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Pilot Salary in the Middle East
10 airlines based in the Middle East, across 7 countries, compared on our captain and first officer estimates and ranges. Drill into a country for its own page, or into an airline for its pay breakdown, fleet and pilot reviews. 9 of them are based in countries with no personal income tax.
Pilot salary by country in the Middle East
Sorted by captain average, highest first. Open a country for its airline-by-airline breakdown, how it compares with the world average, and its income-tax status.
| # | Country | Airlines | Captain est. | Captain range | F/O est. | Income tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | 3 | $281K | $164K〜$377K | $209K | None |
| 2 | 🇧🇭 Bahrain | 1 | $260K | $145K〜$340K | $167K | None |
| 3 | 🇶🇦 Qatar | 1 | $250K | $164K〜$302K | $140K | None |
| 4 | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 2 | $208K | $170K〜$315K | $113K | None |
| 5 | 🇴🇲 Oman | 1 | $191K | $132K〜$230K | $92K | None |
| 6 | 🇰🇼 Kuwait | 1 | $176K | $145K〜$220K | $98K | None |
| 7 | 🇯🇴 Jordan | 1 | $148K | $85K〜$148K | $102K | Yes |
Pilot salary by airline in the Middle East (10 airlines)
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 with sources checked (8)
“Official posting” means a figure the airline itself published in a vacancy; “job posting” a figure from a recruitment agency's advert; “past ad” a vacancy that has since closed; “modelled example” a figure with a document and a calculation behind it. “Estimated” is our own estimate from public information, not a figure the airline publishes.
| Airline | Country | Position | Annual figure we publish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emirates | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | Captain | Direct entry captain: $157K (cash pay, annual, Official posting); Direct entry captain: $323K (total package, annual (includes the cash pay), Official posting) |
| First officer | First officer, Standard: $105K (cash pay, annual, Official posting); First officer, Standard: $245K (total package, annual (includes the cash pay), Official posting); First officer, Enhanced: $113K (cash pay, annual, Official posting); First officer, Enhanced: $255K (total package, annual (includes the cash pay), Official posting) | ||
| Gulf Air | 🇧🇭 Bahrain | Captain | $260K (Estimated) |
| First officer | $167K (Estimated) | ||
| Qatar Airways | 🇶🇦 Qatar | Captain | $250K (Estimated) |
| First officer | $140K (Estimated) | ||
| flydubai | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | Captain | $218K (Estimated) |
| First officer | $158K (Estimated) | ||
| Etihad Airways | 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates | Captain | Captain, A320 (top of the advertised range): $184K (maximum quoted in the vacancy, annual, Job posting) |
| First officer | First officer, A320 (top of the advertised range): $140K (maximum quoted in the vacancy, annual, Job posting) | ||
| Saudia | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | Captain | $208K (Estimated) |
| First officer | $113K (Estimated) | ||
| Oman Air | 🇴🇲 Oman | Captain | Captain, B737 NG (2017 advert, no longer open): $123K (annual reward (approx., three cash items combined), Past ad) |
| First officer | First officer, B737 NG (2017 advert, no longer open): $89K (annual reward (approx., three cash items combined), Past ad) | ||
| Royal Jordanian | 🇯🇴 Jordan | Captain | Captain, A320 (Amman, 12-month Brookfield contract, net): $148K (monthly pay × 12 months, Job posting) |
| First officer | First officer, A320 (Amman, 12-month Brookfield contract, net): $102K (monthly pay × 12 months, Job posting) |
Other airlines listed (2)
We have not yet traced the sources for these airlines one by one.
| Airline | Country | Captain est. | Captain range | F/O est. | F/O range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riyadh Air | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | $271K | $226K〜$315K | $189K | $170K〜$214K |
| Kuwait Airways | 🇰🇼 Kuwait | $176K | $145K〜$220K | $98K | $79K〜$123K |
Where the Middle East sits worldwide
Captain averages by region. The Middle East sits at $257K against a $270K world average — about 5% below. That is 2nd of the 7 regions we publish an average for.
Regional figures are the mean of our captain estimates for the airlines we list there. Japan has no separate regional hub — see the Japan page. First officers in the Middle East average $171K, against $154K worldwide. Airlines whose sources we have checked and relabelled are included in that mean at their estimated pay.
Compare other regions
Frequently asked questions
How much do pilots earn in the Middle East?
Which airline in the Middle East pays pilots the most?
Which country in the Middle East pays pilots the most?
What is the monthly pilot salary in the Middle East?
Is pilot pay in the Middle East tax-free?
How does it compare with Japanese airlines?
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