Understanding how pay works for pilots can help you decide whether this career is right for you. Most airlines guarantee a minimum number of hours per month, so that pilots can count on at least a minimum amount of monthly income. A regional airline pilots in the U. And although prospective pilots may imagine a lifetime in the air, the reality is that pilots spend just as much time on the ground as they do in the airplane. The average airline pilot logs 75 hours a month in the air and sometimes up to hours per month performing ground duties like simulator training, maintaining records, performing pre-flight inspections, flight planning and traveling to and from hotels and airports. This allowance covers meals and other incidentals the pilots may accrue. And airlines typically pay for lodging when a pilot has to stay away from home overnight. Non-jet aircraft pilots make significantly .