southwest airlines pilot starting salary

The salary in six years is likely to be close to €200,000, and, at that point, you will be within arm’s reach of the promotion to Captain. Please remember that it’s only the profit we are now talking about, not the commercial pilot salary. In six years, it will reach €92,000 already. However, after that, you will see immense profit growth each year. Although it is applicable to a specific use case only, the general trend can still be seen.Īs you can see, for the first three years, you will be patiently working to ‘pay off your debt’ or, in other words, to earn back what you have invested (on average, €90,000 for initial training and Type Rating but different flight schools have their own rates). The graph below was created based on the pilot salaries at one European airline and the total amount of money one needs for pilot training. When do I earn back what I invested in becoming a commercial airline pilot?Īlthough it is a tricky question since it depends on many things, we have done an approximate calculation to give you an idea. A First Officer can expect to make between $27,000 and $87,000, while Captains typically make around $50,000-$217,000. In Asia, commercial airline average salary is pretty high. How much do commercial airline pilots make in Asia? Most regional airlines are paying lower salaries. In the USA, the yearly average airline pilot salary (First Officer) in a major airline is $39,000-$119,000, while Captains in the same type of airline can make $70,000-$257,000.Īlaskan Airlines, Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and others are topping the list of the best-paying carriers in the country. What are commercial pilots’ salaries in the USA? However, a highly-experienced Captain doing long-haul flights at larger airlines such as Air France-KLM or Lufthansa might be paid between €150,000–€250,000 a year. But again, it is only a rough estimation.Īt Ryanair, EasyJet and Wizz Air pilots can expect up to €80,000 a year as First Officers or up to €150,000 as short-haul Captains. For a Chief pilot, the range of an average salary is €61,000–€200,000 (and more). In Europe, a median salary of a First Officer is between €25,000 and €91,000, according to Payscale. How much do European airline pilots earn?

However, European airlines often surpass British airline companies in terms of salaries, bonus systems, and overall conditions.Īfrica is usually far behind the rest of the world, while the situation in the Middle East depends on the exact location and/or the airline. Where in the world do airline pilots earn the most?Ĭompared to the USA or Asia, Europe is rarely seen as the place where pilots earn the most. Another example is: Boeing 747 aircraft pilots are paid far more than Boeing 737/ Airbus A320 pilots since larger jets often mean better salaries.

The answer is a pilot’s flight experience, seniority, the country where they are based, the airline they fly for, flying hours, and the aircraft type they operate.įor example, someone who has stayed with the company for ten years is sure to be paid better than a new joiner. As with other professions, many pilots move up the career ladder, so they usually start small and gradually reach large amounts of money.

Southwest airlines pilot starting salary