Malaysia flag carrier. Oneworld member.
Malaysia Airlines (MAB) hubs at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Post the 2014 dual tragedies (MH370, MH17), the airline restructured and continues operations today as a Oneworld member. Has a history of foreign captain recruitment.
* 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 |
$82K–$164K |
$120K | Pre-tax |
| First Officer International |
$41K–$85K |
$63K | Seniority-based |
💡 MYR/JPY≈33, USD/JPY=150. Foreign hires may receive USD-denominated 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 | $19K–$28K | est. |
| First Officer — Junior | 3–5 yrs | $41K–$61K | est. |
| First Officer — Mid | 6–10 yrs | $53K–$72K | est. |
| First Officer — Senior | 11–15 yrs | $65K–$85K | est. |
| Captain — New | 15–18 yrs | $82K–$119K | est. |
| Captain — Mid | 19–24 yrs | $104K–$141K | est. |
| Senior Captain | 25+ yrs | $127K–$164K | est. |
| Management / Instructor / Examiner | — | Data wanted | crowd-sourced |
KL hub to Japan, China, SE Asia, Europe (London), Australia.
A330-200/300, A350-900, B737-800 MAX
CAAM (Malaysia) approved ATC. Standard ground → simulator → LIFUS.
Supervised line flying post-type rating.
OPC/LPC 1–2x per year.
Seniority + assessment.
Discount tickets. Oneworld partners included.
Medical coverage for pilot and family.
Performance-linked bonus.
Corporate pension.
20–25 days.
Per diem for international layovers.
Hiring status: Foreign pilot hiring on irregular basis. Check official site.
| Airline | Captain (range) | First Officer | Income Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malaysia Airlines 🇲🇾 | $82K–$164K | $41K–$85K | Income tax applies |
| ANA 🇯🇵 | $138K–$220K | $88K–$132K | ~33% (Japan) |
| JAL 🇯🇵 | $138K–$220K | $88K–$132K | ~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.
Malaysia Airlines captain pay averages about $120K per year (range $82K–$164K), pre-tax. Figures are reference values based on public data and industry benchmarks.
Malaysia Airlines first officer pay averages about $63K per year (range $41K–$85K), pre-tax, rising with seniority — see the Career Ladder above for the year-by-year breakdown.
Direct Entry Captain — Int'l widebody.. Key requirements — License: ATPL (ICAO); Experience: 5,000h+ widebody.
Malaysia Airlines captains average $120K, versus roughly $170K at ANA / JAL. Both figures are pre-tax; Japan applies ~33% income tax.
Dividing the annual average by 12, Malaysia Airlines captains earn about $9.9K a month and first officers about $5.2K. 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.
Malaysia Airlines first officers average $63K and captains $120K — a step of about $57K, or roughly 1.9×. The full range runs $41K to $164K, 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 $120K and first officers $63K 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 Malaysia 2 airlines · captain avg $101K