API survey: pay and benefits top Part 91 workforce concerns

Compensation and benefits top the workforce concerns of Part 91 flight department leaders, according to a survey released by Aviation Personnel International (API) as the firm marks its 55th anniversary at NBAA-BACE in Las Vegas. Forty-five percent of respondents named pay and benefits among their biggest concerns for the next one to three years.Pay leads, and schedules followRecruiting qualified aviation professionals and work schedule expectations tied for second at 39% each. Developing future leaders and talent followed at 38%, while retaining current employees came in at 36%. Respondents could pick up to three options.What leaders say keeps peopleAsked which factors most affect retention, 74% chose compensation and benefits. Schedule predictability and time off followed at 54%, then department culture at 44%.Compensation is top of mind, but "a raise isn't always the answer," API CEO Sheryl Barden said. Leaders want to know what the market pays and whether their people are paid fairly, she said, and sometimes a job has changed so much that the title and salary haven't kept up. API President Jennifer Pickerel said leaders also call the firm to talk through issues beyond pay and hiring, such as upcoming retirements or what employees really think.How the survey was runAPI fielded the survey Sept. 17 to 26, inviting more than 200 senior leaders in its contact network who are responsible for U.S. Part 91 flight departments. Seventy-five responded. The survey was not a random sample. After API excluded responses that picked more than three options, 66 responses remained on workforce concerns and 70 on retention.Two API sessions at BACE this weekOn Wednesday, Oct. 21, from 11 a.m. to noon, Pickerel moderates "What Goes Unsaid: Psychological Safety and the Risks Leaders Miss" with three directors of aviation from Part 91 flight departments. On Thursday, Oct. 22, at the same time, Barden joins Dr. Chris Broyhill of AirComp Calculator for "Beyond the Survey: Decoding Job Titles, Roles and Compensation Trends." Both sessions are in Room W219.Why it mattersThe survey is small and self-selected, so it shows what these leaders chose rather than the whole industry. Within that group, pay was the most common concern and the most common retention factor, with schedule predictability next. For a flight department leader, the results point to two checks. One is what the market pays, and the other is whether a role's title and salary still match the work. After that comes how predictable the schedule is.