Fleet, routes, cadet entry, days off and upgrade timing —
only what the two airlines themselves publish, laid side by side
Our estimate for a captain is $179K at ANA and $161K at JAL (first officer $98K and $102K)
ANA is $18K higher for captains, JAL $3.4K higher for first officers. The only pay that can be traced to a company document is the starting monthly pay in each cadet posting. What can be compared is fleet, routes, alliance, cadet entry and days off, and that is what follows, as the airlines state it.
The figures on this page that come from company documents are the starting monthly pay for ab-initio cadets in both airlines' vacancy notices. They are not figures for captains or first officers.
The captain and first-officer figures are our own estimates. Pay that appears in a company document — the starting monthly pay in the cadet posting — is set out in its own rows, with the kind of figure named. Where these come from.
| Category | ANA (All Nippon Airways) | JAL (Japan Airlines) | How to read it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Captain, our estimate | $179K | $161K | Our estimate |
| First officer, our estimate | $98K | $102K | Our estimate |
| Cadet trainee, monthly pay on joining | $1.7K (master's) $1.7K (bachelor's / technical college, advanced course) |
$1.7K | From the job postings |
| Years to captain upgrade (guide) | 15–18 years | 15–20 years | Both are guides and move with intake year and type |
| Days off once flying | around 10 a month (based in Tokyo once line-qualified) | 10 a month as a rule | Much the same |
| Alliance | Star Alliance | Oneworld | Down to taste |
| Newest types (flagship) | B777, A380, B787 | A350, B777, B787 | Down to taste |
| Fleet size | approx. 270 aircraft | approx. 240 aircraft | ANA has more aircraft |
| International network | 90+ countries | 60+ countries | ANA reaches more countries |
| Cadet places planned (joining FY2027) | around 65 (new graduates) | around 50 (new graduates and experienced hires combined) | Counted differently, so not compared |
| Retirement age | 65 (captain) | 65 (captain) | Identical |
| Financial stability | No bankruptcy; continuous growth | Fully rebuilt after the 2010 bankruptcy | Different histories |
| Corporate culture | Bold, innovative | Traditional, long-established | Down to taste |
Only what the two postings actually say.
| From the posting | ANA (All Nippon Airways) | JAL (Japan Airlines) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly pay on joining | $1.7K (master's) / $1.7K (bachelor's, technical college advanced course) the pay section is labeled "planned for FY2026, updated 16 March 2026" |
$1.7K the pay section is labeled "as at 27 March 2026" |
| Allowances and bonuses | Family, housing and night-work allowances and three bonus payments a year are listed as payable, with no amounts given | The pay section of the posting gives only the monthly figure above |
| Places planned (joining FY2027) | around 65 (new graduates) | around 50 (new graduates and experienced hires combined) |
| Eligibility points that stand out | The FCAT aptitude test is required | Corrected vision of 1.0 or better; refraction between -6.0 and +2.0 diopters |
| If you already hold a license | Experienced-hire recruitment has no flight-crew opening | Anyone who holds or has held a commercial pilot license cannot apply to the cadet program; for license holders the site says only to ask the training organization you are enrolled with |
| Joining date and deadline | Joining 1 April 2027; pre-entry closed 10 March 2026 | Joining in FY2027 (deadline not confirmed for this page) |
| Once flying | Based in Tokyo; around ten days off a month | Ten days off a month as a rule |
Verdict: pay cannot decide this — routes, fleet and the way in can
On our estimates, ANA pays captains $18K more and JAL pays first officers $3.4K more. What company documents do let you check is the route network, the fleet, the cadet route in and the days off once you are flying. Going into selection, what counts is being able to say in your own words why ANA, or why JAL — both are looking for people who are serious about the job. What is actually being paid, from payslips submitted anonymously by line pilots, is in REAL PAY.