2026 Seaplane Wages

[ThomasM]

I wanted to start a forum for 2026 wages for seaplane pilots.

This season I have received these offers on DHC-2:

A Northern Manitoba Fishing Lodge. May - October (5 months/153 days).
$250 daily (fly or not). No flight time pay. No overtime. No bonus.
Total pay over the season would be 38k.
Room and board included.
Expect 200 hours + per season.
You are not expected to do anything at the lodge if you're not flying - strictly employed as a pilot.

A Northern BC operator. 6 months. 11k per month. Poor contract protections - termination without cause. 3 months probation.
66k per season.
No housing provided. Possibility of full-time.

 

[BCav8r]

Wow, neither sound great!
On one hand, the days are long in the summer up North, flying 200 hours for the season doesn’t mean short days, I’m sure not working around the lodge doesn’t mean not loading/unloading your aircraft. I would shore up the expectation on length of day, I’m sure you’ll find “CARs” limits is tiring. Room and board sounds great but are you still needing to pay rent elsewhere or just going to store your things and try and find something in the fall.
The other hand, there is a reason they pay 11k, what does rent look like, other costs? The 3 months probation is meaningless, those type of operations will let you go anytime, they are not worried about a wrongful termination from a pilot, they know full well pilots won’t do that, maybe 1 in 10 might.
Personally I would hope for a better option and you could always take the one you prefer but keep looking for better, May is still some time away!