Flight Instructor Jobs in New York: Part-Time CFI and CFII
Aviator.NYC is hiring part-time contract flight instructors (CFI/CFII) to teach on our Cirrus SR20 and SR22 simulators in Hudson Square, Manhattan. You do not need thousands of hours or an airline background. You will be mentored by active airline pilots, and the biggest benefit of this job is the professional network you build with them while you teach.
- Pay
- $35 to $85 per hour
- Schedule
- Part-time contract
- Location
- Hudson Square, Manhattan
- Simulators
- Cirrus SR20/SR22, Garmin G3000 and G1000
What does a flight simulator instructor do at Aviator.NYC?
As a part-time instructor at Aviator.NYC, you teach real students on our Cirrus SR20 and SR22 simulators with the Garmin G3000 flight deck, plus our Garmin G1000 Advanced Aviation Training Device (AATD). Sessions run in a professional studio in Hudson Square, Manhattan, not at a remote airport. Your students range from first-time flyers and student pilots to licensed pilots working on instrument skills and IFR currency. A typical week might include a first flight for a beginner, an instrument lesson for a private pilot, and a proficiency session for someone who flies professionally. Everything is simulator-based: there is no aircraft to preflight, no fuel to manage, and no weather cancellations. You show up, brief your student, teach the session, and debrief. Our scheduling system matches students to the availability you set.
Who should apply for this CFII job?
This job is built for newer Certified Flight Instructors (CFI/CFII) who want to grow fast. You do not need 1,500 hours, and you do not need an airline background. Our instructor team is led by active airline pilots, and they mentor the instructors who teach here. That mentorship is the real advantage of this job: you build a professional network of airline pilots who know your work, can vouch for you, and can guide your career decisions while you build experience teaching quality students.
What we do need is serious Cirrus experience. You should have real time in the SR20 or SR22 and know the airplane well. Ideally you have flown both the Garmin G3000 and the Garmin G1000. If you are strong on the airplane and the G1000, we can teach the G3000 to the right candidate. Read about who teaches at Aviator.NYC to see the team you would join.
What are the requirements?
Here is what we look for. If you meet most of these and have strong Cirrus time, we want to hear from you.
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Current FAA CFI and CFII | Valid Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) and instrument instructor (CFII) certificates. Gold Seal is a plus but not required. |
| Cirrus SR20/SR22 experience | Serious, real-world experience in the Cirrus SR20 or SR22 is required. You should know the airplane, its avionics, and its procedures well. |
| Garmin G3000 and G1000 | Ideally you have experience with both. Strong G1000 skills plus solid Cirrus time can work: we can teach the G3000 to the right candidate. |
| Based in the NYC area | You must reliably commute to our Hudson Square, Manhattan studio (131 Varick St, by appointment only). We cannot accommodate remote instructors. |
| Professional demeanor | Our clients include licensed pilots, professionals, and executives. You represent the brand in every session. |
How much does the job pay?
Flight instructors at Aviator.NYC earn $35 to $85 per hour. You are paid per session hour, not per flight hour, so a two-hour lesson means two hours of pay with no unpaid preflight, taxi, or waiting time. Where you land in the range depends on your experience, your certificates, your depth on the Cirrus and the G3000, and your availability. Because all training happens on simulators in Manhattan, there are no weather cancellations, no aircraft maintenance delays, and no lost income from a grounded airplane. You teach, you get paid. Rates are reviewed as you take on more students and more advanced sessions, so instructors who grow with us move up the range over time.
Why is networking the biggest benefit of this job?
Most instructor jobs give you hours. This one gives you a network. The instructors who mentor you at Aviator.NYC are active airline pilots who fly professionally today. They know how airline hiring works, they know what interview panels look for, and they can make introductions and recommendations that a logbook alone never will. Working alongside them week after week means your name and your teaching are known to people inside the industry you want to join. On top of that, the practical benefits are strong: a flexible schedule you control, no aircraft management, quality students who show up prepared, and a professional studio in Hudson Square, Manhattan instead of a windy ramp. But if you are choosing between jobs, choose this one for the people you will work with.
Is this a full-time job?
No. This is part-time, independent contract work, and we are clear about that up front. Most instructors teach a handful of sessions per week around other flying, studying, or work commitments. You set your own availability and we match students to it. There are no minimum hours. This structure is intentional: it works for newer instructors building experience on their own schedule, and it works for us because our students book sessions across mornings, evenings, and weekends. If you are looking for a full-time salaried instructor position, this is not that job. If you want flexible, well-paid teaching in Manhattan with airline pilot mentors, it is exactly that job.
Flight Instructor FAQ
No. We are specifically looking for newer Certified Flight Instructors (CFI/CFII), not senior pilots. There is no 1,500-hour minimum and no airline experience requirement. Our teaching team is led by active airline pilots who mentor the instructors working here, so you learn professional standards on the job instead of needing them on day one. What we do require is serious Cirrus experience: real time in the SR20 or SR22 with solid knowledge of the airplane and its systems. If you are a newer CFII with strong Cirrus time who wants mentorship, connections in the airline world, and paid teaching experience in Manhattan, you are exactly who this job is designed for.
This is part-time, independent contract work, not full-time employment. Most Aviator.NYC instructors teach 5 to 15 hours per week around their other commitments. You set your own availability through our scheduling system and we match you with students who fit your open slots. There are no minimum-hour requirements: some instructors teach one session a week, others teach five or more. Because all training happens on simulators in our Hudson Square, Manhattan studio, sessions are never cancelled for weather or maintenance, so the hours you commit to are hours you actually teach and get paid for. You maintain complete control over when and how often you work.
Yes. Serious Cirrus experience is the core requirement for this job. Our simulators replicate the Cirrus SR20 and SR22, and our students expect instructors who know the airplane deeply: its avionics, its procedures, its energy management, and its safety systems. You should have meaningful real-world time in the SR20 or SR22, not just a checkout. This is the one requirement we do not flex on, because it is what makes the instruction credible. If you have strong Cirrus time but limited experience with the Garmin G3000 specifically, apply anyway: G3000 training can be provided for the right candidate, and strong G1000 skills transfer well.
Ideally, yes. The best-fit candidate has flown both the Garmin G3000 and the Garmin G1000, since we teach on both flight decks. But G3000 experience is not a hard requirement the way Cirrus experience is. If you have serious SR20 or SR22 time and you are proficient on the G1000, we can teach the G3000 to the right candidate during onboarding. The G3000 familiarization covers the touchscreen controllers, flight management workflows, and the specific configuration of our simulators. Instructors who are already strong on Garmin flight decks typically pick it up quickly. Be upfront in your application about which avionics you have flown and how much time you have on each.
The senior instructors at Aviator.NYC are active airline pilots who fly professionally and teach here around their schedules. As a newer instructor, you work alongside them: they review how you teach, share how airline training departments approach instruction, and help you sharpen both your flying knowledge and your teaching craft. Over time they become people who know your work personally, which matters when you apply to airlines and need recommendations or interview preparation from people on the inside. This is why we say networking is the primary benefit of the job. You are not just logging teaching time in isolation: you are building relationships with working airline pilots who can open doors for your career.
Yes. As an independent contract instructor, you will need your own professional liability insurance, commonly known as CFI insurance. This is standard practice for contract flight instructors across the industry and is not unique to Aviator.NYC. CFI insurance typically covers you for claims related to instruction services and is available from aviation insurance providers at reasonable annual premiums. We can recommend specific providers and policies that our current instructors use if you need guidance. Having your own policy ensures you are personally protected regardless of where or how you instruct, which is especially important if you also teach at other locations or in actual aircraft.
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