How Much do Medical Helicopter Pilots Make?

To become a medical helicopter pilot, you need to have the right training. It all starts with aviation training. All pilots need to have at least 40 hours of flying with an instructor. This is the minimum requirement but most students tend to log up to 70 hours before moving on to the next step.

EMS pilots are required by the Federal Aviation Administration to pass written and oral exams before obtaining their license. The test it’s easiest to pass if you’ve attended an FAA-certified flight school.

After logging the required number of hours and passing the FAA exam, the futureEMS pilots will need class III medical clearance. This certificate indicates that the professional is fit to fly.

Depending on the medical facility that they work for,EMS helicopter pilots can earn anywhere between 51,000 and 64,000 dollars per year, 2010 statistics show. Since the figures aren’t particularly recent, chances are that the salaries of those professionals have gone up.

It’s interesting to point out that commercial pilots tend to earn more than medical helicopter pilots. Their salaries fall in the range from 52,000 to 80,000 dollars per year. Helicopter pilots that work for the military are also better compensated – they earn from 50,000 to 80,000 dollars per year.

Keep in mind that though the job of a medical helicopter pilot is considered a full-time occupation, these professionals don’t log in as many flight hours as their counterparts. A medical helicopter pilot should be available during all times but they’ll usually be required to fly solely in the case of an emergency. This is one of the reasons whyEMS pilots tend to earn less – their workload is lower than the workload of other helicopter pilots.

It’s difficult to find information about how much EMS pilots make inCanada. Taking a look at the averages for this professional field, however, sheds some light on what medical pilots can expect.

A helicopter pilot inCanada earns a median annual salary of 62,306 Canadian dollars. The most experienced professionals in this field can expect to earn annual salaries of up to 107,659 Canadian dollars.

The national average is 64,000 dollars. Entry-level helicopter pilots earn 22 per cent less than the average and pilots having between 15 and 20 years of experience can expect to earn 31 per cent more.

If you’re interested in this career field, you’re probably wondering whetherEMS helicopter pilots need to have any medical training.

There’s no official requirement for medical knowledge. Flight experience will be sufficient to get started in the field. Being familiar with the most common medical terms, however, can prove to be beneficial. Such knowledge facilitates the coordination between the pilot and medical professionals, making it easier to deal with important tasks during emergency situations.

There are some paramedics that decide to transfer to the flight field and get a job as medical pilots. This is a personal decision, however, and the paramedic experience doesn’t have an impact on a hospital or a medical facility’s hiring decision.

Though there isn’t a ton of information about the specifics of theEMS helicopter pilot job, the financial parameters of choosing this job are quite lucrative. The training and education requirements can also be completed successfully by anyone who’s motivated enough. Medical helicopter pilots enjoy the added benefit of knowing that their job is saving lives – could anything be better than that?