Swiss National Airlines announced that it will cancel about 1,400 flights by October due to the ongoing lack of pilots.

Being a pilot is a dream for many, but accompanied by a significant financial weight. According to Swiss, the cost of pilot training can reach around 150,000 euros, Euronews notes.

Wide range of wages determined by experience

The salaries of airline pilots vary significantly, largely dependent on various factors – mainly on experience.
For example, in the United Kingdom, the annual gross salary ranges from approximately € 54,283 (€ 47,000) for import pilots up to about € 173,243 (150,000 £) for those who have significant experience, according to the British National Career Service.

Experience has a significant impact on profits-Europe’s salaries in Europe for those who have over eight years of experience are often 60-80% higher than for those who have only 1-3 years, according to data from the Economic Research Institute (ERI).

This clearly shows how wide the wage range is, as experienced pilots earn more than three times more than the introductory level pilots.

While Eurostat offers wage estimates, its data tend to be significantly lower in this case, as they mainly reflect the averages of the industry. This makes immediate comparisons more difficult.

Therefore, it is also useful to rely on data from national statistical services where they are available, as well as platforms such as Eri, which provide more detailed wage information in most European countries.

According to Eri, since June 2025, average annual gross salaries for airline pilots in 17 European countries ranges from € 32,299 in Romania to € 113,672 in Switzerland.

Euronews Next is more carefully considering the salaries of pilots across Europe, examining data by country using a number of sources.
United Kingdom

The National Statistical Service (ONS) also reports the average gross annual earnings for full -time “aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers”, which amounted to approximately EUR 95,240 (£ 80,414) in April 2024.

According to Eri, the average gross salary for airline pilots in the United Kingdom is 90,253 euros (£ 78,146), increasing to 115,562 euros (£ 100,060) in the wider London region. These elements are significantly increased for experienced pilots.

Germany

Since April 2024, according to the Federal Statistical Service of Germany, average gross monthly earnings for aircraft pilots – deeds by special payments – amount to EUR 12,566, corresponding to EUR 150,792 per year.

The average monthly earnings are EUR 10,207 or EUR 122,484 per year. In extremely complex roles, average annual earnings can reach up to 342,072 euros.

The average gross salary for aircraft pilots is about 106,000 euros, according to Eri. Salaries range from 73,785 euros for those who have 1-3 years of experience up to 132,117 euros for pilots with over eight years of experience.

France

According to Insee, France’s official statistical service, the average monthly salary in 2023 for “technical and commercial officers and civilian aviation executives” – the category in which airline pilots are ranked – is 9,300 euros. This amounts to EUR 111,600 per year when multiplying by 12.

The average gross salary for airline pilots is € 87,903, increasing to 109,292 euros for those who have more experience, according to Eri.

Sweden

The average monthly salary of the “aircraft and related associate pilots” in Sweden in 2023 was 6,492 euros (71,200 crons), corresponding to 77,904 euros a year, according to Sweden’s statistical service.

ERI reports that airline pilots earn an average gross salary of 80,822 euros. Salaries range from 56,125 euros for import pilots up to € 100,499 for pilots with more than eight years in the profession.

Western and Northern Europe

Western and Northern European countries offer higher salaries for airline pilots according to Eri.

In addition to the countries mentioned above, Belgium ranks a second with average pilot salary of € 110,424, followed by Ireland in third with € 108,007 among the 17 countries examined.

For example, Ireland -based Ryanair Airlines reports on its website that pilots can earn up to 155,500 £ (almost € 180,000) a year.

Pilot’s salaries also exceed € 100,000 in Austria and the Netherlands, while Finland follows up to an average of about € 96,000.

Italy, Spain

There are no official statistics on Italy and Spain. However, according to Eri, both countries follow Sweden on the average salary of pilots. The average gross salary for airline pilots is € 80,427 in Italy and 77,269 euros in Spain.

Eastern and Southern Europe

In general, Eastern and Southern European countries face challenges in offering competing salaries for pilots, although Italy and Spain report higher average wages compared to other countries in the region. However, these differences may be reduced when taking into account the purchasing power.

The average salary for airline pilots in Portugal is 60,054 euros according to Eri. In Greece, it is slightly lower at 56,523 euros. In both countries, experienced pilots earn just over 70,000 euros a year.

In Poland, the average salary for airline pilots remains around 50,000 euros, while in the Czech Republic is slightly lower at 47,974 euros. Wages in Romania are significantly lower, with an average of EUR 32,299. However, for pilots with more than eight years of experience, salaries in Romania can reach up to 40,000 euros a year.