South Korea's largest airline. SkyTeam founding member.
Korean Air, founded 1969, is South Korea's largest international carrier. Hubbing at Incheon International Airport, it serves 120+ cities in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. A SkyTeam founding member, it has been pursuing a merger with Asiana Airlines (2024–2026).
* 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 Int'l widebody |
¥18.5M–¥27.5M |
¥24.5M | Pre-tax |
| First Officer Domestic & int'l |
¥9.5M–¥14.3M |
¥12.5M | Seniority-based |
💡 USD/JPY=150. Korean income tax max 42%. International crew receive FX allowances. Reference values based on Glassdoor 2025 data.
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–¥4.8M | est. |
| First Officer — Junior | 3–5 yrs | ¥9.5M–¥11.7M | est. |
| First Officer — Mid | 6–10 yrs | ¥10.8M–¥13M | est. |
| First Officer — Senior | 11–15 yrs | ¥12.1M–¥14.3M | est. |
| Captain — New | 15–18 yrs | ¥18.5M–¥22.6M | est. |
| Captain — Mid | 19–24 yrs | ¥21M–¥25M | est. |
| Senior Captain | 25+ yrs | ¥23.5M–¥27.5M | est. |
| Management / Instructor / Examiner | — | Data wanted | crowd-sourced |
ICN hub to Americas (NY, LA, Seattle), Europe (London, Paris, Frankfurt), SE Asia, Middle East, Oceania. Extensive Japan routes (NRT/HND/KIX).
B777-200ER/300ER, B787-9, B737-8/9, A220-300, A321neo
Type training at CAA Korea-approved ATCs. Ground → simulator → LIFUS. Standard ICAO-based process.
Post-type-rating supervised line flying. Typically 50–75 legs.
OPC/LPC 1–2x per year per CAAK requirements.
Seniority-based. After meeting F/O hours and passing internal assessments.
Discounted/standby tickets for self and family. SkyTeam partners included.
Comprehensive medical coverage for pilot and family. Loss of license insurance.
Annual performance-linked bonus (2–4 months typical).
20–30 days. Long-haul crews receive recovery leave.
Corporate pension or defined contribution plan.
Per diem for international layovers by city tier.
Hiring status: Foreign pilot hiring limited as of March 2026. Check official recruiting page.
* Foreign pilot conditions vary. Always check official careers page.
| Airline | Captain (range) | First Officer | Income Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Korean Air 🇰🇷 | ¥18.5M–¥27.5M | ¥9.5M–¥14.3M | 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.
Korean Air captain pay averages about ¥24.5M per year (range ¥18.5M–¥27.5M), pre-tax. Figures are reference values based on public data and industry benchmarks.
Korean Air first officer pay averages about ¥12.5M per year (range ¥9.5M–¥14.3M), pre-tax, rising with seniority — see the Career Ladder above for the year-by-year breakdown.
Captain / First Officer (Regular Recruitment) — Domestic & international. ICN base.. Key requirements — License: ATPL/CPL (ICAO mutual recognition); English: ICAO Level 4+; Min. Hours: Capt 5,000h / F/O 1,500h (guideline); Employment: Full-time. Foreign pilot conditions vary. Always check official careers page.
Korean Air captains average ¥24.5M, versus roughly ¥27M at ANA / JAL. Both figures are pre-tax; Japan applies ~33% income tax.
Dividing the annual average by 12, Korean Air captains earn about ¥2.04M a month and first officers about ¥1.04M. 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.
Korean Air first officers average ¥12.5M and captains ¥24.5M — a step of about ¥12M, or roughly 2.0×. The full range runs ¥9.5M to ¥27.5M, 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 ¥24.5M and first officers ¥12.5M 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 South Korea 2 airlines · captain avg ¥2,320万