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Pilot Salary in Australia

2 airlines based in Australia, compared on our captain and first officer estimates and ranges. Civil aviation authority: CASA.

2 airlines #11 of 52 countries
Captain estimate
$238K
$216K〜$340K
First officer estimate
$152K
$122K〜$196K
vs world estimate
-12%
world estimate avg $270K
Top payer
Qantas
captain $243K

Pilot salary by airline in Australia

Airlines whose sources we have checked come first, each figure shown with who it applies to, what it includes and when it was published. The rest are sorted by captain average, highest first. Click an airline for its pay breakdown, fleet, hiring requirements and reviews from working pilots.

Airlines whose sources we have checked (2)

“Official posting” means the airline’s own published figure, “job posting” a recruitment agency’s advert, “past ad” a vacancy that has since closed, and “modelled example” a figure we can reproduce from a published document and its formula. “Estimated” is our own estimate from public information, not a figure the airline publishes.

Airline Position Annual figure we publish
Qantas Captain $243K (Estimated)
First officer $159K (Estimated)
Jetstar Airways (Jetstar) Captain $228K (Estimated)
First officer $142K (Estimated)

Where Australia sits worldwide

Captain estimates side by side. Australia sits at $238K against a $270K world average — about 12% below. That places it 11th of the 52 countries we give an average for.

World average
$270K
Japan
$153K
🇦🇺 Australia
$238K
🇺🇸 United States
$417K
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$417K
🇫🇷 France
$323K

Country figures are the mean of our captain estimates for the airlines we list there. First officers: $154K worldwide. These are our own estimates from public information, not figures the airlines publish. Where an airline has published a figure itself, we show that separately on its own page.

Compare other countries

To see the whole region at once, go to pilot salary in Oceania — 4 airlines across 3 countries, captains averaging $224K.

Frequently asked questions

How much do pilots earn in Australia?
Across the 2 airlines we list in Australia, our captain estimate averages $238K ($216K〜$340K) and first officers average $152K ($122K〜$196K). That is about 12% below the $270K world captain average.
Which airline in Australia pays pilots the most?
Of the 2 airlines listed, Qantas pays the most: our captain estimate is $243K ($217K〜$340K) and first officers $159K.
How does Australia rank worldwide for pilot pay?
Ranked by captain average across the 52 countries we publish an estimate for, Australia is number 11. The world captain average is $270K; Australia sits at $238K.
How does it compare with Japanese airlines?
Our captain estimate across the 26 Japanese airlines we list averages $153K. Australia at $238K is $85K higher.