One of the US big-3. Widebody captain salary among the world's highest.
United Airlines, founded 1926, is a US major carrier. With hubs at Chicago (ORD), Denver (DEN), Houston (IAH), Newark (EWR), San Francisco (SFO), Washington (IAD), and Los Angeles (LAX), it serves six continents as a Star Alliance core member.
Widebody captain pay is among the highest in the industry. Year 12+ captains on the B777 can earn about $569,000/year (~¥85M). Recent contract revisions significantly improved the pay structure.
* 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 Narrowbody |
¥53.7M–¥85.3M |
¥63.2M | Pre-tax |
| First Officer Widebody peak |
¥17.9M–¥52.2M |
¥38.7M | Seniority-based |
💡 USD/JPY=150. Federal income tax (up to 37%) applies, but 401(k)/HSA tax advantages can maximize take-home. Routes include Japan (NRT/HND/OSA).
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 | ¥5.4M–¥9M | est. |
| First Officer — Junior | 3–5 yrs | ¥17.9M–¥33.3M | est. |
| First Officer — Mid | 6–10 yrs | ¥27.5M–¥42.6M | est. |
| First Officer — Senior | 11–15 yrs | ¥36.8M–¥52.2M | est. |
| Captain — New | 15–18 yrs | ¥53.7M–¥67.9M | est. |
| Captain — Mid | 19–24 yrs | ¥62.5M–¥76.5M | est. |
| Senior Captain | 25+ yrs | ¥71.1M–¥85.3M | est. |
| Management / Instructor / Examiner | — | Data wanted | crowd-sourced |
Global 6-continent network. Japan routes (NRT/HND/OSA). 7 major US hubs. Pacific routes to Japan, China, HK, Sydney. Domestic narrowbody, international widebody.
B777-200/300, B787-8/9/10, B767-300ER, B737 MAX
Ground → simulator (Denver Training Center) → IOE. Fully paid training.
Seniority-based aircraft/route/base selection. More senior = more preferred choices.
Typically 7–12 years. Depends on fleet demand and seniority. Check ride required before line ops.
FAA-certified training program. Customized to individual competencies.
Proprietary pilot pipeline. Military, university, and feeder school pathways.
Proficiency checks 1–2x per year. Support training available if needed.
Company matching contributions available. Key tax-advantaged retirement tool.
Company performance-based distribution. Can add 10%+ of annual salary in good years.
Free/discounted tickets for self, family, and pass riders. Star Alliance partners included.
Comprehensive family health insurance. Company HSA contributions included.
Income replacement for work and non-work loss of license.
Continuing education support. Children's scholarship program.
Hiring status: Actively Hiring
* US work authorization required. United Aviate Academy pipeline also available. Thousands of hires planned in recent years.
| Airline | Captain (range) | First Officer | Income Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Airlines 🇺🇸 | ¥53.7M–¥85.3M | ¥17.9M–¥52.2M | 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.
United Airlines captain pay averages about ¥63.2M per year (range ¥53.7M–¥85.3M), pre-tax. Figures are reference values based on public data and industry benchmarks.
United Airlines first officer pay averages about ¥38.7M per year (range ¥17.9M–¥52.2M), pre-tax, rising with seniority — see the Career Ladder above for the year-by-year breakdown.
First Officer — All Aircraft — B737/B757/B767/B777/B787. Key requirements — License: ATP Certificate (R-ATP accepted); Min. Hours: 1,500h (R-ATP: 1,000h); Work Auth.: US Green Card or citizenship required. US work authorization required. United Aviate Academy pipeline also available. Thousands of hires planned in recent years.
United Airlines captains average ¥63.2M, versus roughly ¥27M at ANA / JAL. Both figures are pre-tax; Japan applies ~33% income tax.
Dividing the annual average by 12, United Airlines captains earn about ¥5.27M a month and first officers about ¥3.23M. 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.
United Airlines first officers average ¥38.7M and captains ¥63.2M — a step of about ¥24.5M, or roughly 1.6×. The full range runs ¥17.9M to ¥85.3M, 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 ¥63.2M and first officers ¥38.7M 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 the USA 11 airlines · captain avg ¥4,380万