NBAA Releases Audited Bizav Compensation Survey

NBAA’s latest annual business aviation compensation survey is out and, for the first time, it has been internally audited to ensure accuracy. The 2016 survey results, available only to NBAA members, use data compiled from 3,700 salaries representing 704 member companies, ranging from single-aircraft operations to large flight departments.

The salary and benefit data for U.S. Part 91 operations is broken down by 16 common aviation job descriptions, as well as other categories such as number of aircraft, department size, location and employee tenure. For the audit, NBAA staffers directly contacted randomly selected participants to verify/confirm salary data, with 5 percent of all salaries ultimately audited across all positions and held to a "specified" margin of error.

According to the survey data, the average total compensation—salary and bonuses—last year for a captain at a U.S. Part 91 flight department was $89,055 for a light jet; $108,805, midsize jet; $134,942, large-cabin jet; and $161,335, ultra-long-range jet. The average compensation for an A&P technician at a U.S. Part 91 flight department was $89,372 last year.

“NBAA’s compensation survey helps flight departments and business aircraft operators evaluate their employee positions and benchmark the value of those jobs, and company policies, against those of industry peers,” said NBAA manager of operations Peter Korns. Association members who participated in the survey can access the results at no cost, while non-participants are charged $250.