Average Airline Pilot Salary in China for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Airline Pilot salary for 2024 in China and how that compares to other countries and professions. We'll also look at interesting salary data points like median salary, 25th and 75th percentile salaries, salary amounts based on experience, bonus ranges and more!

The data in this article has been compiled using official government salary data, salary surveys, and other sources such as job postings which contain salary information.

All salary information is in the local currency, which is the Chinese yuan. To keep things simple, we are using the CNY currency code instead of the currency symbol ¥.

How Much Does an Airline Pilot Make in China?

An Airline Pilot working in China will typically earn around 623,200 CNY per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 294,700 CNY to the highest average salary of 986,700 CNY.

Average Annual Salary
623,200 CNY
Average Monthly Salary
51,933 CNY

Lowest Annual Salary
294,700 CNY
Lowest Monthly Salary
24,558 CNY

Highest Annual Salary
986,700 CNY
Highest Monthly Salary
82,225 CNY

These are average salaries for an Airline Pilot in China and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for an Airline Pilot to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.

Airline Pilot salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Distribution of Airline Pilot Salaries in China

So we've looked at the average salaries an Airline Pilot will earn in China. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.

Salary ranges

We already know that an Airline Pilot can earn between 294,700 CNY and 986,700 CNY on average in China. This is known as the range in statistics.

The difference between the maximum and minimum values is a good indicator of variability in salaries, and can be used by employers to figure out how much they can expect to pay, and for employees to know how much they can earn.

Median salary

The median salary for an Airline Pilot in China is 660,500 CNY. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 660,500 CNY, and 50% of the population earn more than 660,500 CNY.

If you are earning more than the median salary, that's a good indicator that you are being paid well.

If you're not earning more than the median salary, your objective should be to increase your earnings to be at least as high as the median salary (which you can do by asking for a pay rise, looking for a better paying job, etc).

Percentiles

Percentiles are similar to the median salary, but instead of looking at the middle value, they look at the values in the top and bottom half of the distribution.

For the average Airline Pilot salary in China, 25% of the population are earning less than 431,100 CNY while 75% of the population earn more than 431,100 CNY.

75% of the population earn less than 874,300 CNY, and 25% of the population earn more than 874,300 CNY.

Like the median salary, the 25th and 75th percentile salaries can be used to determine which quartile you fall into so that you know whether you are being paid well enough compared to others in your profession and location.

The difference between a median and an average salary

The median and average salary are both indicators you can use to see if you are being paid fairly based on the overall population.

  • If your salary is higher than the average and the median salary, you are earning well compared to others.
  • If your salary is lower than the average and the median salary, it could indicate you are not being paid well enough.
  • If you are somewhere in between then it's tricky to determine if you are being paid well enough and you might need to research more closely.

Airline Pilot Salary by Experience Level in China

The most important factor in determining your salary after the specific profession is the number of years experience you have. It stands to reason that more years of experience will result in a higher wage.

We have researched the average airline pilot salary based on years of experience to give you an idea of how the average changes once you've worked for a certain amount of time.

  • 0 - 2 Years Experience. An Airline Pilot in China that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 340,000 CNY.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Airline Pilot salary would increase to 464,900 CNY.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as an Airline Pilot, the average salary would be 663,100 CNY.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 810,400 CNY.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. An Airline Pilot with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 852,600 CNY.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For an Airline Pilot with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 931,900 CNY.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
340,000 CNY
2-5 Years +38%
464,900 CNY
5-10 Years +42%
663,100 CNY
10-15 Years +22%
810,400 CNY
15-20 Years +6%
852,600 CNY
20+ Years +9%
931,900 CNY

Airline Pilot Salary by Education Level in China

As well as experience in a job, your education plays a big role in how much you can earn. A lot of higher paying positions require a high level of education, but how much can a degree increase your salary?

In our research we have compared the salaries of employees in the same job and career level with different levels of education to see how much more you can earn at each education level.

The salary you can earn based on your education is very specific to both your location and the career path you choose.

In our research, we looked at the average salary for an Airline Pilot in China based on the education level of the employees in order to find out whether a better education level would increase your salary.

  • Certificate or Diploma. An Airline Pilot in China with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 403,100 CNY.

  • Bachelor's Degree. An Airline Pilot in China with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 639,100 CNY.

  • Master's Degree. An Airline Pilot in China with a master's degree education can earn an average salary of 888,400 CNY.

Average Salary by Education Chart

Certificate or Diploma
403,100 CNY
Bachelor's Degree +58%
639,100 CNY
Master's Degree +39%
888,400 CNY

How Much is a Master's Degree or MBA Program?

The approximate cost of a master's degree or post-graduate program like an MBA in China is around 146,000 to 439,000 CNY and takes two years to complete.

As you can see above, there are financial benefits from reaching master's degree level, but don't expect to see much of a salary increase until you have completed the degree.

It's common for people to pursue an MBA or other post-graduate program in order to switch to a a job that pays more. On average, you can expect to earn around 10% more when switching to a new company.

Whether you decide to pursue a master's degree depends on many factors. If you are able to afford it, the numbers suggest that the return on investment is worth it and you could recover the costs in a few years from the salary increase you would receive.

Airline Pilot Salary Compared by Gender

In the modern age, we know that there should never be a pay gap between men and women. Unfortunately, in many professions, there is still a significant difference between the salaries earned by men when compared to the salary of women in the same job.

In China, a male airline pilot will earn an average of 656,800 CNY, while a female airline pilot will earn around 595,300 CNY.

This means that a male airline pilot earns approximately 10% more than a female airline pilot for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in China

Male
656,800 CNY
Female -10%
595,300 CNY

Airline Pilot Average Pay Raise in China

In many countries, an annual pay raise is often given to employees to reward their service with a salary increase.

From our research, we can see that the average pay raise for an Airline Pilot in China is around 13% every 16 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in China is around 9% every 15 months.

In this case, we can see that the number of months between the average pay raise is higher than the typical 12 months.

To make the data more meaningful, we can calculate what the approximate annual pay raise would be using a simple formula:

Annual Increase = ( Increase Rate ÷ Months ) × 12

So for this example, it would be:

Annual Increase = ( 13 ÷ 16 ) × 12  = 10%

What this means is that an Airline Pilot in China can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 10% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in China for 2024

In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in China.

You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.

Banking
8%
Energy
7%
Information Technology
6%
Healthcare
5%
Travel
4%
Construction
3%
Education
2%

Airline Pilot Bonus and Incentive Rates in China

Another part of your overall compensation in a job is how much bonus you receive. Some job roles will be more likely to pay a bonus than others and also more likely to have higher bonus rates.

Generally speaking, jobs that are more involved with direct revenue generation will receive higher bonuses based on the performance towards revenue goals.

An Airline Pilot is a high bonus based job, with 86% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

14% reported that they had not received any bonuses in the previous 12 months.

For the employees that did receive a bonus in the previous 12 months, the reported bonuses ranged from 5% to 9%.

Received Bonus
86%
No Bonus
14%

What are the Types of Bonus?

There are a number of difference types of bonus you can receive in a job. Including:

  • Individual performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee for general performance in the job. It's the most common type of bonus.
  • Company performance bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to a company employees to share profit with the staff.
  • Goal based bonus - This is a bonus that is awarded to an individual employee (or a team) for achieving specific goals, objectives, or milestones.
  • Holiday bonus - This type of bonus is usually paid around the holidays, often the end of the year, and is a token of appreciation for the hard work throughout the year.

Government vs Private Sector Salaries

Another commonly asked question is whether you get paid a higher salary working in the public (government) sector or the private sector.

Public sector employees in China earn approximately 6% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
362,200 CNY
Private Sector -6%
341,400 CNY

Salaries for Jobs Similar to an Airline Pilot

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to an Airline Pilot in China.

Job Title Category Salary
Aeronautical Engineer Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 390,000 CNY
Aerospace Engineer Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 436,200 CNY
Aerospace Technician Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 332,100 CNY
Air Crew Member Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 216,800 CNY
Air Crew Officer Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 240,500 CNY
Air Traffic Assistant Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 207,700 CNY
Air Traffic Controller Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 392,300 CNY
Aircraft Assembler Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 176,800 CNY
Aircraft Body Repairer Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 161,600 CNY
Aircraft Captain Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 605,700 CNY
Aircraft Electrician Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 189,300 CNY
Aircraft Electronics Techician Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 191,600 CNY
Aircraft Engineer Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 377,200 CNY
Aircraft Fueler Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 163,800 CNY
Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 330,700 CNY
Aircraft Maintenance Manager Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 541,700 CNY
Aircraft Maintenance Supervisor Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 371,100 CNY
Aircraft Maintenance Technician Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 172,400 CNY
Aircraft Mechanic Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 192,600 CNY
Aircraft Pilot Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 592,600 CNY
Aircraft Pneudraulics Repairer Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 183,600 CNY
Aircraft Quality Assurance Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 467,100 CNY
Aircraft Rigging Assembler Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 181,600 CNY
Aircraft Service Technician Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 159,500 CNY
Airfield Management Specialist Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 539,700 CNY
Airfield Operations Specialist Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 424,900 CNY
Airline Cabin Crew Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 345,100 CNY
Airline Copilot Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 389,200 CNY
Airlines Sales Director Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 704,300 CNY
Airlines Sales Manager Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 642,800 CNY
Airlines Structural Assembler Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 164,200 CNY
Airport Services Agent Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 225,300 CNY
Airport Services Manager Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 733,300 CNY
Airport Services Supervisor Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 424,900 CNY
Assistant Aircraft Mechanic Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 157,600 CNY
Aviation Analyst Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 489,600 CNY
Aviation Inspector Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 406,300 CNY
Aviation Manager Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 717,900 CNY
Aviation Operations Controller Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 385,300 CNY
Aviation Resources Manager Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 649,700 CNY
Aviation Safety Assistant Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 204,000 CNY
Aviation Safety Manager Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 660,500 CNY
Aviation Safety Officer Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 371,100 CNY
Aviation Technician Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 172,200 CNY
Cargo and Freight Agent Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 152,100 CNY
Cargo Executive Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 335,100 CNY
Chief Pilot Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 633,300 CNY
First Officer Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 249,600 CNY
Fleet Controller Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 585,900 CNY
Fleet Management Officer Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 246,200 CNY
Flight Attendant Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 231,000 CNY
Flight Planner Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 332,500 CNY
Flight Scheduler Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 294,700 CNY
Flight Simulation Engineer Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 315,700 CNY
Freight and Cargo Inspector Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 263,100 CNY
Helicopter Pilot Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 409,000 CNY
Loading Bridge Operator Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 151,800 CNY
Pilot Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 588,500 CNY
Ramp Agent Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 152,100 CNY
Reservations Sales Agent Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 200,000 CNY
Safety and Quality Specialist Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 369,900 CNY
Test Pilot Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 428,400 CNY

Salary Comparison by City

If you want to compare salaries with different cities in China, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.

City Average Salary
Beijing 699,700 CNY
Changchun 566,900 CNY
Changsha 545,300 CNY
Chengdu 674,100 CNY
Chongqing 664,500 CNY
Dalian 538,600 CNY
Dongguan 556,000 CNY
Foshan 533,000 CNY
Fuzhou 562,200 CNY
Guangzhou 710,500 CNY
Hangzhou 683,800 CNY
Harbin 612,500 CNY
Jinan 633,300 CNY
Kunming 528,500 CNY
Nanjing 605,700 CNY
Qingdao 592,200 CNY
Quanzhou 559,000 CNY
Shanghai 677,100 CNY
Shantou 615,300 CNY
Shenyang 605,700 CNY
Shenzhen 588,500 CNY
Suzhou 605,700 CNY
Tianjin 646,600 CNY
Wenzhou 597,800 CNY
Wuhan 680,100 CNY
Wuxi 504,500 CNY
Xi an 615,300 CNY
Xiamen 514,800 CNY
Zhengzhou 504,300 CNY

Salary Comparison by State

The table below includes links to the average salary for each state in China.

City Average Salary
Anhui 665,300 CNY
Beijing 531,700 CNY
Chongqing 552,400 CNY
Fujian 629,800 CNY
Gansu 563,000 CNY
Guangdong 675,200 CNY
Guangxi 660,500 CNY
Guizhou 588,500 CNY
Hainan 514,800 CNY
Hebei 631,200 CNY
Heilongjiang 605,700 CNY
Henan 677,100 CNY
Hubei 619,800 CNY
Hunan 680,100 CNY
Jiangsu 671,000 CNY
Jiangxi 605,700 CNY
Jilin 592,600 CNY
Liaoning 623,700 CNY
Nei Monggol 545,300 CNY
Ningxia 492,700 CNY
Qinghai 524,700 CNY
Shaanxi 592,200 CNY
Shandong 663,200 CNY
Shanghai 566,900 CNY
Shanxi 588,500 CNY
Sichuan 659,400 CNY
Tianjin 553,400 CNY
Xinjiang Uygur 547,800 CNY
Xizang [Tibet] 499,300 CNY
Yunnan 596,800 CNY
Zhejiang 653,200 CNY

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