Sun Country Airlines Pilot Salary 2026
Estimated First Officer and Captain pay. Page updated .
How much does a Sun Country Airlines pilot make in 2026?
Our estimate for Sun Country Airlines pilot pay in 2026: a First Officer earns about $70,000 a year at the start and $140,000 by year 10. Captains earn roughly $165,000 to $270,000. These figures have not yet been checked against Sun Country Airlines' current pilot contract; treat them as a range.
- First Officer, year 1
- $70K/yr
- First Officer, top
- $140K/yr
- Captain, year 1
- $165K/yr
- Captain, top
- $270K/yr
Sun Country Airlines pilot pay scale 2026
| Seat | Year 1 | Year 5 | Year 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Officer | $70,000 | $115,000 | $140,000 |
| Captain | $165,000 | $225,000 | $270,000 |
Where these numbers come from
The pay scale above is an estimate. We have not been able to check it line by line against Sun Country Airlines' current pilot agreement or an official pay publication, so we do not present it as a pay scale. Pages where we have done that check say “From the pilot contract” and list the source and the date we read it. If you hold the current Sun Country Airlines scale, the contact page is the fastest way to get it corrected.
Before Sun Country Airlines pays you any of this, you sit their aptitude battery.
Sit a timed practice paper free — no account. Scored on pace as well as accuracy, because pace is what the real battery culls on.
How Sun Country Airlines pay compares
Same currency, ranked by top Captain pay. New First Officer pay sits in the lighter bar. Contract rows are hourly rates × 1,000 credit hours a year.
- Atlas Air ContractCapt $333KFO yr 1 $100K
- Sun Country Airlines (this page)EstimateCapt $270KFO yr 1 $70K
- SkyWest Airlines ContractCapt $198KFO yr 1 $93K
- Republic Airways ContractCapt $185KFO yr 1 $93K
From student pilot to Sun Country Airlines Captain
The hour figures are the FAA legal minimums (14 CFR Part 61); the time ranges are typical, not promises.
Step 1
Private Pilot certificate
40 h minimum 3–6 months 14 CFR 61.109Ground school, the FAA Private Pilot knowledge test (60 questions, 70% to pass), then the checkride. Most students log well over the 40-hour legal minimum.
Try free FAA Private Pilot written questionsStep 2
Instrument rating
50 h cross-country PIC + 40 h instrument 2–4 months 14 CFR 61.65Flying by reference to instruments in cloud. Another FAA knowledge test and checkride.
Step 3
Commercial Pilot certificate
250 h total 6–12 months 14 CFR 61.129The certificate that lets you be paid to fly. Add a multi-engine rating here or later.
Step 4
Build time (usually as a flight instructor)
250 → 1,500 h 1–2 yearsMost pilots instruct (CFI) or fly charter/survey to reach airline minimums.
Step 5
ATP minimums
1,500 h (R-ATP: 1,250 / 1,000 / 750) 14 CFR 61.159 / 61.160Restricted ATP at 1,250 h with an aviation associate degree, 1,000 h with a bachelor's, 750 h for qualifying military pilots. The ATP CTP course comes before the ATP knowledge test.
Step 6
Regional or entry-level airline First Officer
Turbine and Part 121 time 2–4 yearsWhere most US major-airline pilots build turbine and pilot-in-command time.
Step 7
Sun Country Airlines First Officer
Airline-specificPay steps up every year of seniority on the contract scale.
Step 8
Sun Country Airlines Captain
Seniority-based upgrade Depends on seniority and growthCaptain seats are bid by seniority; how fast you hold one depends on hiring and retirements, not on your logbook alone.
Knowing what Sun Country Airlines pays is the easy part. Getting through their selection is the part that decides whether you ever earn it.
Before a human reads your application there is an aptitude battery, and candidates consistently report it as the heaviest cull — pace, not difficulty. You can practise it here for free: timed papers generated fresh each run, plus a divided-attention drill that measures how much your performance degrades under load.
Already past the paperwork and preparing for the panel? , scored against the answers a panel is listening for. Seven days of access, no subscription.
No Sun Country Airlines pack yet — want it built?
We will not pretend to have one. We build the next pack for the airline that gets asked for most, so leaving your address here is a vote. No sequence, one email when it ships.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Sun Country Airlines pilot make in 2026?
Our estimate for Sun Country Airlines pilot pay in 2026: a First Officer earns about $70,000 a year at the start and $140,000 by year 10. Captains earn roughly $165,000 to $270,000. These figures have not yet been checked against Sun Country Airlines' current pilot contract; treat them as a range.
Where do these Sun Country Airlines pay figures come from?
They are estimates that we have not yet checked against Sun Country Airlines's current pilot contract or an official pay publication. Pages we have checked say "From the pilot contract" and name the source and date.
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