A commuter airline connecting the remote islands of Kagoshima.
An Shin Nihon Airlines captain earns an average of $75K per year, typically $63K–$88K. First officers average $47K ($38K–$57K). Figures are gross annual pay, before tax. Figures are as of March 2026.
Shin Nihon Airlines is an independent commuter airline established in 2005 and based in Kagoshima Prefecture. Operating out of Kagoshima Airport, it handles commuter routes to the prefecture's remote islands, including Okinoerabu and Yoron. It provides island access with small aircraft such as the Cessna 208B Grand Caravan and the Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander.
Kagoshima Prefecture is home to many inhabited islands, and the airline plays a vital role in supporting islanders' daily lives, medical care, and logistics. Connecting these islands in 30 to 60 minutes — a journey that takes many hours by ferry — is indispensable for residents. As a small airline with a strong social mission, it offers a pilot career deeply rooted in the local community.
* 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 widebody |
$63K–$88K |
$75K | Pre-tax |
| First Officer Seniority-based |
$38K–$57K |
$47K | Seniority-based |
All figures are in Japanese yen and subject to Japan's progressive income tax. Compensation includes a bonus paid twice a year (in line with independent-company norms) and separate remote-island / regional allowances that are set on a per-route basis. Both captains and first officers earn island-route and Kagoshima allowances on top of base pay, plus a flight (duty) allowance paid per flight. Loss-of-license insurance is provided for both on-duty and off-duty incidents.
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 | $38K–$47K | est. |
| First Officer — Mid | 6–10 yrs | $43K–$52K | est. |
| First Officer — Senior | 11–15 yrs | $48K–$57K | est. |
| Captain — New | 15–18 yrs | $63K–$74K | est. |
| Captain — Mid | 19–24 yrs | $70K–$81K | est. |
| Senior Captain | 25+ yrs | $77K–$88K | est. |
| Management / Instructor / Examiner | — | Data wanted | crowd-sourced |
Major routes from Kagoshima include Kagoshima ↔ Okinoerabu (approx. 55 minutes) and Kagoshima ↔ Yoron (approx. 60 minutes), along with commuter routes between islands within Kagoshima Prefecture and charter and special-transport operations. Flying the Kagoshima islands has distinctive demands: coping with the Nansei Islands' unusual weather (typhoons and seasonal winds), over-water flight and precision landings at small, confined airfields, building strong manual-handling skill on very small aircraft, and a powerful sense of mission as a lifeline for island residents.
Cessna 208B Grand Caravan (9-seat single-engine turboprop) and Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander (9-seat twin-engine piston). Based at Kagoshima Airport (KOJ hub), serving the Nansei Islands within Kagoshima Prefecture.
Type-rating training on the Cessna 208B Grand Caravan (single-engine turboprop) and the BN-2 Islander (twin-engine piston). Mastering the different airframe characteristics and propulsion systems builds broad technical skill.
Training to handle the weather peculiar to the Nansei Islands (typhoons, seasonal winds, and squalls). Pilots learn the airfield characteristics and approach procedures of each island, such as Okinoerabu and Yoron.
The direct, high-density instruction from captains that only a small company can offer. Beyond stick-and-rudder flying, pilots gain broad experience in other aviation duties such as weather judgment, maintenance checks, and ground operations.
The high number of flights and landings on small aircraft accelerates skill development. Safety standards are maintained through recurrent checks once or twice a year, and the small workforce means opportunities for early upgrade to captain.
Discounted air tickets for employees and their families, making trips to Kagoshima's remote islands easy to enjoy.
Based in Kagoshima City, enjoy the great outdoors of Sakurajima and Kirishima. The rich food culture — hot springs, Kagoshima black pork, and shochu — is another draw.
Enrollment in the health insurance association, dedicated pilot health-management support, and full loss-of-license insurance.
A retirement-allowance program is in place. As a stable independent company, it supports long-term careers.
Diverse flying experience across single- and twin-engine, turboprop and piston aircraft — an environment to sharpen your core skills as a pilot.
Type-rating training costs are covered by Shin Nihon Airlines, with support programs for obtaining and maintaining multiple-type ratings.
Hiring status: Hiring status varies — check official site
Hiring status varies by period; please check Shin Nihon Airlines' official site. Candidates with a strong passion for small aircraft and remote-island routes are welcome.
| Airline | Captain (range) | First Officer | Income Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shin Nihon Airlines 🇯🇵 | $63K–$88K | $38K–$57K | ~33% (Japan) |
| 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.
Shin Nihon Airlines captain pay averages about $75K per year (range $63K–$88K), pre-tax. Figures are reference values based on public data and industry benchmarks.
Shin Nihon Airlines first officer pay averages about $47K per year (range $38K–$57K), pre-tax, rising with seniority — see the Career Ladder above for the year-by-year breakdown.
Shin Nihon Airlines Pilot Recruitment — Captain / First Officer (F/O) — hiring pilots with small-aircraft experience. Key requirements — Eligibility: Holder of a Commercial Pilot License (single- or multi-engine, instrument); Location: Kagoshima Airport (Kagoshima Prefecture); English: Aviation English Proficiency Level 4 or higher. Hiring status varies by period; please check Shin Nihon Airlines' official site. Candidates with a strong passion for small aircraft and remote-island routes are welcome.
Shin Nihon Airlines captains average $75K, versus roughly $170K at ANA / JAL. Both figures are pre-tax; Japan applies ~33% income tax.
Dividing the annual average by 12, Shin Nihon Airlines captains earn about $6.3K a month and first officers about $4K. 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.
Shin Nihon Airlines first officers average $47K and captains $75K — a step of about $28K, or roughly 1.6×. The full range runs $38K to $88K, 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 $75K and first officers $47K 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 Japan 26 airlines · captain avg $116K