. . .Pilots’ paychecks vary depending on the airline they work for and the hours they’ve flown in a given year.

According to an American Airlines captain’s paystub that was later shared on X (formerly Twitter), pilots’ earning potential is so high, it’ll cause most people to rethink their entire career paths.

Supposedly, the screenshotted paystub was of a Miami-based American Airlines Boeing 737 captain. If you look closely, you can see that the pilot’s yearly salary is a jaw-dropping $458,000.

Part of the reason this pilot probably earns as much as they do is because of their high hourly wage, around $360, which shockingly isn’t even the highest tier for pilots.

A Miami-based American Airlines Boeing 737 captain has posted their salary pay statement on reddit, leaving many people speechless.

The pilot’s total year to date compensation was $458K, with the hourly pay being $360+ (flight hours only).

Some comments suggest the pilot isn’t… pic.twitter.com/3yH1Z5zB1s

— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) December 23, 2025

Captains of planes as massive as Boeing 777 or Airbus A350 can earn up to $450 per hour. Considering the average pilot flies around 900 hours per year, 75 hours per month, according to Flying, do the math — and that’s one fat paycheck they earn. (Read more from “American Airlines Pilot Shared Screenshot of Salary — And People’s Jaws Are on the Floor” HERE)