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Airline pilot : Salary and conditions

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  • Salaries vary according to the airline that you are employed with, the type of aircraft you are flying and your experience. The starting salary for a newly qualified first officer working for a small operation may be around £20,500. Starting salaries for those in larger companies are higher at around £22,000-£24,000.
  • Salaries for more experienced pilots could range from £28,000 to £44,000 in a first officer role.
  • The starting salary for a captain with a medium-sized airline may range from £54,000 to £75,000, while those with the major operators could earn from £97,000 to over £140,000.
  • A pilot's salary is often incremental, rising with each year of service with the company.
  • Benefits usually include a pension scheme, various allowances and discounted travel.
  • Being a pilot is not a nine to five job and unusual working hours should be expected. The length of a working day varies depending on the company and route but can range from three to twelve hours. The start times of a day will often differ depending on the route, sometimes beginning in the early morning and sometimes late at night.
  • As pilots can often be on standby duty, they generally need to live near the airport where they are based so they can get there at relatively short notice.
  • Pilots working for short-haul airlines often have their working shifts for a month or two ahead. This results in a more stable working/home life balance.
  • Long-haul airline pilots are expected to spend much greater periods of time away from home as they will fly further distances. This means that they often have to adjust to different time zones and may often stay overnight at their destinations.
  • Pilots are restricted to 900 flying hours per year. On scheduled airlines, the workload is spread evenly throughout the year; on charter airlines, the summer months are busier than the winter months.
  • The majority of commercial airline pilots are men, but more women are now entering the profession.
  • Most of a pilot's working time is spent sitting in the cockpit of the aircraft, and the majority of cockpits are designed with comfort in mind. Long-haul pilots may suffer tiredness, particularly if they are flying either eastwards or westwards through different time zones. On long-haul flights, there are often bunks on the aircraft where you can take a short nap.
  • The role requires a lot of work and dedication as pilots are required to pass certain tests every six months and so must carry out the necessary study. A medical must also be passed every year.
 
AGCAS
Written by AGCAS editors
Date: 
March 2011
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