Average Airlines Sales Director Salary in Istanbul, Turkey for 2026
In this article, we will look at the average Airlines Sales Director salary for 2026 in Istanbul 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 Turkish lira. To keep things simple, we are using the TRY currency code instead of the currency symbol ₺.
How Much Does an Airlines Sales Director Make in Istanbul?
An Airlines Sales Director working in Istanbul will typically earn around 218,900 TRY per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 117,660 TRY to the highest average salary of 335,100 TRY.
These are average salaries for an Airlines Sales Director in Istanbul and include benefits such as housing and transport. It's also possible for an Airlines Sales Director to earn more or less than the average salaries shown above.
Airlines Sales Director 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 Airlines Sales Director Salaries in Istanbul
So we've looked at the average salaries an Airlines Sales Director will earn in Istanbul. The next interesting data point is the distribution of salaries.
Salary ranges
We already know that an Airlines Sales Director can earn between 117,660 TRY and 335,100 TRY on average in Istanbul. 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 Airlines Sales Director in Istanbul is 207,700 TRY. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.
What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 207,700 TRY, and 50% of the population earn more than 207,700 TRY.
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 Airlines Sales Director salary in Istanbul, 25% of the population are earning less than 146,200 TRY while 75% of the population earn more than 146,200 TRY.
75% of the population earn less than 254,700 TRY, and 25% of the population earn more than 254,700 TRY.
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.
Airlines Sales Director Salary by Experience Level in Istanbul
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 Airlines Sales Director 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 Airlines Sales Director in Istanbul that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 136,100 TRY.
- 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Airlines Sales Director salary would increase to 163,800 TRY.
- 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as an Airlines Sales Director, the average salary would be 232,400 TRY.
- 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 273,300 TRY.
- 15 - 20 Years Experience. An Airlines Sales Director with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 301,800 TRY.
- 20+ Years Experience. For an Airlines Sales Director with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 315,900 TRY.
Average Salary by Experience Chart
| 0-2 Years | - | 136,100 TRY |
| 2-5 Years | +23% | 163,800 TRY |
| 5-10 Years | +42% | 232,400 TRY |
| 10-15 Years | +17% | 273,300 TRY |
| 15-20 Years | +10% | 301,800 TRY |
| 20+ Years | +6% | 315,900 TRY |
Airlines Sales Director Salary by Education Level in Istanbul
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 Airlines Sales Director in Istanbul 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 Airlines Sales Director in Istanbul with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 163,800 TRY.
- Bachelor's Degree. An Airlines Sales Director in Istanbul with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 210,500 TRY.
- Master's Degree. An Airlines Sales Director in Istanbul with a master's degree education can earn an average salary of 305,600 TRY.
Average Salary by Education Chart
| Certificate or Diploma | - | 163,800 TRY |
| Bachelor's Degree | +29% | 210,500 TRY |
| Master's Degree | +43% | 305,600 TRY |
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 Turkey is around 39,200 to 117,000 TRY 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.
Airlines Sales Director 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 Istanbul, a male airlines sales director will earn an average of 209,500 TRY, while a female airlines sales director will earn around 183,700 TRY.
This means that a male airlines sales director earns approximately 14% more than a female airlines sales director for performing the same job.
Average Salary by Gender Chart in Istanbul
| Male | - | 209,500 TRY |
| Female | -14% | 183,700 TRY |
Airlines Sales Director Average Pay Raise in Istanbul
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 Airlines Sales Director in Istanbul is around 13% every 20 months.
The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in Turkey is around 8% every 18 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 ÷ 20 ) × 12 = 8%
What this means is that an Airlines Sales Director in Istanbul can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 8% every 12 months.
Annual Pay Raise by Industry in Istanbul for 2026
In the chart below, you can see the average annual pay raise percentages for each of the major industries in Turkey.
You will see that companies in bigger and more lucrative industries tend to have the higher annual pay raises.
| Banking | - | 5% |
| Energy | - | 1% |
| Information Technology | - | 6% |
| Healthcare | - | 2% |
| Travel | - | 7% |
| Construction | - | 3% |
| Education | - | 8% |
Airlines Sales Director Bonus and Incentive Rates in Istanbul
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 Airlines Sales Director is a high bonus based job, with 81% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.
19% 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 6% to 8%.
| Received Bonus | - | 81% |
| No Bonus | - | 19% |
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 Turkey earn approximately 6% more than private sector employees in the same role.
| Public Sector | - | 95,420 TRY |
| Private Sector | -6% | 89,960 TRY |
Salaries for Jobs Similar to an Airlines Sales Director
In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to an Airlines Sales Director in Istanbul.
| Job Title | Category | Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Aeronautical Engineer | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 105,080 TRY |
| Aerospace Engineer | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 115,620 TRY |
| Aerospace Technician | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 94,400 TRY |
| Air Crew Member | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 59,000 TRY |
| Air Crew Officer | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 64,720 TRY |
| Air Traffic Assistant | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 57,800 TRY |
| Air Traffic Controller | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 104,040 TRY |
| Aircraft Assembler | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 51,800 TRY |
| Aircraft Body Repairer | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 44,800 TRY |
| Aircraft Captain | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 158,700 TRY |
| Aircraft Electrician | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 51,120 TRY |
| Aircraft Electronics Techician | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 54,460 TRY |
| Aircraft Engineer | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 98,960 TRY |
| Aircraft Fueler | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 43,760 TRY |
| Aircraft Maintenance Engineer | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 94,400 TRY |
| Aircraft Maintenance Manager | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 159,500 TRY |
| Aircraft Maintenance Supervisor | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 96,560 TRY |
| Aircraft Maintenance Technician | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 48,340 TRY |
| Aircraft Mechanic | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 49,820 TRY |
| Aircraft Pilot | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 158,700 TRY |
| Aircraft Pneudraulics Repairer | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 46,040 TRY |
| Aircraft Quality Assurance | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 130,400 TRY |
| Aircraft Rigging Assembler | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 50,080 TRY |
| Aircraft Service Technician | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 48,160 TRY |
| Airfield Management Specialist | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 142,300 TRY |
| Airfield Operations Specialist | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 108,300 TRY |
| Airline Cabin Crew | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 95,980 TRY |
| Airline Copilot | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 107,580 TRY |
| Airline Pilot | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 169,000 TRY |
| Airlines Sales Manager | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 185,100 TRY |
| Airlines Structural Assembler | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 45,200 TRY |
| Airport Services Agent | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 64,640 TRY |
| Airport Services Manager | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 192,600 TRY |
| Airport Services Supervisor | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 119,860 TRY |
| Assistant Aircraft Mechanic | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 44,800 TRY |
| Aviation Analyst | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 130,400 TRY |
| Aviation Inspector | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 115,940 TRY |
| Aviation Manager | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 209,700 TRY |
| Aviation Operations Controller | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 110,340 TRY |
| Aviation Resources Manager | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 167,100 TRY |
| Aviation Safety Assistant | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 55,820 TRY |
| Aviation Safety Manager | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 187,500 TRY |
| Aviation Safety Officer | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 101,860 TRY |
| Aviation Technician | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 45,580 TRY |
| Cargo Executive | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 94,400 TRY |
| Cargo and Freight Agent | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 42,960 TRY |
| Chief Pilot | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 172,200 TRY |
| First Officer | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 72,740 TRY |
| Fleet Controller | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 159,100 TRY |
| Fleet Management Officer | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 67,560 TRY |
| Flight Attendant | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 66,120 TRY |
| Flight Planner | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 86,520 TRY |
| Flight Scheduler | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 83,060 TRY |
| Flight Simulation Engineer | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 88,620 TRY |
| Freight and Cargo Inspector | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 67,360 TRY |
| Helicopter Pilot | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 104,900 TRY |
| Loading Bridge Operator | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 45,200 TRY |
| Pilot | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 172,200 TRY |
| Ramp Agent | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 40,600 TRY |
| Reservations Sales Agent | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 53,160 TRY |
| Safety and Quality Specialist | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 101,980 TRY |
| Test Pilot | Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense | 123,400 TRY |
Salary Comparison by City
If you want to compare salaries with different cities in Turkey, you can use the links below to explore the data for each specific city we have researched.
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