Qantas Airways vs Singapore Airlines
A side-by-side comparison of pilot careers at Qantas Airways (QF) and Singapore Airlines (SQ) — covering salary, fleet, requirements, and more.
Airline selection starts with an aptitude battery
It screens you before a human reads your application. Sit a timed practice paper free — scored on pace, which is what actually culls candidates.
Which one fits you
Read from the numbers above rather than from opinion. Where the published data does not settle a question, it is left open instead of guessed.
Qantas Airways opens earlier
Qantas Airways states 500 hours where Singapore Airlines states 2,500. That gap is roughly 4 years of flying at a typical instructor's pace, so for most candidates these are not two applications you send the same week — one is now and the other is later.
Qantas Airways starts higher, Singapore Airlines tops out higher
Qantas Airways reaches $180,000 as an FO, while Singapore Airlines reaches $400,000 in the left seat. If you expect to stay for a career, the captain band matters more than the entry number.
Different countries, different right to work
Qantas Airways hires into Australia and Singapore Airlines into Singapore. Before comparing anything else, check which one you can legally be employed in — residency and licence conversion decide more applications than flying ability does.
Whichever you pick, the gate is the same shape
Both run an aptitude battery before a human reads your CV, then a competency interview scored against the ICAO pilot competencies. We do not have a pack for either yet — the aptitude practice below applies to both.
Knowing what Qantas 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.
No Qantas Airways pack yet — want it built?
We will not pretend to have one. We build the next pack for the airline that gets asked for most, so leaving your address here is a vote. No sequence, one email when it ships.
Head-to-Head Comparison
Requirements Comparison
Qantas Airways
- CASA ATPL
- 2,500+ hours total
- 500+ hours on type
- Class 1 medical
- Australian work rights
Singapore Airlines
- ICAO ATPL
- Minimum 2,500 hours on jets
- Current type rating on wide-body
- Class 1 medical
Pros & Cons
Qantas Airways
Pros
- +Modern fleet with 787 Dreamliner
- +Simplified fleet — fewer type ratings needed
Singapore Airlines
Pros
- +Industry-leading captain pay
- +Modern fleet with 787 Dreamliner
- +Simplified fleet — fewer type ratings needed
- +Premium global reputation
Cons
- –Type rating required before application
About Each Airline
Qantas Airways
Australia's flag carrier and one of the world's safest airlines, offering premium routes across the Asia-Pacific and beyond.
Full Qantas Airways career guide →Singapore Airlines
Consistently rated the world's best airline, Singapore Airlines offers premium compensation and the chance to fly the world's most modern fleet.
Full Singapore Airlines career guide →Calculate Your Salary
Model your earning potential at Qantas Airways or Singapore Airlines based on your experience, ratings, and career stage.
Salary Calculator