBAA’s commitment to the business aviation community by providing credible, independently verified benchmark data that supports the sustained growth of the industry.”
Additions to the 2025 Survey
Broyhill noted that one of the biggest changes to this year’s survey, which is conducted by independent auditor BDO USA P.A., is the addition of breaking out compensation for those who fly ultra-long-range airplanes. In most case, those pilots are receiving higher compensation, he said.
“That’s a big deal because when you go up in front of owners and you’re trying to justify higher compensation, if you don’t have the data to back it up, you know, you’re in a bad place,” he said. “And now that that data is available.”
The survey also added a section that compared compensation levels for people who have their Certified Aviation Manager (CAM) certification versus those who don’t. Of those who responded, about a third of the companies said they would pay someone more if they had the certification, while 25% said they would increase an employee’s salary upon becoming a CAM.
“You get a CAM to increase your expertise and your knowledge, but it’s nice to see that rewarded in a manner that reflects the effort somebody put into getting the certification,” Broyhill said.
Additionally, this year’s survey looked at professional development as a benefit, and found 74% of respondents offer some sort of training for employees.
Survey Participation
The 2025 survey is based on 415 NBAA member participants providing data on 4,421 flight department employees, a data set that confirms the survey’s stature as the industry’s foremost survey in compensation and benefits, said Elayna Hall, NBAA manager of professional development and coordinator for the 2025 survey.
NBAA has partnered with independent auditor BDO since 2019 to ensure the compensation survey delivers the most credible and accurate data in business aviation.
The 2025 NBAA Compensation Survey is available to NBAA Business and Operating members. Participants receive the results free of charge; non-participating member companies can purchase access to the interactive web resource.
International Business Aviation Council Ltd.