national median · SOC 3511
£107,712
£51.78/hr · 2,080 hrs/yr
#1 · Transportation
Aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers Salary
ONS ASHE ASHE 2025 (provisional) national median £107,712 (£51.78/hr on 2,080 hours). SOC 3511. Modeled 2026 take-home, training context, and career comparisons below.
By Sammy S. · Founder · AuthorUpdated for 2026
England, Wales & NI take-home
£71,488
33.6% effective
Scotland take-home at median
£67,610
37.2% effective
Key takeaways — Airline pilots
- Aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers ranks #1 of 63 on this hub with a £107,712 ONS ASHE 2025 (provisional) full-time employee median (£51.78/hr).
- Modeled England, Wales & NI take-home at that median: £71,488 (33.6% effective employee levy rate). Scotland: £67,610.
- Airline pilots holds the top published median in this set at £107,712.
- Bonuses, share schemes, overtime, and self-employment income are outside ASHE full-time employee cash-wage medians.
About Aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers wages
The Office for National Statistics ASHE 2025 (provisional) publishes full-time employee annual gross medians by Standard Occupational Classification code. For Aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers (SOC 3511), the national median annual pay is £107,712 — meaning half of full-time PAYE employees in this occupation earn more and half earn less across the UK.
We convert that median to an hourly equivalent using 2,080 full-time hours per year, then apply our 2026 UK paycheck model so you see modeled take-home, not just gross. That bridges labour-market statistics with the same tax rules as our UK calculator.
Use the compare tool to pit Airline pilots against another career, or open the paycheck calculator to model an offer above or below the published median.
Transportation · rank context
Airline pilots sits at rank #1 between IT directors (#2) below and no higher median in this curated set above it.
Training & licensing context
Airline pilot medians assume an ATPL and airline seniority systems. Early-career regional pilots often earn far below the national pilot median.
Take-home at ASHE median by nation
Single taxpayer, personal allowance, income tax + employee National Insurance — gross equals the published ASHE median. Scotland uses Scottish income tax bands.
| Nation | Take-home | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|
| England, Wales & NI | £71,488 | 33.6% |
| Scotland | £67,610 | 37.2% |
Myths vs facts
Myth: Every Airline pilots job pays the ASHE median.
Fact: The median is a national midpoint for full-time employees. Entry roles, part-time schedules, and lower-COL markets sit below; senior specialists in high-demand cities sit above.
Myth: Take-home at median is what you will net.
Fact: Our columns use a single-taxpayer vignette at the ASHE gross median. Tax code, pension, student loan, and Scotland vs England/Wales/NI bands change your actual paycheck.
Salary planning checklist
- Confirm the posting matches SOC 3511 (Aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers)
- Compare England, Wales & NI vs Scotland take-home if relocation is on the table
- Read ASHE percentile tables when published for this occupation
- Use metro paycheck examples (UK) when the employer names a city
- Model your exact gross in the UK paycheck calculator
Common mistakes
- ✕Treating £107,712 as a universal offer for all experience levels
- ✕Ignoring licensing and training years when comparing to lower-medians with shorter paths
- ✕Skipping Scottish income tax when comparing two offers at similar gross medians
Compare Airline pilots to other careers
Airline pilots salary FAQs
ONS ASHE 2025 (provisional) lists a £107,712 full-time employee national median (SOC 3511) — about £51.78/hr on a 2,080-hour year.
Modeled take-home for a single taxpayer at the ASHE median: England, Wales & NI £71,488, Scotland £67,610 (2026 rules).
#1 of 63 occupations on this hub by national median wage.
This SOC unit group anchors searches such as pilot salary.
No occupation in this hub ranks above Airline pilots; it holds the highest ASHE median in our table.
Information technology directors ranks #2 at £90,081 — £17,631 below.
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