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The median household disposable income in the UK sits at around £36,700 (£1 = $1.34), according to the Office for National Statistics. That means pilots, who usually earn well into six figures, continue to have one of Britain’s best-paying jobs. Their salaries, often negotiated by powerful unions with Britain’s aviation industry, are defined by their experience, flying hours, the aircraft they fly, and more. From this amount, a significant amount of tax is taken, making take-home pay a lot lower.
As with the US aviation sector, different areas of the market have differing salary trends. Full-service airlines like Virgin Atlantic and British Airways usually offer the best salaries, with the greatest gap being present for the most experienced pilots, while budget airlines like easyJetoffer excellent career progression pathways. These low-cost firms are also starting to catch up. They are incredibly popular among European customers, so they are always looking for new pilots.
British Widebody & Legacy Carriers
The British long-haul aviation sector continues to be dominated by British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, which fly their modern widebody aircraft to destinations on every inhabited continent. This historical dominance, and the presence of complex modern jets, lead these carriers to offer some of British aviation’s highest salaries. British Airways leads the pack in terms of its experienced long-haul crew salaries.
First officers crewing these routes earn £70,000 to £125,000 each year. Captains’ salaries climb to £100,000 to £225,000 per year. This range arises from differences in experience, aircraft flown and hours. In this context, Virgin Atlantic salaries are high and competitive, but don’t quite align with British Airways. First officers can expect to make £70,000 to £100,000 a year, with captains’ salaries being £115,000 to £200,000 each year.
These numbers imply that early-career first officers and captains can do just as well at Virgin Atlantic as at British Airways, but will have a lower ceiling and a less clear progression pathway. The British Airways progression pathway is driven by its regional subsidiary BA CityFlyer. It is common for pilots to begin their careers here, before shifting to more challenging, lucrative and longer routes with British Airways’ mainline division.
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Low-Cost Airlines
Like the rest of Europe, Britain’s commercial aviation sector is driven by low-cost airlines, such as easyJet. These firms offer passengers affordable flights to popular European destinations, making up for their incredibly low basic ticket cost with add-ons for baggage, priority boarding and more. With this market greatly expanding, budget airlines are constantly on the lookout for new pilots, and are becoming increasingly prepared to pay high salaries as they compete for experienced crew.
EasyJet’s pilot salaries are among the best in this sector, particularly because of recent pay agreements, which have been formulated with pilot retention in mind. Easyjet first officers can expect to earn £65,000 to £100,000, with captains commonly earning £170,000 to £220,000. As with the widebody carriers, like British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, a number of factors, including experience, influence budget carriers’ pilot salaries.
Aircraft type | In service | Parked | Total | Average age (years) | On order |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Airbus A319 | 42 | 2 | 44 | 17.8 | None |
Airbus A320 | 131 | None | 131 | 10.4 | 1 |
Airbus A321 | 15 | None | 15 | 4.8 | 6 |
Total | 188 | 2 | 190 | 11.7 | 7 |
The table below shows the easyJet fleet, according to Planespotters.net. It illustrates the sort of aircraft that British budget airline pilots can expect to fly. It is notable that easyJet is now an all-Airbus airline, having flown the Boeing 737 and even the 757 in the past.
easyJet is at the upper end of budget airline salaries, with most of its rivals having a greater salary gap to the widebody and legacy carriers. For example, Wizz Air’s UK-based first officers make £55,000 to £90,000. However, these firms offer a different incentive: career progression. They recruit new qualified pilots fresh out of cadet programs, and pilots can rise to captain within a few years.
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What The British Taxman Takes
As with any job, British pilots don’t get to take home every penny that they earn, with the state taking a substantial amount of their pay in tax to fund public services and more. The British tax bands that pilots have to abide by begin with a personal allowance up to £12,570, which is taxed at 0%. This allowance is cut in half at incomes over £100,000 and removed completely at £125,140. Next, the basic tax rate is 20% on earnings from the personal allowance threshold to £50,270.
The higher rate of 40% applies to earnings from £50,271 to £125,140, with the additional rate of 45% charged on earnings above that. The table below shows what pilots can expect to take home after tax obligations have been paid for some of the salary points shown in this article so far. It is based on the 2025/2026 tax year, and does not take into account pension salary sacrifice or student loan repayments.
Carrier | Role and experience level | Gross salary | Take-home pay |
|---|---|---|---|
British Airways | Early career first officer | £70,000 | £51,157 |
British Airways | Late career first officer | £125,000 | £78,057 |
British Airways | Early career pilot | £100,000 | £68,557 |
British Airways | Late career pilot | £225,000 | £128,386 |
Virgin Atlantic | Early career first officer | £70,000 | £51,157 |
Virgin Atlantic | Late career first officer | £100,000 | £68,557 |
Virgin Atlantic | Early career pilot | £115,000 | £74,257 |
Virgin Atlantic | Late career pilot | £200,000 | £117,786 |
On top of income tax, pilots will also need to pay Class 1 national insurance. This follows the income tax bands, with a 0% charge for the personal allowance, 8% at the basic rate, and 2% for earnings at the higher rate. Pilots who have taken British student loans will have additional salary deductions. Depending on the plan they are on, there will be a 9% charge on earnings over approximately £22,000 to £27,660, paid until the loan is paid off in full.
Pension Contributions Also Impact Take-Home Pay
Shutterstock, Simple Flying
On top of taxes, another significant deduction from a pilot’s salary is their pension. While reducing their take-home pay in any given year, the contribution is matched up to a certain point by the company and withheld until retirement. By then, the fund, which will have been invested by the pension provider, will have greatly grown in size. Furthermore, salary-sacrifice income isn’t taxed, although pension income later in life is taxed.
At British Airways, pilots can add 7% to 15%, with the airline giving a matching share. The total pension contribution could be worth over £25,000 from the company. Meanwhile, the Ryanair UK scheme matches pension contributions up to £8,000 for pilots and £3,000 for first officers.
For pilots with an early retirement on their mind, pension contributions can be just as important as basic salary. This has been shown in a narrowly rejected pay deal for 
British Airways pilots, with just under 51% voting against. The deal included a 4% pay increase. However, it also included a worsening of pension terms and a cut in the Flying Pay Supplement.
Enough of the 4,000 pilots represented didn’t like what they were seeing to prevent their employment terms from changing. “We have communicated our members’ democratic decision to British Airways and, while an existing pay deal is already in place for 2026, we intend to hold further talks with the company based on member feedback,” the British Airline Pilots’ Association told Reuters. The union, which represents 85% of British pilots, and the airline remain in tense negotiations.
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How Do British Pilots’ Salaries Compare With Their American Colleagues’?
ATP Flying School has collected data on American pilot salaries based on typical monthly flying hours of 75-85. Its conclusions indicate that early career pilots make similar amounts in gross salary, with the ceiling being far higher for the most skilled and experienced pilots. Experience, flying hours and the aircraft and routes being flown are the main factors influencing what a pilot earns. It is important to note that the US tax system is federalized, with a standard contribution made to the national government and each state having their own tax systems.
That means take-home pay will vary a huge amount depending on where the pilot lives. As with British pilots, salary isn’t the only compensation enjoyed by US pilots, with per diem allowances, bonuses, profit sharing and 401(k) contributions providing additional reasons to keep flying. According to the ATP Flying School data, a major airline pilot, flying for a legacy carrier, will earn between $98,680 and $450,000.
Pilots at the very peak of their careers can earn in excess of $500,000 a year. The salaries for regional airline pilots are substantially lower, ranging from $85,000 to $217,350. ATP Flying School refers to these carriers as ‘entry’ and ‘mid-level’ airlines. Finally, cargo pilot salaries approach but don’t match those of the legacy carriers. They range from $90,000 to $350,000.
ATP Flying School also points towards a steady uptick in pilot salaries that roughly matches inflation. It references “pilot demand, airline expansion, and large-scale retirements” as reasons for this change. The median pilot salary was $202,180 in 2021, increasing to $226,600 by 2024, representing an 11% change over those four financial years.
