Qatar Airways Pilot Salary 2026
Estimated First Officer and Captain pay. Page updated .
How much does a Qatar Airways pilot make in 2026?
Our estimate for Qatar Airways pilot pay in 2026: a First Officer earns about $100,000 a year at the start and $140,000 by year 10. Captains earn roughly $195,000 to $320,000. These figures have not yet been checked against Qatar Airways' current pilot contract; treat them as a range.
- First Officer, year 1
- $100K/yr
- First Officer, top
- $140K/yr
- Captain, year 1
- $195K/yr
- Captain, top
- $320K/yr
Qatar Airways pilot pay scale 2026
| Seat | Year 1 | Year 5 | Year 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Officer | $100,000 | $125,000 | $140,000 |
| Captain | $195,000 | $260,000 | $320,000 |
Where these numbers come from
The pay scale above is an estimate. We have not been able to check it line by line against Qatar Airways' current pilot agreement or an official pay publication, so we do not present it as a pay scale. Pages where we have done that check say “From the pilot contract” and list the source and the date we read it. If you hold the current Qatar Airways scale, the contact page is the fastest way to get it corrected.
Before Qatar Airways pays you any of this, you sit their aptitude battery.
Sit a timed practice paper free — no account. Scored on pace as well as accuracy, because pace is what the real battery culls on.
How Qatar Airways pay compares
Same currency, ranked by top Captain pay. New First Officer pay sits in the lighter bar. Contract rows are hourly rates × 1,000 credit hours a year.
- UPS Airlines ContractCapt $390KFO yr 1 $60K
- JetBlue Airways ContractCapt $359KFO yr 1 $112K
- Atlas Air ContractCapt $333KFO yr 1 $100K
- Qatar Airways (this page)EstimateCapt $320KFO yr 1 $100K
What it takes to get hired at Qatar Airways
Checked against Qatar Airways' official careers pages on August 22, 2026. Full Qatar Airways recruitment guide
| Seats Qatar recruits for | The Pilots & Flight Operations job family lists First Officer - Airbus, First Officer - Boeing, Captain - Airbus and Captain - Boeing as distinct sub-categories, each with its own criteria |
|---|---|
| Open vacancies (checked 22 Aug 2026) | Two, and neither was a mainline flight-deck role: a Type Rated Captain position for Qatar Executive on the BD700 (business jet division, closing 30 Nov 2026) and a Senior Pilot Selection Assessor role in Doha. Mainline First Officer and Captain campaigns open in windows. |
| Licence and medical | ICAO ATPL convertible to a Qatari licence, and an ICAO Class 1 medical |
| English | ICAO English Level 4 or above |
| Flight time | Published inside each requisition, split by fleet and by seat. The Airbus and Boeing gates differ, and so do the First Officer and Captain gates — a single number quoted for Qatar Airways is wrong for at least three of the four. |
From student pilot to Qatar Airways Captain
Shown for the EASA system most non-US airlines recruit from; other authorities are similar. Hour figures are regulatory minimums, time ranges are typical.
Step 1
Class 1 medical + theory
First month EASA Part-MED / Part-FCLBook the Class 1 medical before paying any school. Then ATPL theory: 13 subjects under the EASA syllabus (other authorities differ).
Try free private-pilot theory questions (FAA format)Step 2
CPL / IR / multi-engine training
≈ 200 h (EASA integrated minimum 195 h) 18–24 months integrated EASA FCL Appendix 3Integrated course in one go, or modular (PPL first, then hour building, CPL, IR). Ends with multi-crew (MCC/APS) training.
Step 3
Type rating (A320 / 737)
Simulator + base training 2–3 monthsPaid by the airline in some cadet or direct-entry schemes, self-funded in others — check the specific vacancy.
Step 4
Qatar Airways First Officer
Airline-specificLow-hour pilots usually join with a frozen ATPL.
Step 5
Full ATPL (unfrozen)
1,500 h incl. 500 h multi-pilot 3–4 years of line flying EASA FCL.510.AThe licence you need to be pilot-in-command of a multi-pilot airliner.
Step 6
Qatar Airways Captain
Command course Depends on seniority and growthUpgrade criteria (hours, time in seat, assessment) are set by each airline.
Knowing what Qatar Airways pays is the easy part. Getting through their selection is the part that decides whether you ever earn it.
Before a human reads your application there is an aptitude battery, and candidates consistently report it as the heaviest cull — pace, not difficulty. You can practise it here for free: timed papers generated fresh each run, plus a divided-attention drill that measures how much your performance degrades under load. And when you reach the interview, there are 100 Qatar Airways-specific questions with model answers, the red flags that fail each one, and the follow-ups the panel actually asks.
Already past the paperwork and preparing for the panel? , scored against the answers a panel is listening for. Seven days of access, no subscription.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Qatar Airways pilot make in 2026?
Our estimate for Qatar Airways pilot pay in 2026: a First Officer earns about $100,000 a year at the start and $140,000 by year 10. Captains earn roughly $195,000 to $320,000. These figures have not yet been checked against Qatar Airways' current pilot contract; treat them as a range.
Is Qatar Airways hiring pilots in 2026?
Qatar Airways is hiring pilots, according to its official careers pages as of August 22, 2026. Openings change month to month, so check the live posting before you apply.
What do you need to fly for Qatar Airways?
Seats Qatar recruits for: The Pilots & Flight Operations job family lists First Officer - Airbus, First Officer - Boeing, Captain - Airbus and Captain - Boeing as distinct sub-categories, each with its own criteria Open vacancies (checked 22 Aug 2026): Two, and neither was a mainline flight-deck role: a Type Rated Captain position for Qatar Executive on the BD700 (business jet division, closing 30 Nov 2026) and a Senior Pilot Selection Assessor role in Doha. Mainline First Officer and Captain campaigns open in windows. Licence and medical: ICAO ATPL convertible to a Qatari licence, and an ICAO Class 1 medical
Where do these Qatar Airways pay figures come from?
They are estimates that we have not yet checked against Qatar Airways's current pilot contract or an official pay publication. Pages we have checked say "From the pilot contract" and name the source and date.
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