France's international flag carrier and a SkyTeam founding member, flying widebodies out of Paris Charles de Gaulle.
An Air France captain earns an average of $222K per year, typically $173K–$379K. First officers average $114K ($75K–$184K). Figures are gross annual pay, before tax. Figures are as of March 2026.
Air France is France's international flag carrier, founded in 1933 and hubbed at Paris Charles de Gaulle, serving more than 170 cities worldwide. A SkyTeam founding member, it forms the Air France-KLM group with KLM and also operates the low-cost subsidiary Transavia.
France levies high income tax (up to 45%), but pay and conditions for European pilots are generally stable. The fleet is widebody-focused, led by the A380, B777 and A350.
* Figures are reference values based on public data and industry benchmarks. Verify actual compensation with each airline's official recruitment information.
| Position | Salary Range | Avg / Reference | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Captain International widebody |
$173K–$379K |
$222K | Pre-tax |
| First Officer Seniority-based |
$75K–$184K |
$114K | Seniority-based |
Converted at EUR/JPY=163. Compensation is EUR-based and quoted pre-tax. French income tax is progressive up to 45%. Flight-day and layover per diems are paid separately.
Modeled from the captain / first-officer ranges above, sliced into standard career stages. Bands marked est. are derived from those ranges (not official); verified bands come from active-pilot data. Management pay is crowd-sourced from verified pilots.
| Career Stage | Years | Annual (pre-tax) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cadet / Trainee | ≤2 yrs | $23K–$38K | est. |
| First Officer — Junior | 3–5 yrs | $75K–$124K | est. |
| First Officer — Mid | 6–10 yrs | $106K–$154K | est. |
| First Officer — Senior | 11–15 yrs | $135K–$184K | est. |
| Captain — New | 15–18 yrs | $173K–$265K | est. |
| Captain — Mid | 19–24 yrs | $231K–$321K | est. |
| Senior Captain | 25+ yrs | $286K–$379K | est. |
| Management / Instructor / Examiner | — | Data wanted | crowd-sourced |
From the Paris Charles de Gaulle hub, Air France serves North America (New York, Los Angeles, Montreal), Asia (Tokyo, Shanghai, Bangkok), Africa (50+ cities), Latin America and the Middle East.
Airbus A380-800, A350-900, A330-200/300, Boeing 777-200ER/300ER, A220-300, A320/A321. Around 220 aircraft.
Type rating earned at an EASA Approved Training Organization: ground school → simulator (incl. MCC) → LIFUS.
After the type rating, Line Flying Under Supervision with an instructor captain — typically 50–80 legs (per EASA FCL.060).
Proficiency checks 1–2 times per year to EASA FCL.625/735 standards, overseen by national CAAs (DGAC and others).
Command training after a Senior F/O period. Additional qualifications include LVP (low-visibility procedures), PBN, ETOPS and RVSM.
Heavily discounted or free tickets for pilots and family, usable on alliance partner airlines too.
High-standard European medical cover. Loss-of-license insurance is also common.
Performance-linked bonus of roughly 2–4 months' pay, sometimes tied to individual evaluation.
25–35 days per year, backed by generous EU labor-law leave provisions.
Defined-benefit or defined-contribution company pension (DBP/DCP), layered on top of the state pension.
Accommodation and per diems for overseas stays; higher cost-of-living allowances for major European cities.
Hiring status: Foreign hiring of EASA ATPL holders is limited; French-language ability is an advantage.
Foreign hiring is sometimes run via joint recruitment campaigns with KLM.
| Airline | Captain (range) | First Officer | Income Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air France 🇫🇷 | $173K–$379K | $75K–$184K | Income tax applies |
| ANA 🇯🇵 | $138K–$220K | $88K–$132K | ~33% (Japan) |
| JAL 🇯🇵 | $138K–$220K | $88K–$132K | ~33% (Japan) |
* Salary figures are SSOT reference values (pre-tax unless marked tax-free). ANA / JAL shown as the Japan baseline — ~33% income tax applies in Japan, so after-tax take-home is lower than the headline. Tax-free carriers pay 100% take-home. Verify exact figures with each airline.
Air France captain pay averages about $222K per year (range $173K–$379K), pre-tax. Figures are reference values based on public data and industry benchmarks.
Air France first officer pay averages about $114K per year (range $75K–$184K), pre-tax, rising with seniority — see the Career Ladder above for the year-by-year breakdown.
Captain / First Officer (Regular Recruitment) — International flights. Paris CDG base.. Key requirements — License: EASA ATPL (or FCL-approved equivalent); English: ICAO Level 4+; Min. Flight Time: Captain 5,000h+ (guide); French: Conversational recommended. Foreign hiring is sometimes run via joint recruitment campaigns with KLM.
Air France captains average $222K, versus roughly $170K at ANA / JAL. Both figures are pre-tax; Japan applies ~33% income tax.
Dividing the annual average by 12, Air France captains earn about $18K a month and first officers about $9.5K. What actually lands each month moves with block hours flown, and where an annual bonus is paid the regular monthly figure sits lower with a spike in the bonus month.
Air France first officers average $114K and captains $222K — a step of about $108K, or roughly 2.0×. The full range runs $75K to $379K, and where you sit inside it is set by seniority, type rating and the routes you fly. The seniority table on this page breaks the same range into career stages.
Every figure on this page is gross, before income tax. Captains average $222K and first officers $114K pre-tax, and income tax, social insurance and any local levies come out of that. Take-home depends on where you are resident and on your own deductions, so no single percentage applies. Airlines based in countries with no personal income tax — the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia — leave more of the same gross figure in your hand.
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Pilot salary in France 1 airline · captain avg $222K