Emirates

Emirates publishes a direct-entry captain recruitment example rather than an average: a total package of AED 1,185,000 a year (about $323K) that already contains housing, transport, school fees, medical cover, insurance, leave tickets and the company's provident-fund contribution, of which AED 575,000 a year (about $157K) is cash pay. The UAE has no personal income tax, so the cash pay is received with no income tax deducted. It is not an all-staff average or a guaranteed minimum. Source checked 2026-09-26.

Emirates publishes first officer recruitment examples rather than an average. Standard: total package AED 900,000 a year (about $245K), of which AED 385,000 (about $105K) is cash pay. Enhanced, for first officers who meet the stated experience and license conditions: total package AED 935,000 a year (about $255K), of which AED 415,000 (about $113K) is cash pay. Enhanced is not a figure that applies to all first officers. Source checked 2026-09-26.

The United Arab Emirates has no personal income tax, so the cash pay Emirates quotes is received with no income tax deducted. Japanese airline salaries are quoted before tax is taken off, so the same headline figure leaves a different amount in hand. The ANA and JAL figures on this site are our own estimates, while Emirates quotes a figure from its own posting, so we do not publish a multiple between them. Your own tax position, Japanese residency in particular, needs checking separately.

Emirates publishes its entry requirements on its careers site. Direct Entry Captain — 7,000+ total flight hours and ICAO English Level 5 or above. First Officer, Standard — 2,000+ total flight hours and ICAO English Level 4 or above. First Officer, Enhanced — 4,000+ total flight hours on jets above 20 t MTOW, plus 2,000+ hours on multi-crew jets above 50 t MTOW, and ICAO English Level 5 or above.

Direct entry captain: cash pay, monthly $13K; First officer, Standard: cash pay, monthly $8.7K; First officer, Enhanced: cash pay, monthly $9.4K. These are the monthly figures the airline publishes, not an annual figure divided by twelve. Twelve times the monthly figure does not equal the published annual figure, and we leave both as published. A total package that includes housing and school fees divided by twelve is not a monthly salary.

For captains we publish an official posting rather than an average — Direct entry captain: cash pay, annual $157K, total package, annual (includes the cash pay) $323K. This is not an all-staff average. For first officers we publish an official posting rather than an average — First officer, Standard: cash pay, annual $105K, total package, annual (includes the cash pay) $245K; First officer, Enhanced: cash pay, annual $113K, total package, annual (includes the cash pay) $255K. This is not an all-staff average. The cash figure is the airline’s own "take home cash". It is a recruitment example built on basic pay plus a flying allowance for 85 hours a month. Source checked 2026-09-26; yen figures are converted for comparison at the rate held as of 2026-08-22, not a live rate.