Taiwan's flag carrier. SkyTeam member.
China Airlines (CAL) is Taiwan's flag carrier. Hubbing at Taoyuan Int'l Airport, it serves Americas, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. Note: despite the name, this is the carrier of Taiwan (Republic of China), not Mainland China (PRC). A major freighter operator as well.
* 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 |
¥15M–¥24.5M |
¥20M | Pre-tax |
| First Officer International |
¥7M–¥12.8M |
¥11M | Seniority-based |
💡 TWD/JPY≈4.5. Foreign hire may offer USD-denominated special contracts.
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 | ¥3M–¥4.5M | est. |
| First Officer — Junior | 3–5 yrs | ¥7M–¥9.6M | est. |
| First Officer — Mid | 6–10 yrs | ¥8.6M–¥11.2M | est. |
| First Officer — Senior | 11–15 yrs | ¥10.2M–¥12.8M | est. |
| Captain — New | 15–18 yrs | ¥15M–¥19.3M | est. |
| Captain — Mid | 19–24 yrs | ¥17.7M–¥21.8M | est. |
| Senior Captain | 25+ yrs | ¥20.2M–¥24.5M | est. |
| Management / Instructor / Examiner | — | Data wanted | crowd-sourced |
TPE/KHH hubs to Americas (LA, NY), Europe (Amsterdam), SE Asia, Japan, Oceania.
B777-300ER, B787-9, A350-900, B737-800
CAA Taiwan-approved ATC. Ground → simulator → LIFUS.
Supervised line operations post-type rating.
OPC/LPC 1–2x per year.
Seniority + internal assessment.
Discount/standby tickets. SkyTeam partners included.
Comprehensive family coverage.
Performance-linked annual bonus.
Corporate pension plan.
20–30 days + recovery leave for long-haul.
Per diem for international layovers.
Hiring status: Foreign pilot hiring on irregular basis. Check official site.
| Airline | Captain (range) | First Officer | Income Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| China Airlines 🇹🇼 | ¥15M–¥24.5M | ¥7M–¥12.8M | Income tax applies |
| ANA 🇯🇵 | ¥22M–¥35M | ¥14M–¥21M | ~33% (Japan) |
| JAL 🇯🇵 | ¥22M–¥35M | ¥14M–¥21M | ~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.
China Airlines captain pay averages about ¥20M per year (range ¥15M–¥24.5M), pre-tax. Figures are reference values based on public data and industry benchmarks.
China Airlines first officer pay averages about ¥11M per year (range ¥7M–¥12.8M), pre-tax, rising with seniority — see the Career Ladder above for the year-by-year breakdown.
Pilot (Regular Recruitment) — International routes.. Key requirements — License: ATPL (ICAO); Experience: Widebody experience preferred.
China Airlines captains average ¥20M, versus roughly ¥27M at ANA / JAL. Both figures are pre-tax; Japan applies ~33% income tax.
Dividing the annual average by 12, China Airlines captains earn about ¥1.67M a month and first officers about ¥0.92M. 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.
China Airlines first officers average ¥11M and captains ¥20M — a step of about ¥9M, or roughly 1.8×. The full range runs ¥7M to ¥24.5M, 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 ¥20M and first officers ¥11M 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 Taiwan 3 airlines · captain avg ¥2,180万