Copa Airlines

CM

Panama City PTY
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Pay

Copa Airlines Captain, estimated annual pay

$145K

Copa Airlines First Officer, estimated annual pay

$75K

Our estimate

Submitted payREAL PAY

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Who it covers, what’s included, and when
Captain
Our estimate
First Officer
Our estimate

Jobs

Airline’s careers page
Insurance
Health insuranceB737 first officer vacancy
Staff travel
Travel benefits for employees and their familiesB737 first officer vacancy
Requirements (captains)
ATP and Class 1 medical, 5,000 hours total and 1,000 hours as pilot in command, ICAO level 5 (based in Panama)B737 captain vacancy
Requirements (first officers)
250 fixed-wing hours for Panamanian nationals and 1,000 for foreign nationals; commercial license, multi-engine instrument rating, Class 1 medical, ICAO level 5 and a US tourist visaB737 first officer vacancy
Applications
Applications open for the B737 first officer vacancy (LinkedIn sign-in required)B737 first officer vacancy (checked on 19 October 2026)
Sources2

Copa Airlines LinkedIn vacancy (B737 first officer)checked 19 October 2026Copa Airlines LinkedIn vacancy (B737 captain)checked 19 October 2026

Destinations & layovers

BasePanama City PTY View on Google Maps

18 airports

Sourcesbasis · conditions · date
Conditions
  • Airports in official materials from Copa Airlines and on international segments to and from the US flown by Copa Airlines scheduled passenger flights in the US DOT (BTS) July 2026 traffic data. Base airports are not included.
  • Destinations confirmed in our research: 18 airports, as of 29 October 2026. This may not be every destination. It does not show which aircraft types or bases fly there, or whether crews lay over.
  • Sorted by region (cities with a photo first), not by popularity or number of flights.
As of
Checked in our research on 29 October 2026
Photo credits6

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Answers so far

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Roster10 questions
Commuting and taxis8 questions
Staff Travel10 questions
Upgrade to captain4 questions
Training and career8 questions
Leave and allowances9 questions
Hotels and restaurantsBy destination · pilots only

Reviews

Member posts: —
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Copa Airlines captain salary in 2026?

Copa Airlines captain pay is estimated at about $145K per year, pre-tax. These are our own estimates from public information, not figures the airline publishes.

What is the Copa Airlines first officer salary?

Copa Airlines first officer pay is estimated at about $75K per year, pre-tax, rising with seniority.

What are the requirements to become a Copa Airlines pilot?

Captain / First Officer — International operations. Panama City base. Key requirements: License: ATPL (AAC / ICAO-compliant). Copa’s B737 captain vacancy asks for an ATP and a Class 1 medical, 5,000 hours total and 1,000 hours as pilot in command, and ICAO level 5 (based in Panama); its B737 first officer vacancy asks for 250 fixed-wing hours from Panamanian nationals and 1,000 from foreign nationals. Panama is Central America's financial and business hub. USD-denominated pay combined with a low cost of living is a key attraction.

What is the Copa Airlines pilot salary per month?

Dividing our estimated annual figures by 12, Copa Airlines captains earn about $12K a month and first officers about $6.3K. 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.

What is the Copa Airlines pilot pay scale?

We estimate Copa Airlines first officers at $75K and captains at $145K — a step of about $69K, or roughly 1.9×. The actual figure moves with seniority, type rating and the routes you fly.

Is the Copa Airlines pilot salary before or after tax?

Every figure on this page is gross, before income tax. We estimate captains at $145K and first officers at $75K 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.