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Pilot Salary in the UK

4 airlines based in the United Kingdom, compared on our captain and first officer estimates and ranges. Civil aviation authority: UK CAA.

4 airlines #17 of 52 countries
Captain estimate
$221K
$117K〜$359K
First officer estimate
$133K
$45K〜$246K
vs world estimate
-18%
world estimate avg $270K
Top payer
Virgin Atlantic
captain $306K

Pilot salary by airline in the UK

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
Virgin Atlantic Captain $306K (Estimated)
First officer $167K (Estimated)
Wizz Air UK Captain $273K (Estimated)
First officer $123K (Estimated)

Other airlines we list (2)

For these 2 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
British Airways $250K $209K〜$359K $177K $145K〜$246K
easyJet $188K $145K〜$226K $94K $76K〜$125K

Where the UK sits worldwide

Captain estimates side by side. The UK sits at $221K against a $270K world average — about 18% below. That places it 17th of the 52 countries we give an average for.

World average
$270K
Japan
$153K
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$221K
🇺🇸 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 Europe — 25 airlines across 18 countries, captains averaging $219K.

Frequently asked questions

How much do pilots earn in the UK?
Across the 4 airlines we list in the UK, our captain estimate averages $221K ($117K〜$359K) and first officers average $133K ($45K〜$246K). That is about 18% below the $270K world captain average.
Which airline in the UK pays pilots the most?
Of the 4 airlines listed, Virgin Atlantic pays the most: our captain estimate is $306K ($178K〜$306K) and first officers $167K.
How does the UK rank worldwide for pilot pay?
Ranked by captain average across the 52 countries we publish an estimate for, the UK is number 17. The world captain average is $270K; the UK sits at $221K.
How does it compare with Japanese airlines?
Our captain estimate across the 26 Japanese airlines we list averages $153K. The UK at $221K is $69K higher.