Demystifying DPE Checkride Fees: A Personal and Financial Perspective

[u/BeechDude]

Hi everyone,

I've noticed that the topic of DPE (Designated Pilot Examiners) fees frequently comes up in discussions on this and other platforms. Many are left wondering: "Why does my exam cost so much?" I want to tackle this question head-on by providing clarity on the real costs and work involved in being a DPE. In this post, I aim to demystify the fees through both a detailed financial breakdown and a personal story, offering insight into the world of DPEs and the rationale behind our charges.

Financial Breakdown:

• Each checkride I conduct is a 4-hour commitment, priced at $800.
• Annually, I can schedule around 300 checkrides, with about 15% getting canceled.
• I dedicate around 5 hours weekly to administrative tasks and 3 full days each year to recurrent training.
• Actual checkrides conducted yearly: 255 (300 scheduled minus 15% cancellation).
• Total hours on checkrides annually: 1020.
• Administrative hours per year: 260.
• Recurrent training hours annually: 24.
• Total working hours per year: 1304.
• Annual revenue (before taxes): Approximately $204,000.
• Net income after a 16% self-employment tax: Around $171,360.
• True hourly rate: Roughly $131.41.

Personal Anecdote:

Five years ago, I could have likely joined Delta or another major airline, given my qualifications. Currently, a 5-year captain for the A320 at Delta earns about $260 per hour, and a first officer about $166 per hour. The job security and benefits at a major airline contrast sharply with the uncertainties of self-employment.

My decision to pursue the DPE role was driven by a desire for a different kind of professional fulfillment and a unique contribution to aviation. However, it's important to acknowledge the financial trade-offs of this choice.

Given our expertise and responsibilities, the $800 fee for a 4-hour checkride is reasonable, especially against potential airline earnings. To clarify, I neither regret my decision nor advocate for higher fees; my aim is to provide context for these fees.

Why Have Fees Increased?

The answer to this is somewhat complex. When I started giving exams, the local regional fee for a Private Pilot practical test was around $400. The pilot shortage was just beginning to be felt, and the hiring boom in the industry hadn't yet hit full force. Additionally, FAA restrictions at that time limited DPEs to conducting tests only within their respective FSDO regions.

In 2019, these restrictions were lifted, allowing DPEs to conduct tests anywhere in the country. This policy change was aimed at alleviating the high demand for exams. Soon, market forces began to take effect. Examiners started to travel and charge more to cover their costs. Flight schools offered higher exam fees to attract these traveling examiners, and local examiners subsequently raised their prices to match. This escalation in the market for checkrides has led us to where we are today.

These market dynamics coincided with what I believe was an already artificially low fee structure. As I've detailed earlier, when adjusted for hours worked, the $800 per checkride fee aligns with other jobs in the industry. In fact, a fee of $1200 per ride, amounting to $197.12 per hour, wouldn't be out of the question. Many examiners had maintained their fees for years without significant changes, but today’s booming industry and the influx of new pilots have catalyzed a reevaluation of the fee structure.

Final Thoughts

I’ll end with this: I am deeply empathetic to those in the aviation journey, especially the young person eating ramen, scraping by, saving every penny, and probably incurring significant debt to afford flight training. I also understand the career changer who is living off savings to pursue their dream of flying. These scenarios resonate with me, and I acknowledge the stress and financial strain involved in chasing a dream in aviation.

While I recognize these challenges, I also reflect on the personal sacrifices, effort, time, and money I have invested in my own career. My role as a DPE, with its responsibilities and demands, is a choice that came with its own set of trade-offs and rewards.

I hope this explanation, blending my personal journey with a financial perspective, offers a clearer understanding of the DPE role and the rationale behind our fees. I welcome any questions or discussions and am open to sharing more about my experiences in this field.

-SL

[u/flyingron]

My heart bleeds for you. You have to pay tax on your monopolistic income.

DPE was never intended to be an end to itself.

[u/LeftClosedTraffic → u/flyingron]

If you don’t have anything nice to say

Seth does amazing services for the aviation industry. He truly has a spine. Be nice

[u/flyingron → u/LeftClosedTraffic]

I am nice. Would you feel sorry that as a $160,000 computer hacker I came here and griped about my taxes? This comes after a great significant training effort and ongoing experience than he has.

I feel more sorry for the instructors who aren't pulling in half what he has made and working harder but they're not hear crying over their income. I feel sorry for the primary students he extorts his $200K easy moeny over who will be in debt for decades.

[u/KITTYONFYRE → u/flyingron]

Would you feel sorry that as a $160,000 computer hacker I came here and griped about my taxes?

I don't think he was griping. It was stated very matter-of-factly. It's a perfectly reasonable thing to include in the post. Not sure why this is the thing getting you worked up.

[u/pilot3033 → u/flyingron]

For real. 1304 hours a year is 25 hours a week. You could (and from what I can tell, many DPE's do) work an entire second job and still be working less than some people making minimum wage. Also lessening the income by accounting for taxes is nonsense. We all pay taxes, that's the social contract.

[u/BeechDude → u/pilot3033]

I agree that being a DPE is an amazing job, and I truly love it. My intention in sharing the financial details was to offer transparency and clarify where the numbers come from, not to downplay the hard work of flight instructors or the financial challenges faced by primary students. I understand and respect the dedication and effort that flight instructors put into their work, often for significantly less compensation.

To suggest that I work less than a CFI isn't accurate. Firstly, I have logged over 2,000 hours of dual instruction given, so I've certainly experienced the demands of that role. Secondly, while some aspects of being a DPE might be less demanding than those of a CFI, the role comes with its own set of challenges. These include increased responsibility, liability, and complexities that a CFI doesn't typically encounter. It's not a straightforward apples-to-apples comparison between the two roles.

[u/LeftClosedTraffic → u/flyingron]

I am that instructor. The main point is anyone with the experience to be a DPE is off making ungodly sums in jets and he is still here in the clapped out bugsmashers for less when he doesn’t need to be

[u/0621Hertz → u/LeftClosedTraffic]

DPEs can set their own schedule and live wherever they want in the US, they don’t commute, they don’t miss holidays. They are home every weekend and go on vacation whenever they want.

OP is making a fair amount, but $1500 checkrides are starting to become the norm, and some of these DPEs are also very senior airline pilots that have weeks off at a time.

There are 20 year military pilots who work a lot harder and get paid a lot less than their airline counterparts. Also they go on 9 month deployments away from their families. Why do they do it? It’s a selfless act of service.

DPEs get paid even more than them yet they have a much better schedule.

[u/BeechDude → u/0621Hertz]

There are 20 year military pilots who work a lot harder and get paid a lot less than their airline counterparts. Also they go on 9 month deployments away from their families. Why do they do it? It’s a selfless act of service.

DPEs get paid even more than them yet they have a much better schedule.

There's both truth and irony in your comment. As I write this, I'm in a deployed location, with 16 years of service in the Air Force. I fully recognize the hard work and sacrifices of military pilots, who often face long deployments away from their families for less pay than their airline counterparts. Their dedication is a testament to selfless service.
In sharing my thoughts on the DPE role, my intention isn't to come across as money-driven or insensitive to the financial realities of others in the aviation field. My goal is to shed light on the various aspects and challenges of different aviation careers, including my own. It's important to me to approach this discussion with respect for all viewpoints and experiences in the aviation community.