Average Pilot Salary in Portugal for 2024

In this article, we will look at the average Pilot salary for 2024 in Portugal 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 Euro. To keep things simple, we are using the EUR currency code instead of the currency symbol โ‚ฌ.

How Much Does a Pilot Make in Portugal?

A Pilot working in Portugal will typically earn around 52,820 EUR per year, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 26,080 EUR to the highest average salary of 82,720 EUR.

Average Annual Salary
52,820 EUR
Average Monthly Salary
4,401 EUR

Lowest Annual Salary
26,080 EUR
Lowest Monthly Salary
2,173 EUR

Highest Annual Salary
82,720 EUR
Highest Monthly Salary
6,893 EUR

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

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 Pilot Salaries in Portugal

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

Salary ranges

We already know that a Pilot can earn between 26,080 EUR and 82,720 EUR on average in Portugal. 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 a Pilot in Portugal is 54,700 EUR. This is the middle value in the distribution of salaries.

What this means is that approximately 50% of the population earn less than 54,700 EUR, and 50% of the population earn more than 54,700 EUR.

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 Pilot salary in Portugal, 25% of the population are earning less than 35,260 EUR while 75% of the population earn more than 35,260 EUR.

75% of the population earn less than 69,040 EUR, and 25% of the population earn more than 69,040 EUR.

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.

Pilot Salary by Experience Level in Portugal

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 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. A Pilot in Portugal that has less than two years of experience can expect to earn somewhere in the region of 31,380 EUR.
  • 2 - 5 Years Experience. With two to five years of experience the average Pilot salary would increase to 39,560 EUR.
  • 5 - 10 Years Experience. From five to ten years of experience as a Pilot, the average salary would be 56,100 EUR.
  • 10 - 15 Years Experience. Once you have more than ten years of experience the average salary reaches around 68,900 EUR.
  • 15 - 20 Years Experience. A Pilot with 15 to 20 years of experience can earn an average of 71,400 EUR.
  • 20+ Years Experience. For a Pilot with more than 20 years, the expected average salary increases to 77,120 EUR.

Average Salary by Experience Chart

0-2 Years
31,380 EUR
2-5 Years +29%
39,560 EUR
5-10 Years +38%
56,100 EUR
10-15 Years +24%
68,900 EUR
15-20 Years +7%
71,400 EUR
20+ Years +7%
77,120 EUR

Pilot Salary by Education Level in Portugal

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 a Pilot in Portugal 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. A Pilot in Portugal with a certificate or diploma education can earn an average salary of 39,560 EUR.

  • Bachelor's Degree. A Pilot in Portugal with a bachelor's degree education can earn an average salary of 54,460 EUR.

  • Master's Degree. A Pilot in Portugal with a master's degree education can earn an average salary of 80,640 EUR.

Average Salary by Education Chart

Certificate or Diploma
39,560 EUR
Bachelor's Degree +34%
54,460 EUR
Master's Degree +53%
80,640 EUR

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 Portugal is around 13,800 to 41,300 EUR 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.

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 Portugal, a male pilot will earn an average of 55,940 EUR, while a female pilot will earn around 53,600 EUR.

This means that a male pilot earns approximately 4% more than a female pilot for performing the same job.

Average Salary by Gender Chart in Portugal

Male
55,940 EUR
Female -4%
53,600 EUR

Pilot Average Pay Raise in Portugal

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 a Pilot in Portugal is around 13% every 17 months.

The national average pay raise across all professions and industries in Portugal is around 9% every 16 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 ÷ 17 ) × 12  = 9%

What this means is that a Pilot in Portugal can expect to receive an average pay raise of around 9% every 12 months.

Annual Pay Raise by Industry in Portugal for 2024

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

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

Banking
3%
Energy
6%
Information Technology
9%
Healthcare
3%
Travel
6%
Construction
9%
Education
3%

Pilot Bonus and Incentive Rates in Portugal

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.

A Pilot is a high bonus based job, with 83% of employees reporting at least one bonus in the last 12 months.

17% 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
83%
No Bonus
17%

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 Portugal earn approximately 5% more than private sector employees in the same role.

Public Sector
34,480 EUR
Private Sector -5%
32,960 EUR

Salaries for Jobs Similar to a Pilot

In the table below, we have salary information for jobs that are similar to a Pilot in Portugal.

Job Title Category Salary
Aeronautical Engineer Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 31,980 EUR
Aerospace Engineer Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 43,360 EUR
Aerospace Technician Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 33,120 EUR
Air Crew Member Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 19,860 EUR
Air Crew Officer Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 20,760 EUR
Air Traffic Assistant Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 20,300 EUR
Air Traffic Controller Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 34,120 EUR
Aircraft Assembler Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 17,620 EUR
Aircraft Body Repairer Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 15,580 EUR
Aircraft Captain Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 54,140 EUR
Aircraft Electrician Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 15,920 EUR
Aircraft Electronics Techician Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 16,140 EUR
Aircraft Engineer Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 34,080 EUR
Aircraft Fueler Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 12,580 EUR
Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 34,080 EUR
Aircraft Maintenance Manager Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 54,140 EUR
Aircraft Maintenance Supervisor Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 33,520 EUR
Aircraft Maintenance Technician Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 14,540 EUR
Aircraft Mechanic Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 17,540 EUR
Aircraft Pilot Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 56,640 EUR
Aircraft Pneudraulics Repairer Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 18,260 EUR
Aircraft Quality Assurance Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 45,060 EUR
Aircraft Rigging Assembler Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 14,820 EUR
Aircraft Service Technician Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 14,140 EUR
Airfield Management Specialist Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 48,300 EUR
Airfield Operations Specialist Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 38,180 EUR
Airline Cabin Crew Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 32,900 EUR
Airline Copilot Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 35,340 EUR
Airline Pilot Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 57,080 EUR
Airlines Sales Director Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 66,000 EUR
Airlines Sales Manager Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 59,380 EUR
Airlines Structural Assembler Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 12,620 EUR
Airport Services Agent Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 22,420 EUR
Airport Services Manager Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 64,300 EUR
Airport Services Supervisor Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 39,960 EUR
Assistant Aircraft Mechanic Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 12,000 EUR
Aviation Analyst Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 44,720 EUR
Aviation Inspector Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 36,160 EUR
Aviation Manager Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 69,240 EUR
Aviation Operations Controller Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 35,000 EUR
Aviation Resources Manager Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 58,280 EUR
Aviation Safety Assistant Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 19,020 EUR
Aviation Safety Manager Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 62,060 EUR
Aviation Safety Officer Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 34,080 EUR
Aviation Technician Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 13,100 EUR
Cargo and Freight Agent Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 15,880 EUR
Cargo Executive Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 29,640 EUR
Chief Pilot Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 57,440 EUR
First Officer Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 25,940 EUR
Fleet Controller Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 51,900 EUR
Fleet Management Officer Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 22,660 EUR
Flight Attendant Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 23,380 EUR
Flight Planner Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 27,560 EUR
Flight Scheduler Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 25,160 EUR
Flight Simulation Engineer Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 28,720 EUR
Freight and Cargo Inspector Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 21,980 EUR
Helicopter Pilot Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 37,380 EUR
Loading Bridge Operator Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 14,620 EUR
Ramp Agent Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 14,840 EUR
Reservations Sales Agent Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 19,220 EUR
Safety and Quality Specialist Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 34,480 EUR
Test Pilot Airlines / Aviation / Aerospace / Defense 42,320 EUR

Salary Comparison by City

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

City Average Salary
Funchal 48,160 EUR
Lisbon 61,620 EUR
Porto 55,580 EUR

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