Lufthansa (LH) is the flag carrier of Germany and one of the largest airlines in the world by fleet size, passenger footfall, and annual revenue. Founded over 70 years ago and headquartered in Cologne, the air operator is also among the founding members of the world-renowned Star Alliance. Lufthansa Group, in addition to its main airline, runs over six other carriers in Europe.
Lufthansa has hubs in Frankfurt and Munich, from where it flies to over 200 domestic and international destinations with a fleet of more than 250 Airbus and Boeing aircraft. For many travellers in Asia, Europe, and North America, LH is the go-to choice for travel for its efficient service and well-connected network around the world.
Lufthansa employs over 5,000 pilots to keep its routing system alive and ticking, with each individual tasked with maintaining the airline’s immaculate safety record as well.
Here is a look at how much LH pays its pilots, a look at the other benefits they enjoy, including the type of aircraft they fly, the criteria to become a pilot with the carrier, and also their hiring steps for aviators.
Lufthansa Pilot Salary in 2025
Lufthansa first officer salary
Lufthansa’s first officers are the airline’s junior crop of pilots who assist the captain in safely completing a flight.
They are tasked with carrying out checks of the aircraft systems before the flight, handling communication with air traffic controllers on the way to the destination, and ensuring that the airplane is on the ground on time and without any safety hazards.
Depending on their experience, type of aircraft flown, and seniority within the airline, Lufthansa pays its pilots a monthly salary ranging from €6,350 to €12,700 (approx. US$7,450 to US$14,900). They are expected to fly for 75 hours in a month and receive a 16% bonus if that threshold is matched, plus an additional hourly rate if the minimum hours are exceeded.
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Lufthansa Captain Salary
Lufthansa’s captains are the airline’s most experienced category of pilots and are responsible for completing a flight from its origin to its destination.
They make important decisions regarding navigation and emergency situations, manage the flight crew’s workloads during a flight, and, with seniority, commanders are also tasked with training first officers to make them captains.
The captains at Lufthansa are paid a monthly salary between €12,600 and €20,200 (approx. US$14,800 and US$23,500) depending on their experience, aircraft type operated, and seniority.
As with first officers, there is an expectation on captains to fly for 75 hours in a month, and they also are paid a 16% bonus for matching the threshold and additional hourly wages if exceeded.
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Benefits enjoyed by Lufthansa pilots
Lufthansa pilots are entitled to the following benefits in addition to their base salaries.
- Per diem – Lufthansa’s pilots receive allowances on layovers depending on the length of the flights they operate. For first officers, this ranges from €50 to €57 per day, and for captains, the amount varies between €52 and €60 each day, depending on the duration of the flight.
- Leave allowance – Lufthansa’s pilots are entitled to an industry-leading leave allowance. They receive 35 days off per quarter as part of their roster, 42 days of annual paid leave, and when working on public holidays, a higher pay rate for the day and compensatory time off.
- Staff travel – Lufthansa’s pilots, their families, and their friends are entitled to heavily discounted flight tickets under the carrier’s staff travel scheme. The employee can also avail these benefits on business class and first class flights, depending on availability.
- Holiday discounts – Lufthansa pilots can make use of discounted deals while on holiday with hotel companies, car rental providers, insurance brokers, and other such corporate partners as a result of their relationship with the German flag carrier.
- Health coverage – Lufthansa’s pilots are entitled to a comprehensive healthcare plan which covers all medical expenses, including dental, all over the world. This mitigates the risk of unforeseen spending on layovers and in foreign countries from their own pockets.
- Career progression – Lufthansa pilots are offered an attractive career progression pathway by the airline. They are entitled to an amount equivalent to US$2,000 per year for education and training in addition to mandatory lessons provided by the carrier.
What aircraft do Lufthansa pilots fly?
Lufthansa has a mixed fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft. Here is a breakdown of what their pilots get to fly during their employment with the airline.
- Airbus A319-100 – 35
- Airbus A320-200 – 49
- Airbus A320neo – 35
- Airbus A321-100 – 17
- Airbus A321-200 – 37
- Airbus A321neo – 17
- Airbus A330-300 – 9
- Airbus A340-300 – 17
- Airbus A340-600 – 10
- Airbus A350-900 – 30
- Airbus A380-800 – 8
- Boeing 747-400 – 8
- Boeing 747-8 – 9
- Boeing 787-9 – 5
In addition to the above fleet of existing airplanes, Lufthansa also has the following aircraft on order.
- Airbus A320neo – 37
- Airbus A321neo – 22
- Airbus A350-900 – 14
- Airbus A350-1000 – 15
- Boeing 777-9 – 20
- Boeing 787-9 – 34
How to become a pilot with Lufthansa?
Lufthansa has the following requirements for its first officers.
- EASA CPL(A) / IR(A) with ATPL theory credit and MCC or MPL (Phase 4 completed)
- Medical Class I
- Valid type rating for aircraft part of the LH fleet
- Advanced UPRT training according to EASA.FCL.745
- General higher education entrance qualification or equivalent qualification
- EU citizenship or unrestricted residence and work permit
- Passport with unlimited validity (if no EU passport is available, there must be no
stricter entry restrictions than with an EU passport) - Confident oral and written language skills in English (at least ICAO Language Proficiency Level 4)
- Candidates without additional fluency in German will be selected from Q2/2024 onwards
On the other hand, Lufthansa has the following criteria for its captain.
- EASA ATPL(A)
- Valid type rating for aircraft part of the LH fleet
- Minimum 5000h total flight hours on CS-25 aircraft
- Minimum 1000h PIC hours on CS-25 aircraft
- Medical Class I
- General higher education entrance qualification (Abitur/ Fachhochschulreife or equivalent qualification)
- EU citizenship or unrestricted residence and work permit
- Passport with unlimited validity (if no EU passport is available, there must be no stricter entry restrictions than with an EU passport)
- Confident verbal and written language skills in English (at least ICAO Language Proficiency Level 4)
Lufthansa’s recruitment process for pilots
Lufthansa has the following steps in its hiring process for pilots.
- APPLICATION – Interested candidates can find Lufthansa’s vacancies on their careers portal and apply for the job by submitting their resumes and other supporting documents such as passports, experience letters, and additional certifications.
- ONLINE TESTS – The shortlisted applicants will need to take an online test to prove their psychometric abilities for the job, while an English test is also a part of this step of the hiring process to judge their linguistic expertise.
- PHONE INTERVIEW – A phone interview is held with candidates who pass the online test to judge their soft skills and suitability to work in the airline’s environment. This typically lasts between 15 to 20 minutes, and an in-person assessment follows.
- IN-PERSON ASSESSMENT – Those who advance from the phone interviews are required to undergo an in-person assessment where group tasks, technical checks, and simulator examinations are conducted to better understand each individual’s characteristics.
- FINAL INTERVIEW – A final interview is conducted with the senior pilots or hiring managers to help both parties understand each other’s goals and expectations, as well as to provide any feedback that may arise from the in-person assessment.
- CONDITIONAL OFFER – Depending on the individual’s progress, a conditional offer is made subject to the successful clearances of medical examinations, reference and security checks, and the verification of provided documentation by Lufthansa’s recruitment team.
Lufthansa Pilot FAQs
Lufthansa pays its pilots an annual salary ranging from €6,350 to €20,100 per month, depending on their experience, seniority, and type of aircraft flown. Additionally, they receive per diems and a series of other industry-leading benefits.
Lufthansa has its primary hubs in Frankfurt and Munich, where all its pilots are based. However, depending on operational requirements, they may be required to deadhead to overseas locations or domestically to cities like Dusseldorf and Hamburg.
Yes, Lufthansa, as well as the other airlines that are a part of the Lufthansa Group, are currently hiring pilots. The German flag carrier expects to recruit over 400 new pilots in 2025, with its subsidiaries expected to hire 400 more amongst themselves too.
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