Annual Salary
£47,000 to £150,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
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Airline pilots fly passengers and cargo to destinations around the world.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; on shifts
There will be
2.9% more Airline pilot jobs in 2027.
As an airline pilot, you'll work with a co-pilot to:
You may need to wear a uniform.
You could work on an aircraft.
Your working environment may be cramped, physically demanding and you may spend nights away from home.
You can get into this job through:
You could do a university degree in air transport or aviation if you're 18 or over.
Your university degree will:
Medical certificates
You'll need to have a minimum of a Class 2 medical certificate before you start a course.
You'll then need to apply for the higher level Class 1 medical certificate during your course to get your Commercial Pilot Licence. You could choose to apply for the Class 1 medical certificate before you start your course.
Fees and funding
As well as standard university fees, you'll need to fund the flight training part of your course. Your university can advise you about this.
You'll usually need:
You could apply directly to the Civil Aviation Authority's Military Accreditation Scheme to become a commercial pilot if you have flying experience in the armed forces.
You could apply to join a pilot training programme with a passenger airline.
Private flying school
You could also train with a private flying school to get your Commercial Pilot Licence. Courses can take at least a year and 6 months of full time study.
You can find details about flight training schools from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
You'll need to:
If you do not have much or any flying experience, you can do a test with The Honourable Company of Air Pilots. Pilot training is expensive and this could help you decide whether you're suited to being a pilot.
Pilot salaries can vary widely, depending on the size of the airline, your rank, how long you've flown for, and company bonus schemes and allowances.
You can find out more about training to become a pilot through Flying Start.
You can learn about the current job opportunities for pilots from the British Airline Pilots' Association (BALPA).
You'll start by training as a co-pilot. When you’ve completed at least 1,500 flying hours, you can apply for an 'unfrozen' or full Air Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) and qualify as an airline captain. This will usually take 3 to 5 years after you get your full ATPL.
With experience, you could become a flight training instructor or an operations manager.
You can find out more about training to become a pilot through Flying Start and the British Airline Pilots' Association.
You'll need: