Which country is best for pilot job?
10 Countries With The Highest Pilot Salaries In The World
For the longest time, many young people have wanted to become pilots since it has been regarded as a prestigious job for quite a number of years. However, the cost of becoming a pilot is one of the biggest barriers of entry into the industry. In the United States, it will cost around $133,000 to get a college degree, $8,000 to get a private pilot license, $900 for instrument rating, $23,500 for additional flight time and other additional costs amounting to $80,000. All these are the costs that may be involved to get a Commercial Pilot License. In order to get an airline transport license, it may cost a pilot $136,000 in rental fees if they were to pay for the flight time they need. However, most pilots fly small planes such as sky diving planes, flying banners etc to get the hours they need to move to the next level. Long haul flights are more lucrative than short haul regional flights hence more senior pilots go for the international long haul flights. Here is a list of countries with the highest paid pilots.
1. China
Average salary – $300,000 A pilot in China can earn $25,000 a month or roughly $300,000 a year and in addition to this they are entitled to an end of contract bonus of as much as $80,000. The biggest airlines in China are China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Air China and Hainan Airlines. The fast economic growth in the country has brought about a huge demand in passengers wanting to fly to different parts of the world and this has led to a shortage of pilots in the country.
2. Netherlands
Average salary – $245,000 KLM is the largest Dutch airline and their pilot salaries start at about €50,000 for a first officer and €256,700 for an experienced captain. A captain’s base salary is around €133,600 a year. The average pay is around €218,500 annually ($245,000).
3. France
Average salary – $235,000 Air France is the country’s national airline and senior pilots working for this airline earn about €208,000 ($235,000) annually after flying two hours a day long haul and one and a half hours short haul.
4. Ireland
Average salary – $225,000 Ryanair is the biggest operator in the country and it pays its Dublin based pilot an average of €15,000 – €200,000 annually.
5. Canada
Average salary – $235,000 The starting wages for a pilot working for Canada’s biggest flagship airline Air Canada is around CAD50,000 and reaches CAD62,000. A Boeing 777 Captain with 12 years of experience can earn around CAD300,000 a year ($225,000).
6. Qatar
Average salary – $220,000 Qatar Airways is the state-owned flag carrier of Qatar headquartered in Doha. A captain’s base salary plus allowance is QAR50,000 while an experienced captain earns QAR69,000 a month. The average yearly salary for a Qatar Airway pilot is $220,000.
7. Germany
Average salary – $203,000 The largest airline in Germany is Lufthansa and has hired over 5,500 pilots which make up the vast majority of pilots in the country. The average annual pay for the pilots is €180,000 ($203,000). Experienced pilots can easily make more than €200,000 or about $275,000 a year and those captains on the highest pay level earn as much as €22,000 a month. This is way higher than the average German wage of about $45,000 a year.
8. Switzerland
Average salary – $211,000 Swiss Air is the national carrier in the country. A pilot in Switzerland earns between 4,861 and 17,600 francs a month. At the beginning, a co-pilot will receive 4,861 francs per month on the short haul route and 6,575 on the long haul route. The maximum wage for an experienced short range captain is 12,000 francs a month and a long haul captain can earn up to 17,600 francs a month. This is around $211,000 a year.
9. UAE
Average salary – $200,000 In the UAE, Emirates is the country’s flagship airline. Captains of A380 and B777 are offered a total monthly tax-free salary of $16,270 (AED59,770). This is composed of a basic salary of $11,633 (AED42,690) a month plus average flying pay and $4,400 as a monthly housing allowance.
10. United Kingdom
Average salary – $180,000 In the UK, British Airways is the flag carrier in the country and the largest based on fleet size but second-largest behind easyJet when measured by passengers carried. Other major airlines in the UK include Virgin Atlantic, FlyBe, Jet2, Ryanair UK etc. The starting salaries for newly qualified first officers may be around £24,000 in small operations while in larger companies it can be around £28,000. More experienced pilots earn from the range of £36,000 to £48,000 as a first officer. When the move to a medium-sized airline it can range from £57,000 to £78,000. Major operators such as BA pay their pilots from £97,000 to over £140,000 annually.
Top 5 Best Places In The World To Work As A Pilot
There are times in our lives where we choose the next step we will make. Your professional career is also like that – early on in our lives, we try to set it up for the best possible outcome in the future. A Pilot career is no exception. Choosing the right flight school, line training program and the correct location to kick-start your career is crucial to succeeding in the future.
Everybody knows that to become a pilot you need to have a quite hefty sum of money in your pocket. Flight schools, hour building programs are an expensive commodity. So making back the money is an important aspect when choosing the right Pilot career path.
American Airlines Canceled Flights because of pilot shortages in 2017
And it seems like airlines, no matter low-cost or legacy, they seem to agree on one thing. There is a massive shortage of professionals in the cockpit.
But some regions are more thriving than others, thus airlines offer pilots the best conditions possible.
So, a question stands.
When choosing the next move in your pilot career, which place in the world is the easiest and the best to find work as a pilot?
1. The Middle East
The region is becoming a synonym for luxurious air travel. Airlines, such as Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways are competing against each other to provide the best service possible.
Additionally, the Middle East is becoming a dominant force in the business world. More and more passengers travel to and from the region for various reasons.
Emirates is becoming one of the most attractive places to pursue a pilot career in
So, the demand for air travel is here. But carriers in the Middle East are adding more and more aircraft to their fleet. These new aircraft require crews to operate them.
And in order to supply the demand for pilots, Middle Eastern airlines are offering pilots wonderful career opportunities and working conditions. Attractive salary packages, excellent roster and travel options are almost guaranteed if you work in an airline located in the Middle East.
You can find Pilot career options in such airlines as Qatar Airways, Emirates or any other airline right here!
2. East Asia
If the Middle East is booming with air travel, then East Asia is exploding (not literally). Countries in East Asia, namely China, Japan and South Korea are striving. Their airlines are also regarded as one of the best in the world, with China’s Hainan Airlines and Japan’s All Nippon Airways making the best airlines in the world lists yearly.
If the Middle East lifestyle is not your cup of tea, you definitely cannot go wrong with a Pilot career in East Asia. Airlines here are also struggling to fill their cockpits, thus they offer excellent terms in their contracts with pilots.
Additionally, a lot of airlines in the region still fly the Boeing 747, meaning you might still grab an opportunity to work in the cockpit of the Queen Of The Skies!
Korean Air Boeing 747
Interested in working in East Asia? You can find all the Pilot job offers in countries like China, Japan and South Korea here!
3. South East Asia
The region to the south of East Asia, I guess there that is the reason why it‘s called South East Asia.
Anyways, terrible jokes aside, the region is home to various countries, cultures and airlines. Most notably, Singapore Airlines (SIA1) (SINGY) . If Middle East airlines are synonymous with luxury, then Singapore Airlines (SIA1) (SINGY) literally define luxurious air travel. Singapore Airlines (SIA1) (SINGY) alone makes the whole region more interesting to work in as a pilot. They have the longest non-stop scheduled flight between Singapore and Newark, their main hub, Singapore Changi airport is regarded as one of the best, if not the best airports in the world and take good care of their employees too.
But enough about Singapore Airlines (SIA1) (SINGY) , as South East Asian airports welcome other, world-class carriers. Namely, such airlines as Vietnam Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, EVA Air and one of the worlds Airbus A380 operators Thai Airways.
Thai Airways Airbus A380
South East Asia’s low-cost carriers such as Scoot, the airline famous for its fantastic liveries Nok Air and Jetstar Asia are also known for their top-notch service.
But to be the best as an airline, you not only need to provide excellent customer service but equally take care of your employees. And the carriers in the South East Asia region are known around the world to provide the best conditions for your Pilot career.
Does working in the region spark interest to you? Check our job offers for South East Asian countries!
4. India
Sure, this might shock some, but there is a good reason why India is on this list.
Let me explain why. India as a country is huge. Not only in the total area, but in population as well. In other words, the potential market and potential profits that lie there are astronomical. There are three reasons why the aviation industry in India will realize its potential.
Firstly, the current growth rates are insane. According to IATA, since the early 2010s, the Indian aviation market has doubled its passenger numbers from 78 million to 158 million. Destination count from Indian airports has tripled – in 2018, you could board a plane and get to 300 airports around the world. Just 10 years ago, the same number was three times lower – 100.
Secondly, the Indian economy is growing. Growth means that consumers have more disposable income which they can spend on flights. This further attributes to the fact that the Indian aviation industry is set to grow. Additionally, international businesses are already investing heavily in the country. Meaning that not only Indians will travel more – international business travelers will travel more to India.
And thirdly, the Indian government is heavily helping in developing the aviation industry. They have launched the UDAN-RDCS project. The main purpose of this project is to further develop regional airports. In addition, the Indian government wants to help airlines create more regional routes within the country.
Indian Airlines’ aircraft
Anyways, while India might not be on par with, for example, the Middle East just yet, but the saying early bird gets the worm perfectly illustrates the situation at hand right here. If you get in before everybody else, you will reap the benefits later on.
Find a job in India as a pilot right here!
5. Europe
We might be a little biased, but Europe is one of the most wonderful regions to work in as a pilot.
Not only the whole continent is absolutely stunning with various sights and attractions to see from above, but one of the best benefits of working here is that you can kick-start your pilot career easily.
Especially with so many low-cost carriers present, as they seem to be thriving at the moment. There are multiple reasons to work for a low-cost carrier like Ryanair, but essentially, if you are a pilot with not a lot of experience, low-cost carriers are a perfect place to gain more experience and stack up the flying hours.
And when you have gained enough flying hours to advance your career further, the biggest airlines, like Lufthansa (LHAB) (LHA) , British Airways, KLM and many more are just next door.
Wish to work as a Pilot in Europe? Check out the job offers here!
Multiple European Airlines’ Aircraft
To sum up, there are many different reasons why one continent, region or a country might be a good place to work as a pilot. But at the moment, following the recent trends and tendencies, salaries and other benefits offered to pilots, these are the best pilot career options that we have picked.
