Switzerland’s national airline, SWISS, has announced it will cancel approximately 1,400 flights until October due to an ongoing shortage of pilots.
Becoming a pilot is a dream for many, but it comes with a significant financial burden. According to SWISS, the cost of pilot training can reach around €150,000.
But what do pilots earn in return? How much can you expect to make as a pilot in Europe? And what are pilot salaries like in Europe?
Wide salary range driven by experience
Airline pilot salaries vary widely, largely depending on several factors—most notably, experience. For example, in the United Kingdom, the annual gross salary ranges from approximately €54,283 (£47,000) for entry-level pilots to around €173,243 (£150,000) for those with significant experience, according to the British National Careers Service.
Experience also has a significant impact on earnings—pilot salaries in Europe for those with over eight years of experience are often 60–80 per cent higher than for those with just 1–3 years, according to ERI Economic Research Institute (ERI) data.
This clearly shows how wide the salary range is, as experienced pilots earn more than three times as much as entry-level pilots.
While Eurostat offers salary estimates, its figures tend to be significantly lower in this case, as they primarily reflect industry-wide averages. This makes direct comparisons more challenging. Therefore, we also rely on data from national statistics offices where available, as well as platforms like ERI, which offer more detailed salary insights across most European countries.
According to ERI, as of June 2025, average annual gross salaries for airline pilots across 17 European countries range from €32,299 in Romania to €113,672 in Switzerland. Euronews Next takes a closer look at pilot salaries across Europe, examining data country by country using a range of sources.
United Kingdom:
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) also reports median gross annual earnings for full-time ‘aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers’, which stood at approximately €95,240 (£80,414) as of April 2024. This varied from €55,850 to €178,250 according to the National Careers Service.
According to ERI, the average gross salary for airline pilots in the UK is €90,253 (£78,146), rising to €115,562 (£100,060) in the Greater London area. These figures increase significantly for experienced pilots, as shown in the table.
Germany:
As of April 2024, according to the German Federal Statistical Office, the average gross monthly earnings for aircraft pilots—excluding special payments—stand at €12,566, amounting to €150,792 annually. The median monthly earnings are €10,207, or €122,484 per year. In highly complex roles, the median annual earnings can rise to as much as €342,072.
The average gross salary for airline pilots is around €106,000, according to ERI, Salaries range from €73,785 for those with 1–3 years of experience to €132,117 for pilots with over eight years of experience.
France:
According to INSEE, France’s official statistical office, the average monthly salary in 2023 for ‘civil aviation technical and commercial flight officers and executives’—the category under which airline pilots are classified—is €9,300. This amounts to €111,600 annually when multiplied by 12.
The average gross salary for airline pilots is €87,903, rising to €109,292 for those with more experience, according to ERI.
Sweden:
The average monthly salary of ‘aircraft pilots and related associate professionals’ in Sweden in 2023 was €6,492 (kr71,200), amounting to €77,904 per year, according to Statistics Sweden. ERI reports that airline pilots earn an average gross salary of €80,822. Salaries range from €56,125 for entry-level pilots to €100,499 for pilots with more than eight years in the profession.
Western and Northern Europe
Geographically, as the figures above indicate, Western and Northern European countries offer higher salaries for airline pilots according to ERI. Apart from the countries mentioned above, Belgium ranks second with an average pilot salary of €110,424, followed by Ireland in third place at €108,007 among the 17 countries examined.
For example, Ireland-based low-cost airline Ryanair states on its website that captains can earn up to £155,500 (almost €180,000) per year.
Pilot salaries also exceed €100,000 in Austria and the Netherlands, while Finland follows closely with an average of around €96,000.
Italy, Spain:
No official statistics are available for Italy and Spain. However, according to ERI, both countries follow Sweden in average pilot pay. The average gross salary for airline pilots is €80,427 in Italy and €77,269 in Spain.
Eastern and Southern Europe
In general, Eastern and Southern European countries face challenges in offering competitive wages for pilots, although Italy and Spain report higher average salaries compared to other countries in the region. However, these differences might narrow when purchasing power is taken into consideration.
The average salary for airline pilots in Portugal is €60,054 according to ERI. In Greece, the figure is slightly lower at €56,523. In both countries, experienced pilots earn just over €70,000 annually.
In Poland, the average salary for airline pilots remains around €50,000, while in Czechia it is slightly lower at €47,974. Salaries in Romania are significantly lower, with an average of €32,299. However, for pilots with more than eight years of experience, earnings in Romania can reach up to €40,000 annually.
Pilot salaries on the rise as shortage deepens
According to the global aviation training group BAA Training Aviation Academy, pilot salaries are rising, mainly due to a growing global shortage of pilots.
Consulting firm Oliver Wyman estimates that the global aviation industry could face a pilot shortage of nearly 80,000 by 2032, with Europe potentially lacking around 19,000 pilots to meet demand.
Pilots among highest-paying jobs
Aircraft pilots are among the top earners in European countries where data is available. In France, they rank fifth in average monthly salary, earning €9,300 under the category civil aviation technical and commercial flight officers and executives—the classification that includes airline pilots.
In Germany, pilots in highly complex roles hold the top-paying position overall, with an average monthly salary of €28,096. More broadly, the average salary for aircraft pilots is €12,566, placing them fifth among all professions.
In the United Kingdom, full-time ‘aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers’ rank fifth in median gross annual earnings, with £80,414 (€92,785).
In Denmark, as of 2023, ‘aircraft pilots and related associate professionals’ earned standardised monthly earnings of €13,523 (DKK 100,890), making it the seventh-highest paid occupation, according to Statistics Denmark.
