People love to fly JetBlue Airways (JBLU) , the low-cost air carrier, for its inexpensive fares and free perks like carry-on luggage, high-speed in-flight WIFI, and tasty, brand-name snacks like Cheez-Its and Dunkin coffees.
JetBlue’s pilots enjoy flying for the airline because it offers great pay, extensive health coverage, and free travel benefits for themselves and their families. They also receive loads of flexibility—one JetBlue pilot interviewed by JobShadow said that he only works between 15 and 16 days a month.
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And while JetBlue consistently finds itself among J.D. Power’s list of Top Airlines for Customer Satisfaction, its flight deck gives the company similar acclaim. JetBlue’s pilots are said to be among the happiest in the airline industry, rating their jobs 4.4 out of 5 stars on Glassdoor, which is nearly 30% higher than the industry average.
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What is JetBlue Airlines?
Founded by David Neeleman in 1998, JetBlue took its low-cost travel cues from another popular carrier, Southwest Airlines. In fact, Neeleman had previously served on Southwest’s executive planning committee but was fired by Southwest’s CEO, Herb Kelleher, reportedly over clashing personalities. Kelleher was a cigarette-smoking, Wild Turkey-drinking former litigator, while Neeleman was a father of nine who subscribed to the Mormon faith.
Neeleman started his airline with no aircraft, no staff, and no big investors — only a vision to “put people first.”
The Brazilian-born innovator actually compelled a few other Southwest execs into joining him at JetBlue: John Owen, who was Southwest’s Treasurer and later a VP of operations, served as JetBlue’s founding CFO. In an interview with the entrepreneurial blog Forward Obsessed, Owen credited Neeleman for not only providing his employees with monetary compensation but also giving them “psychic income,” which meant that they found their jobs to be meaningful and became excited to do their part to help the company grow.
JetBlue also stood apart from other airlines with its aircraft.
After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, for instance, JetBlue was the first to install bulletproof cockpit doors. “We were determined to make passengers feel safe and comfortable,” Owen said, “The reinforced cockpit doors made a bold statement about our commitment to passenger safety and helped change the trajectory of our bookings.”
Solely operating Airbus A320 and A220 and Embraer E190 airplanes added efficiency and helped reduce training and maintenance costs for JetBlue’s fleet — and in 2024, the company avoided many of the disruptions other airlines faced when Boeing’s 737-9 MAX series planes were grounded by the FAA.
Not only did JetBlue consciously streamline its fleet; it also revolutionized its passenger experience. By offering exceptionally trained flight attendants, seats with extra legroom, lie-flat airplane beds on international flights, and satellite TVs in every seatback, JetBlue built strong brand loyalty, earning top marks on J.D. Power’s Customer Satisfaction surveys from nearly day one.
Today, JetBlue’s 286 aircraft transport nearly 43 million passengers to destinations in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, and Central and South America.
Stock-wise, the company beat analyst expectations for the second quarter of 2024, reporting a quarterly profit of $25 million, and in September, a Bank of America analyst raised its price target from $3 to $6, upgrading the stock from “underperform” to “neutral.”
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How many pilots does JetBlue have? Where are their pilot bases?
JetBlue has 4,436 pilots based out of the following hubs:
- Boston
- Newark, N.J.
- New York
- Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
- Los Angeles
- Orlando, Fla.
Is JetBlue hiring pilots?
According to JetBlue’s Careers page, the company is actively hiring First Officers for its Gateway University program, which is a career pathway for current aviation students.
It’s also hiring through its Gateway Family Program. Candidates must be the offspring, spouse, sibling, or parent of a JetBlue crewmember to be eligible.
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How much do JetBlue pilots make?
According to data from Glassdoor, which compiles user-reported incomes as well as government data, the estimated total pay range for a JetBlue pilot is between $208,000 and $376,000 per year. This includes base salary and incentives like bonuses and profit sharing.
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Pilots receive a minimum pay of 70 hours per month, and their compensation is based on the type of aircraft they fly, the number of hours flown, how much experience they have, and whether their flights are domestic or international.
JetBlue First Officer salaries
According to the aviation academy Thrust Flight, JetBlue’s First Officers receive salaries that are competitive with regional carriers:
First Officer pay by experience
| Years of Experience | Salary |
|---|---|
Year 1 |
$94,000 |
Year 5 |
$166,000 |
Year 12 |
$189,000 |
JetBlue Captain salaries
Once they log 1,500 flight hours, pilots can apply for the position of Captain, which enjoys increased pay — and greater responsibility — as they are the aircraft’s commanding officers and primarily responsible for the safety of all onboard.
JetBlue Captain pay by experience
| Years of Experience | Pay |
|---|---|
Year 1 |
$246,000 |
Year 5 |
$259,000 |
Year 12 |
$283,000 |
Which airline has the highest-paid pilots?
Epic Flight Academy reports that JetBlue’s Captains are some of the highest-paid in the industry, ranking alongside Delta, American Airlines, Southwest, and United in terms of compensation at nearly every experience level:
Pilot salaries by airline
| Airline | Year 1 | Year 6 | Year 12 |
|---|---|---|---|
American Airlines |
$331,010 |
$354,500 |
$469,550 |
Delta Air Lines |
$340,360 |
$354,550 |
$447,240 |
JetBlue |
$317,600 |
$341,710 |
$447,240 |
Southwest Airlines |
$334,000 |
$347,000 |
$364,000 |
United Airlines |
$323,000 |
$336,000 |
$352,000 |
Chris Sattlberger; Getty Images
More pilot salaries:
- United Airlines pilot salaries: From raises to furloughs in one year
- Delta pilot salaries: What the world’s biggest airline pays its flightdeck
- Southwest Airlines pilot salaries: What the low-cost carrier pays its flight crew
Is it hard to become a JetBlue pilot? JetBlue pilot requirements
JetBlue has a stated goal to hire hundreds of pilots by 2030. Interested candidates can follow several career pathways to land a seat in the cockpit:
- Gateway University: This is a 4–8 year program for students enrolled in an AABI-accredited flight program at a partner college or university. After logging 500 hours as certified flight instructor, graduates work as pilots at Cape Air, JSX, Tradewind Aviation or another partner regional airline.
- Gateway Select: For candidates with little to no flying experience, this 3.5-year program trains them to work as a flight instructor at the CAE Phoenix Aviation School
- RTP: This is a 3–6 month program for aviators trained by the U.S. military that offers 50 hours of multi-engine time and ATP/CTP courses through SkyWarrior in Pensacola, Fla.
- Gateway Flex & Gateway Direct: For current JetBlue crewmembers only, this 3.5–5-year program offers education, training, and time-building experience in the cockpit of an approved partner airline.
- Gateway Family: Established for children, stepchildren, siblings, spouses, and parents of current JetBlue Crewmembers, this four-year program trains pilots to work at Cape Air, JSX, Tradewind Aviation, or another partner regional airline.
In order to become a JetBlue pilot, candidates must meet all FAA requirements, including obtaining the Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) Certificate, the current first-class medical certificate, 1,500 hours of fixed-wing flying time, successful completion of a drug screening test, and other requirements.
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