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Pilot Salary in Saudi Arabia

2 airlines based in Saudi Arabia, compared on our captain and first officer estimates and ranges. Civil aviation authority: GACA.

2 airlines #19 of 52 countries No income tax
Captain estimate
$208K
$170K〜$315K
First officer estimate
$113K
$91K〜$214K
vs world estimate
-23%
world estimate avg $270K
Top payer
Riyadh Air
captain $271K

Pilot salary by airline in Saudi Arabia

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. Note that Saudi Arabia levies no personal income tax, so these figures are close to take-home.

Airlines whose sources we have checked (1)

“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
Saudia Captain $208K (Estimated)
First officer $113K (Estimated)

Other airlines we list (1)

For these 1 the figures are our own estimates with a range, worked out from publicly available information.

Airline Captain est. Captain range F/O est. F/O range
Riyadh Air $271K $226K〜$315K $189K $170K〜$214K

Where Saudi Arabia sits worldwide

Captain estimates side by side. Saudi Arabia sits at $208K against a $270K world average — about 23% below. That places it 19th of the 52 countries we give an average for.

World average
$270K
Japan
$153K
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$208K
🇺🇸 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 the Middle East — 10 airlines across 7 countries, captains averaging $257K.

Frequently asked questions

How much do pilots earn in Saudi Arabia?
Across the 2 airlines we list in Saudi Arabia, our captain estimate averages $208K ($170K〜$315K) and first officers average $113K ($91K〜$214K). That is about 23% below the $270K world captain average.
Which airline in Saudi Arabia pays pilots the most?
Of the 2 airlines listed, Riyadh Air pays the most: our captain estimate is $271K ($226K〜$315K) and first officers $189K.
How does Saudi Arabia rank worldwide for pilot pay?
Ranked by captain average across the 52 countries we publish an estimate for, Saudi Arabia is number 19. The world captain average is $270K; Saudi Arabia sits at $208K.
Is pilot pay in Saudi Arabia tax-free?
Saudi Arabia levies no personal income tax, so the figures shown are close to take-home. Against an identical gross salary in a country that taxes income, the amount you actually keep is materially higher.
How does it compare with Japanese airlines?
Our captain estimate across the 26 Japanese airlines we list averages $153K. Saudi Arabia at $208K is $55K higher.