Originally published in GlobalAir.com’s Airmail Focus, November 4, 2026.
When Dr. Chris Broyhill was chief pilot for a Midwestern telecommunications company, his official job title wasn’t chief pilot. It was “senior subject matter expert.” The company’s pay structure had no chief pilot role, so HR slotted him into the closest match it already had.
At NBAA-BACE, Broyhill and Sheryl Barden of Aviation Personnel International shared that example during a session on job titles, descriptions and pay. Their point: no matter how impressive a job title sounds, it isn’t what sets your pay. Your job description is.