How much do Top Gun pilots make?
Mia Horton
Updated on January 09, 2026
Salary Ranges for Navy Fighter Pilots
The middle 60% of Navy Fighter Pilots makes $117,290, with the top 80% making $187,200.How much do F 22 pilots get paid?
Basic pay is set by Congress and increases with promotions in rank and years of service. For example, an F-22 pilot with six years active duty in the Air Force and the rank of captain received basic pay in 2015 of $5,469.60 per month. A lieutenant colonel with 20 years active duty got a monthly salary of $8,506.50.What is the highest paid pilot?
The average annual salary for a pilot at Southwest Airlines is $171,800 which also puts them towards the top of the list for average pilot pay. Their most experienced pilots earn $256,400 annually while new pilots with less experience can expect to average just over $79,100 per year.How long does it take to become a Top Gun pilot?
TOPGUN is part of one of 12 departments at the Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center, which is located at Naval Air Station Fallon in Nevada. The program is 13 weeks long, and it only accepts the top 1% of Navy pilots.How much do F 18 pilots make?
The average salary for a F/A-18 Pilot is $85,103 per year in United States, which is 29% lower than the average US Navy salary of $120,171 per year for this job.Ep. 19: Patch Wearers: The Real TOPGUN
Do Air Force pilots get paid more?
Air Force pilots move up in rank and expertise the longer they serve. That means more responsibilities, but also higher salary. The more years a pilot is in the Air Force, the more deployments and missions he goes on.How much do President pilots make?
Air Force One Pilot SalaryPresidential pilots earn the same base salary as any other pilot with their rank and experience. According to the 2020 military pay charts, a pilot flying Air Force One would make somewhere in the region of $134,124 USD per year.