Ryanair Pilot Salary 2026
Estimated First Officer and Captain pay. Page updated .
How much does a Ryanair pilot make in 2026?
Our estimate for Ryanair pilot pay in 2026: a First Officer earns about €38,000 a year at the start and €70,000 by year 10. Captains earn roughly €125,000 to €180,000. These figures have not yet been checked against Ryanair's current pilot contract; treat them as a range.
- First Officer, year 1
- €38K/yr
- First Officer, top
- €70K/yr
- Captain, year 1
- €125K/yr
- Captain, top
- €180K/yr
Ryanair pilot pay scale 2026
| Seat | Year 1 | Year 5 | Year 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Officer | €38,000 | €55,000 | €70,000 |
| Captain | €125,000 | €155,000 | €180,000 |
Where these numbers come from
The pay scale above is an estimate. We have not been able to check it line by line against Ryanair's 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 Ryanair scale, the contact page is the fastest way to get it corrected.
Before Ryanair 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 Ryanair pay compares
Same currency, ranked by top Captain pay. New First Officer pay sits in the lighter bar.
- Austrian AirlinesEstimateCapt €190KFO yr 1 €55K
- Aer LingusEstimateCapt €190KFO yr 1 €58K
- Ryanair (this page)EstimateCapt €180KFO yr 1 €38K
- FinnairEstimateCapt €175KFO yr 1 €52K
What it takes to get hired at Ryanair
Checked against Ryanair's official careers pages on August 22, 2026. Full Ryanair recruitment guide
| Open seat (checked 22 Aug 2026) | Ryanair states it has Direct Entry CAPTAIN vacancies open across the Ryanair Group. Direct Entry First Officer hiring is advertised separately and was not open at the time of checking — worth confirming before applying. |
|---|---|
| Licence and medical | EASA ATPL appropriate to the base, and an EASA Class 1 medical |
| Cadets with a licence | Ryanair's B737 type-rating route runs through Airline Flight Academy (AFA), and is open to pilots who have fully completed all phases of initial flight training. Graduates of the Ryanair Future Flyer Academy get fast-track and priority recruitment. |
| Ab initio | The Future Flyer Academy is the from-zero route, with a defined path from day one of flight training |
| Flight time | Published on each job advert rather than as a standing figure — the Captain and cadet gates are entirely different |
From student pilot to Ryanair 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
Ryanair 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
Ryanair Captain
Command course Depends on seniority and growthUpgrade criteria (hours, time in seat, assessment) are set by each airline.
Knowing what Ryanair 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 Ryanair-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 Ryanair pilot make in 2026?
Our estimate for Ryanair pilot pay in 2026: a First Officer earns about €38,000 a year at the start and €70,000 by year 10. Captains earn roughly €125,000 to €180,000. These figures have not yet been checked against Ryanair's current pilot contract; treat them as a range.
Is Ryanair hiring pilots in 2026?
Ryanair 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 Ryanair?
Open seat (checked 22 Aug 2026): Ryanair states it has Direct Entry CAPTAIN vacancies open across the Ryanair Group. Direct Entry First Officer hiring is advertised separately and was not open at the time of checking — worth confirming before applying. Licence and medical: EASA ATPL appropriate to the base, and an EASA Class 1 medical Cadets with a licence: Ryanair's B737 type-rating route runs through Airline Flight Academy (AFA), and is open to pilots who have fully completed all phases of initial flight training. Graduates of the Ryanair Future Flyer Academy get fast-track and priority recruitment.
Where do these Ryanair pay figures come from?
They are estimates that we have not yet checked against Ryanair'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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