Breeze Airways Pilot Pay (And How to Get a Job There)
What is Breeze pilot pay?
Based on Breeze’s 2024 pay rates, Breeze pilot pay is hourly, and both line and reserve pilots are guaranteed 70 hours per month. First officers start at $105 per hour, about $88,200 a year, and reach $144 per hour on the EJet and $158 on the A220 at seven years. Captains start at $205 on the EJet and $215 on the A220, topping out after 12 years at $255 and $280 per hour.
Breeze is a low-cost carrier based in Utah. Founded in 2018 as Moxy Airways, the company was conceived as a needed competitor to other American carriers who were ignoring smaller, less utilized airports.
Breeze’s primary business remains point-to-point flying between smaller regional airports, like Tampa, Norfolk, Charleston, and New Orleans, for example.
Breeze Airways Pilot Salary
Breeze pilots, both line and reserves, are guaranteed 70 hours per month. Pay is based on flight hours.
How Did We Get These Numbers
Breeze pilot pay figures here come from the latest Breeze pilot contract, updated for 2024. The estimates exclude per diem, profit sharing, override pay, and 401k contributions, which raise total compensation considerably.
Breeze pilots are still negotiating their first union contract, so the data below is based on Breeze’s 2024 pilot pay rates. The pay estimates below don’t include any per diem, profit sharing, override pay, or 401k contributions which will increase overall compensation considerably.
Breeze First Officer Pay
Breeze first officers start at $105 per hour, or about $88,200 a year at 70 hours a month. First officer pay rises through year seven, topping out at $144 per hour on EJets and $158 per hour on A220s.
Starting pay for Breeze FOs is $105 per hour. At 70 hours a month, that comes out to be about $88,200 annually.
Pay rates increase to the seven-year mark when the max FO pay tops $144 per hour for the EJets and $158 per hour for the A220s. These figures reflect Breeze’s 2024 pay rates.
| Year | EJet | A220 |
| 1 | $88,200 | $88,200 |
| 3 | $105,840 | $115,080 |
| 7 | $120,960 | $132,720 |
Breeze Airways Captain Pay
Captain pay starts at $205 for the EJet and $215 for the A220. These increase yearly until they max out after 12 years at $255 for the EJet and $280 for the A220.
| Year | EJet | A220 |
| 1 | $172,200 | $180,600 |
| 6 | $188,160 | $208,320 |
| 12 | $214,200 | $235,200 |
Annual salary estimates are based on a minimum of 70 hours for 12 bid periods. Data from Airline Pilot Central.
Discover how much pilots make for all the major and regional airlines in the USA on our pilot salary guide.
Calculate Your Potential Breeze Pilot Earnings
We’ve put together this simple calculator to give you an estimate of how much you could earn as an Breeze pilot. This was put together using the 2024 pay scale from Breeze Airways.
Where are Breeze’s Pilot Bases?
Breeze maintains domicile locations in:
- Tampa (TPA)
- Charleston (South Carolina, CHS)
- Norfolk (ORF)
- Providence (Rhode Island, PVD)
- New Orleans (MSY)
- Provo (PVU)
What airplanes are in the Breeze Airways Fleet?
Breeze operates a fleet of 17 Embraer 190 and 195 EJets, as well as a fleet of 18 Airbus A220-300s. They have orders for 62 more A220s in the coming years.
The EJet family operates on day trips, with limited operations on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The A220s are operated on overnights, seven days a week. Charter flights on the EJet planes may include multiple overnights and may happen any day of the week.
| A220 Bases | E190/E195 Bases |
|---|---|
| CHS | CHS |
| TPA | MSY |
| BDL | ORF |
| PVU | PVU |
| PVD |
What are the Hiring Requirements for Breeze Pilots?
Breeze is actively hiring pilots, so applying is a matter of going to the Breeze Careers website and meeting the requirements.
Breeze is considering pilots with any Airline Transport Certificate, including Restricted certificates issued with 750, 1,000, or 1,250 hours of experience. For a complete rundown of the requirements for each certificate, be sure to check out the details on their website.
Minimum Qualifications for All Breeze Pilot Candidates
Breeze pilot candidates must hold a current first-class FAA medical certificate, an FCC Radiotelephone Operator's Permit, a valid passport, and a high school diploma or equivalent. Candidates must also pass DOT drug screening and TSA background checks.
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Knowledge and skills to upgrade to captain in a short amount of time
- Keep pilot training history per the Pilot Records Improvement Act of 1996
- Current First-class FAA medical certificate
- FCC Radiotelephone Operator’s Permit
- Valid US driver’s license
- Valid passport
- Be able to travel unrestricted to and from the US
- Pass DOT pre-employment drug screening
- Pass TSA fingerprint criminal history check and background check
- Be authorized to work in the US
Preferred Experience for All Pilot Candidates
- US Part 121 experience
- 500 hours or more of fixed-wing, multiengine flying
- Graduate from a Part 141 university program
Is a Job at Breeze Right For You?
Breeze’s core values are called the “Seriously Nice” framework. They include safety, kindness, integrity, ingenuity, and excellence.
Besides salary, Breeze also provides these perks.
- Health, vision, and dental coverage
- Health Savings Account with matching
- 401K with matching
- PTO
- Travel perks on Breeze and other carriers
Breeze is a smaller, newer carrier with fewer options than others in the industry. While they’re attracting pilots with lower qualifications, they’re also not paying as well and offer less job security than flying for the majors.
Still, Breeze was started by successful airline professionals like David Neeleman, who previously cofounded JetBlue, Morris Air, WestJet, and Azul. Neeleman recently announced that the company plans to get flag carrier approval from the FAA, which would allow it to expand to international destinations.
Forecast growth over the next five years is high, and Breeze was recently voted the Number 4 domestic airline by Travel + Leisure.
The company has certainly seen success in its first years of service. In addition to flying 275 non-stop scheduled routes, the company operated more than 500 charter flights in 2023.
How Do I Apply for a Breeze Airways Pilot Job?
Qualified pilots can apply for Breeze Airways pilot jobs through the jobs page at flybreeze.com. According to the page, Breeze holds two new hire training classes every month for pilots who meet its qualifications.
Breeze is looking for pilots right now, so if you possess the qualifications, check out the jobs page at flybreeze.com. There are two new hire training classes every month.
