United Airlines (UA) is one of the world’s largest airlines and the biggest airline by mainline fleet size. Headquartered in Chicago, the airline operates an extensive domestic and international network across six continents through major hubs including Chicago O’Hare, Denver, Houston, Newark, San Francisco, Washington Dulles, Los Angeles and Guam.
United continues to modernise its fleet with hundreds of new Airbus and Boeing aircraft on order while expanding premium international services. The airline’s industry-leading pilot contract and aggressive fleet growth have made it one of the most sought-after employers for commercial pilots in North America.
United Airlines Pilot Salary
In 2026, United Airlines pilots remain among the highest-paid in the aviation industry. Compensation includes base salary, hourly flight pay, profit sharing, overtime, per diems, retirement contributions, healthcare benefits, and extensive travel privileges. The airline has over 17,000 pilots on its payroll.
United Airlines First Officer Salary
In 2026, first officers at United Airlines generally earn between USD 120,000 and USD 360,000 per year, depending on seniority, aircraft type and annual flying hours. Newly hired first officers begin with industry-leading pay rates, while experienced first officers operating wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 777 and Boeing 787 can earn substantially higher annual compensation through longevity increases and premium flying.
As pilots progress through United’s seniority system, annual earnings steadily increase through contractual pay raises, international per diems, overtime opportunities and premium pay assignments. First officers flying long-haul international routes generally receive higher total compensation than those operating domestic narrow-body aircraft.
United’s collective bargaining agreement also provides excellent retirement contributions, strong work rules and career progression opportunities, making it one of the most attractive pilot employers in the United States.
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United Airlines Captain Salary
Captains at United Airlines are among the highest-paid airline pilots in the world. In 2026, captains generally earn between USD 330,000 and USD 700,000 per year, depending on aircraft type, seniority and operational productivity. Senior Boeing 777 and Boeing 787 captains operating international long-haul routes can earn toward the upper end of the range through premium hourly pay, overtime and additional flying opportunities.
Newly upgraded narrow-body captains typically earn toward the lower end of the salary scale, while senior wide-body captains benefit from higher hourly rates, larger retirement contributions and premium international schedules. Training captains, line check airmen and management pilots may also receive compensation above standard captain pay scales.
United’s landmark pilot agreement continues to support industry-leading compensation, helping the airline attract and retain experienced pilots while supporting its ambitious fleet expansion plans.
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Here are the United Airlines Pilot Pay Rates (Effective January 1, 2026) as flagged by Airline Pilot Central:
Captain (CA) Hourly Pay
| Year | Widebody (787, 777, 767-400) | Midsize (767-300, 757-200/300, A321neo/XLR) | Large Narrowbody (737-900, MAX 9) | Regular Narrowbody (737, A319, A320) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $443.85 | $368.14 | $358.02 | $356.46 |
| 2 | $447.45 | $371.26 | $360.83 | $359.23 |
| 3 | $451.12 | $374.27 | $363.66 | $362.07 |
| 4 | $454.76 | $377.31 | $366.61 | $365.00 |
| 5 | $458.40 | $380.51 | $369.59 | $367.95 |
| 6 | $462.00 | $383.48 | $372.56 | $370.84 |
| 7 | $465.64 | $386.33 | $375.48 | $373.73 |
| 8 | $469.22 | $389.52 | $378.42 | $376.65 |
| 9 | $472.87 | $392.29 | $381.43 | $379.59 |
| 10 | $476.47 | $396.50 | $384.27 | $382.47 |
| 11 | $480.09 | $400.77 | $387.28 | $385.40 |
| 12 | $483.74 | $404.92 | $390.30 | $388.27 |
First Officer (FO) Hourly Pay
| Year | Widebody | Midsize | Large Narrowbody | Regular Narrowbody |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $125.52 | $125.52 | $125.52 | $125.52 |
| 2 | $239.41 | $198.62 | $193.02 | $192.22 |
| 3 | $280.15 | $232.42 | $225.86 | $224.85 |
| 4 | $286.94 | $238.10 | $231.32 | $230.32 |
| 5 | $293.79 | $243.92 | $236.88 | $235.86 |
| 6 | $301.24 | $250.02 | $242.91 | $241.75 |
| 7 | $309.61 | $256.92 | $249.70 | $248.51 |
| 8 | $316.72 | $262.94 | $255.47 | $254.25 |
| 9 | $320.17 | $265.60 | $258.21 | $256.97 |
| 10 | $324.52 | $270.01 | $261.73 | $260.44 |
| 11 | $327.42 | $273.34 | $264.13 | $262.83 |
| 12 | $330.44 | $276.56 | $266.58 | $265.19 |
Per Diem
| Category | Rate |
|---|---|
| CONUS | $2.90/hour |
| International (All Other) | $3.45/hour |
| Annual Increase | 2.5% |
Retirement Benefits
| Benefit | Details |
|---|---|
| 401(k) Matching | Yes |
| Direct Employer Contribution (A/B Fund) | 17%, increasing to 18% in 2026 |
| Profit Sharing | Yes |
United Airlines Scheduled Pilot Retirements
| Year | Scheduled Retirements |
|---|---|
| Remainder of 2026 | 505 |
| 2027 | 562 |
| 2028 | 696 |
| 2029 | 682 |
| 2030 | 672 |
| 2031 | 700 |
| 2032 | 551 |
| 2033 | 504 |
| 2034 | 495 |
| 2035 | 554 |
| 2036 | 482 |
| 2037 | 444 |
| 2038 | 493 |
| 2039 | 487 |
| 2040 | 492 |
| 2041 | 477 |
| 2042 | 485 |
| 2043 | 487 |
| 2044 | 498 |
| 2045 | 527 |
| 2046 | 465 |
| 2047 | 514 |
| 2048 | 477 |
| 2049 | 437 |
| 2050 | 502 |
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Benefits Enjoyed by United Airlines Pilots
United’s pilots are entitled to the following benefits during their employment.
- Travel Privileges – Pilots and eligible family members receive unlimited standby travel and discounted tickets across United Airlines and Star Alliance partner airlines.
- Profit Sharing – Eligible pilots participate in company profit-sharing programmes when financial performance targets are achieved.
- Retirement Benefits – United provides one of the strongest defined contribution retirement programmes among U.S. airlines.
- Medical And Insurance Coverage – Comprehensive medical, dental, vision and life insurance benefits are available.
- International Per Diems – Pilots receive meal and overseas allowances during domestic and international layovers.
- Training And Career Development – The airline provides recurrent simulator training and structured opportunities for fleet progression.
- Strong Union Protection – Pilot salaries, scheduling and working conditions are negotiated through the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA).
- Modern Fleet Opportunities – Pilots have opportunities to operate one of the world’s largest fleets of Airbus and Boeing aircraft.
What Aircraft Do United Airlines Pilots Fly?
United Airlines operates the world’s largest mainline airline fleet consisting of the following aircraft.
- Airbus A319-100 – 70
- Airbus A320-200 – 64
- Airbus A321neo – 71
- Airbus A321XLR – 1
- Boeing 737-700 – 40
- Boeing 737-800 – 121
- Boeing 737-900 – 12
- Boeing 737-900 – 136
- Boeing 737 MAX 8 – 123
- Boeing 737 MAX 9 – 160
- Boeing 757-200 – 40
- Boeing 757-300 – 21
- Boeing 767-300ER – 37
- Boeing 767-400ER – 16
- Boeing 777-200 – 19
- Boeing 777-200ER – 55
- Boeing 777-300ER – 22
- Boeing 787-8 – 12
- Boeing 787-9 – 56
- Boeing 787-10 – 21
The airline also has the following planes on order.
- Airbus A321neo – 134
- Airbus A321XLR – 49
- Airbus A350-900 – 45
- Boeing 737 MAX 9 – 64
- Boeing 737 MAX 10 – 167
- Boeing 787-9 – 76
- Boeing 787-10 – 56
Requirements To Become A Pilot for United Airlines
United Airlines requires its pilots to meet the following criteria, with type-rating requirements advertised on a case-by-case basis. The airline also mainly promotes captains internally.
- Unrestricted FAA Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate with aeroplane multiengine class rating
- Current FAA first-class medical certificate
- FCC Restricted Radiotelephone Operator Permit (RR)
- Require a minimum of 1,500 hours of total time
- Prefer 1,000 hours of fixed-wing turbine time
- Prefer a minimum of 100 hours of flight time within the last 12 months
- Current passport with at least six months of validity remaining at time of employment.
- Legal right to work in the United States without sponsorship
- Must be able to travel freely within the United States and without restriction to all countries United serves
- High school diploma or GED equivalent
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university is preferred
- All foreign transcripts need to be evaluated for equivalency to U.S. degrees by a member organisation of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) and overall authenticity
- International Certificate of Vaccination for Yellow Fever (Yellow Card) must be presented to United Airlines on the first day of employment at United Airlines.
- If you are unable to be vaccinated against Yellow Fever due to a medical restriction or sincerely held religious belief, candidates will need to participate in United’s Reasonable Accommodation Process (RAP) before the first day of employment. United are unable to consider candidates for employment until this process is complete.
- Reliable, punctual attendance is an essential function of the position. Additionally, United requires availability without any planned absences during the first twelve weeks of employment with United Airlines.
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Hiring Process for United Airlines Pilots
United Airlines pilots must pass the following steps in the carrier’s recruitment process.
- Application – Candidates submit an online application with licences, medical certificates, flight logs and supporting documents through the United Airlines careers portal.
- Initial Screening – Recruitment teams review qualifications, flight experience, aircraft types flown and regulatory compliance before selecting suitable candidates.
- Technical and Aptitude Assessments – Applicants complete technical evaluations and operational assessments designed to measure airline knowledge, judgement and decision-making ability.
- Simulator Assessment – Candidates complete simulator evaluations where assessors review aircraft handling, crew resource management, standard operating procedures and overall flying proficiency.
- Interview Stage – Successful candidates attend interviews with management pilots and recruitment specialists to assess technical competence, professionalism and leadership potential.
- Medical and Background Verification – Final candidates undergo FAA medical verification, employment checks, drug screening, security screening and reference verification before receiving a formal employment offer.
United Airlines continues to recruit experienced military and civilian pilots as it expands its fleet and international operations.
Bottom Line
In 2026, United Airlines continues to offer one of the most rewarding pilot careers in global aviation. First officers generally earn between USD 120,000 and USD 360,000 per year, while captains may earn between USD 330,000 and USD 700,000 annually, depending on seniority, aircraft type and operational productivity.
With industry-leading pay, one of the world’s largest fleets, strong retirement benefits and extensive international operations, United Airlines remains one of the top career destinations for professional pilots.
United Airlines Pilot Salary FAQs
United Airlines pilots typically earn between USD 120,000 and USD 700,000 per year, depending on rank, aircraft type and seniority.
United Airlines pilots are based at hubs including Chicago O’Hare, Denver, Houston, Newark, San Francisco, Washington Dulles, Los Angeles and Guam.
United pilots operate Airbus A319, A320, A321neo and A321XLR aircraft, along with Boeing 737, 757, 767, 777 and 787 families across domestic and international routes.
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