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Average Aircraft Captain Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

An aircraft captain in United Kingdom earns about 118,900 GBP a year. That's 71% above the national average of 69,700 GBP.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in United Kingdom sit around 58,200 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 187,500 GBP. Everything on this page is in British pound (GBP, symbol £), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in United Kingdom, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.

To turn a gross salary in United Kingdom into a take-home figure, use our United Kingdom salary after tax calculator, which works the latest tax brackets and contributions through the math for you.

How much does an aircraft captain make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
118,900 GBP
9,908 GBP per month
Lowest reported
58,200 GBP
4,850 GBP per month
Highest reported
187,500 GBP
15,625 GBP per month

A typical aircraft captain working in United Kingdom brings home around 9,908 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 58,200 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 187,500 GBP for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior aircraft captain working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around. For a cross-country comparison, see the aircraft captain salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How aircraft captain pay ranges in United Kingdom

A good way to think about salary in United Kingdom is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all aircraft captains in United Kingdom earn less than 121,800 GBP a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 81,300 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 156,200 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of aircraft captains sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 58,200 GBP. The highest stretch to 187,500 GBP, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

58,200
Low
121,800
Median
187,500
High
81,300
25th
156,200
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Aircraft captain pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for an aircraft captain in United Kingdom, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical aircraft captain salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    70,800 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +24% from previous
    87,800 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +42% from previous
    124,500 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +24% from previous
    153,800 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +7% from previous
    164,100 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +5% from previous
    172,200 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 42%. That is the point at which a aircraft captain typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.

Aircraft captain pay by education in United Kingdom

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving aircraft captain pay in United Kingdom. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.

Below is the average aircraft captain salary in United Kingdom broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • Certificate or Diploma
    87,800 GBP
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +35% from previous
    118,900 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +55% from previous
    184,700 GBP

Aircraft captain gender pay gap in United Kingdom

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and United Kingdom is no exception. Male aircraft captains in United Kingdom earn an average of 123,000 GBP a year, while female aircraft captains earn around 114,300 GBP. That works out to a 8% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

Aircraft Captain gender pay gap

7%

Men earn this much more than women on average in United Kingdom.

Men 123,000 GBP
Women 114,300 GBP

Pay raises for an aircraft captain in United Kingdom

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in United Kingdom sees a raise of about 13% every 16 months, which works out to roughly 10% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in United Kingdom, the national average raise is around 9% every 15 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in United Kingdom:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
  • Construction
  • Education

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Aircraft captain bonus rates in United Kingdom

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

60%

60% of aircraft captains in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes an aircraft captain a moderate-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 6% of base salary. The remaining 40% of aircraft captains reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in United Kingdom

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

Aircraft captain: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in United Kingdom is about 7% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

6%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in United Kingdom on average.

Public sector 72,700 GBP
Private sector 68,200 GBP

Aircraft captain salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Aircraft captain pay is not even across United Kingdom. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities and regions in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • England
  • Scotland
  • Leeds
  • Glasgow
  • Somerset
  • Birmingham
  • Manchester
  • Cardiff
  • Liverpool
  • Leicester
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion218,500 GBP219,500 GBP107,300-336,500 GBP
ScotlandRegion169,700 GBP169,700 GBP86,400-263,700 GBP
LeedsCity140,700 GBP138,700 GBP69,200-216,300 GBP
GlasgowCity139,100 GBP137,100 GBP69,700-211,200 GBP
SomersetCity139,100 GBP128,200 GBP75,000-206,300 GBP
BirminghamCity138,700 GBP146,900 GBP63,500-216,600 GBP
ManchesterCity137,100 GBP142,300 GBP65,200-216,300 GBP
CardiffCity134,700 GBP125,400 GBP73,500-204,900 GBP
LiverpoolCity134,700 GBP125,400 GBP72,000-205,700 GBP
LeicesterCity130,500 GBP125,400 GBP68,900-197,600 GBP
SheffieldCity130,500 GBP130,400 GBP63,900-201,000 GBP
BrightonCity130,500 GBP134,100 GBP60,800-201,000 GBP
LondonCity130,400 GBP140,200 GBP58,800-209,700 GBP
CoventryCity130,400 GBP125,400 GBP71,200-200,600 GBP
BristolCity130,400 GBP134,100 GBP64,600-205,400 GBP
BelfastCity130,400 GBP134,100 GBP64,600-205,400 GBP
EdinburghCity128,200 GBP128,200 GBP62,600-195,500 GBP
SouthamptonCity127,600 GBP127,600 GBP64,500-197,600 GBP
AberdeenCity127,600 GBP132,000 GBP63,200-199,700 GBP
WolverhamptonCity127,600 GBP139,100 GBP60,500-205,700 GBP
NottinghamCity127,600 GBP127,600 GBP66,000-199,700 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity125,400 GBP125,400 GBP61,800-191,100 GBP
SwanseaCity125,400 GBP130,500 GBP58,700-193,200 GBP
PeterboroughCity124,500 GBP118,900 GBP66,000-187,500 GBP
DerbyCity124,500 GBP114,600 GBP66,900-184,700 GBP
LincolnCity124,500 GBP114,300 GBP64,800-185,900 GBP
BradfordCity123,800 GBP130,400 GBP59,800-195,500 GBP
NewcastleCity123,800 GBP128,400 GBP61,400-195,200 GBP
PlymouthCity123,000 GBP116,400 GBP64,900-184,700 GBP
PortsmouthCity123,000 GBP130,400 GBP55,200-193,400 GBP
PooleCity123,000 GBP112,700 GBP67,600-183,600 GBP
NorwichCity121,800 GBP125,400 GBP58,000-187,500 GBP
CambridgeCity119,700 GBP119,700 GBP59,100-187,500 GBP
DundeeCity118,900 GBP123,000 GBP59,700-187,500 GBP
YorkCity118,900 GBP128,200 GBP57,000-187,500 GBP
OxfordCity116,400 GBP114,600 GBP58,400-175,100 GBP
NewryCity116,400 GBP111,700 GBP61,400-175,100 GBP
NewportCity115,600 GBP128,200 GBP52,300-185,900 GBP
ArmaghCity115,600 GBP123,000 GBP57,000-183,600 GBP
DurhamCity114,900 GBP124,500 GBP51,900-183,900 GBP
HartlepoolCity114,900 GBP114,300 GBP54,200-177,100 GBP
StirlingCity114,600 GBP105,200 GBP59,800-169,700 GBP
DerryCity114,600 GBP114,600 GBP58,600-175,200 GBP
WalesRegion114,600 GBP117,100 GBP52,800-177,100 GBP
ExeterCity114,300 GBP124,500 GBP52,800-184,700 GBP
SalisburyCity111,700 GBP116,400 GBP54,600-172,200 GBP
KirkwallCity109,700 GBP103,600 GBP57,800-163,800 GBP
CanterburyCity109,000 GBP107,300 GBP54,100-165,900 GBP
St DavidsCity109,000 GBP116,400 GBP51,800-171,300 GBP
GloucesterCity108,200 GBP114,900 GBP51,300-172,300 GBP
ChesterCity107,700 GBP102,700 GBP54,900-163,500 GBP
WakefieldCity107,300 GBP103,600 GBP56,100-161,300 GBP
WinchesterCity107,300 GBP95,900 GBP57,200-160,700 GBP
InvernessCity107,300 GBP103,600 GBP54,200-161,300 GBP
TruroCity107,300 GBP105,200 GBP52,300-164,100 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion107,300 GBP105,200 GBP52,300-164,100 GBP
LisburnCity105,800 GBP102,700 GBP52,800-161,300 GBP
AbingdonCity105,800 GBP97,300 GBP54,500-160,700 GBP
WellsCity105,800 GBP100,100 GBP54,200-160,700 GBP
StrontianCity105,200 GBP108,200 GBP48,000-163,500 GBP
BangorCity102,700 GBP98,100 GBP53,800-157,600 GBP
RiponCity100,700 GBP107,700 GBP48,600-160,700 GBP
StromnessCity97,300 GBP107,700 GBP45,200-156,200 GBP

Aircraft Captain in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does an aircraft captain make per month in United Kingdom?

    An aircraft captain in United Kingdom earns about 9,908 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 118,900 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for an aircraft captain in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level aircraft captains in United Kingdom start near 58,200 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 187,500 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 81,300 and 156,200 GBP.

  • Is the median aircraft captain salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 121,800 GBP, higher than the average of 118,900 GBP. Half of aircraft captains in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for aircraft captains in United Kingdom?

    Men working as an aircraft captain in United Kingdom earn around 8% more than women on average (123,000 vs 114,300 GBP a year).

  • Do aircraft captains in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 60% of aircraft captains in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 6% of base salary.

  • Do aircraft captains earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

    In United Kingdom, the public sector pays an aircraft captain about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do aircraft captains in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    An aircraft captain in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 13% every 16 months, equivalent to roughly 10% a year.