Korean Air

KAL

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Korean Air Boeing 747-8
Photo (resized and cropped): Glenn Beltz / CC BY 4.0

Company

Airline headquartered in South Korea. Founded 1969. Fleet includes the A220-300, A321neo and A330-300.

Company details2 facts · Fleet · Sources
Headquarters
South Korea
Founded
1969

FleetTypes listed by the airline

  • A220-300
  • A321neo
  • A330-300
  • A350-900
  • A380-800
  • B737-800
  • B747-400
  • B747-8F
  • B747-8i
  • B777-200ER
  • B777F
  • B787-9
  • B737-8
  • B737-900
  • B737-900ER
  • B777-300
  • B777-300ER
  • B787-10

SourcesKorean Air “Cargo Privacy Policy”Korean Air “인사말씀”Korean Air “事实与数据”

Pay

Taxed (South Korea, 6–45%)

Korean Air Captain, estimated annual pay

$162K

Korean Air First Officer, estimated annual pay

$81K

Our estimate

Submitted payREAL PAY

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Who it covers, what’s included, and when
Captain
Midpoint, KRW 225,000,000, of the article’s KRW 210,000,000–240,000,000 total annual pay for captains.As of: April 2026
First Officer
Midpoint, KRW 112,500,000, of the article’s KRW 100,000,000–125,000,000 total annual pay for first officers.As of: April 2026

SourcesAviation A2Z, “Korean Air Pilot Salary in 2026”Published 11 April 2026 · checked 29 October 2026

Jobs

Airline’s careers page
Applications
1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027Recruitment of new pilots with civil flying experience
Start of selection
Selection starts once applications reach a set number; applicants are notifiedRecruitment of new pilots with civil flying experience
Contract type
Contract position during training; permanent once appointed as a probationary pilotRecruitment of new pilots with civil flying experience
Sources1

Korean Air “신입 조종사(민경력) 모집”checked 19 October 2026

Benefits

Housing

Company housing and loans for buying a home or a jeonse deposit

Company 2025 ESG report (all employees)

  • InsuranceHealth insurance
  • PensionCompany support of KRW 50,000 a month toward a personal pension

Answer anonymously

Destinations & layovers

Some destinationsGrouped by region, not by popularity

13 airports

Sourcesbasis · conditions · date
Conditions
  • Airports on international segments to and from the US flown by Korean Air scheduled passenger flights in the US DOT (BTS) July 2026 traffic data, in airport and aviation authority materials, and in other airlines’ materials. Base airports are not included.
  • Destinations confirmed in our research: 13 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 credits10

Tell us one thing about Korean Air.

You can save after answering just one question. Answers are anonymous and appear on the airline page once three pilots have answered the same item.

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 Korean Air captain salary in 2026?

We estimate captains at Korean Air at about $162K a year. That is our own estimate, worked out from publicly available information; it is not a figure the airline states. Its vacancies, its careers site and its annual report state no amount.

What is the Korean Air first officer salary?

We estimate first officers at about $81K a year. That is our own estimate from publicly available information, not a figure the airline states.

What are the requirements to become a Korean Air pilot?

Captain / First Officer — Domestic & international. ICN base. Key requirements: License: ATPL/CPL (ICAO mutual recognition); English: ICAO Level 4+; Employment: Full-time. We have not been able to confirm flight-hour requirements the airline publishes; the airline’s careers page is linked under Jobs above. Foreign pilot conditions vary. Always check official careers page.

What is the Korean Air pilot salary per month?

We do not publish a monthly figure for Korean Air. An annual figure divided by twelve is not what lands in a given month — what you are paid moves with the hours you fly.

What is the Korean Air pilot pay scale?

We estimate annual pay for Korean Air captains at about $162K. That is our own estimate from public information, not a figure Korean Air publishes. The sources do not say whether the Korean Air figures on this page are before or after tax. The actual figure moves with the aircraft type, years of service and the routes you fly. We estimate annual pay for Korean Air first officers at about $81K. That is our own estimate from public information, not a figure Korean Air publishes. The sources do not say whether the Korean Air figures on this page are before or after tax. The actual figure moves with the aircraft type, years of service and the routes you fly. Source checked 2026-10-29; yen figures are converted for comparison at the rate held as of 2026-08-22, not a live rate.

Is the Korean Air pilot salary before or after tax?

The sources do not say whether the Korean Air figures on this page are before or after tax. Take-home depends on where you are resident and on your own deductions, so no single percentage applies, and we do not publish one. Airlines based in countries with no personal income tax — the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia — leave more of the same gross figure in your hand.