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How much does a Japan Airlines pilot earn?
By the PilotinQ editorial teamUpdated 15 Oct 2026
THE ANSWER55 sec read

Japan Airlines gives no pay by rank in its securities report for the year to 31 March 2026, only an average annual salary of 21,527 thousand yen for all flight crew across the group.1

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Updated 15 Oct 2026All 4 sources →

Pay by rank

RankPayBasisAs of
Flight crew, all ranks (group average)21,527 thousand yen a year1average annual salary of flight crew across the JAL group, published by JAL in its securities report2026-03
Flight crew, all ranks (group average)20,051 thousand yen a year2average annual salary of flight crew across the JAL group, previous year, published by JAL2025-03
Cadet pilot (graduate entry)263,000 yen (period not stated)3salary listed for graduate cadet pilots by JAL recruitment; the page does not state the period2026-03

Only amounts with a source and a date are shown.

The route, step by step

What does JAL publish about pilot pay?
In its annual securities report for the year to 31 March 2026, JAL lists an average annual salary of 21,527 thousand yen for flight crew across the group. The figure is calculated by dividing the cash pay within consolidated personnel costs by the average number of staff during the year, so it is one average for all flight crew together, not pay for a single rank. For comparison, the same report gives a group average of 7,002 thousand yen for ground staff, 6,327 thousand yen for cabin crew and 8,119 thousand yen across all employees. A year earlier, in the report for the year to 31 March 2025, the flight crew average was 20,051 thousand yen.12
Why does length of service matter?
JAL reports that female pilots in permanent employment earn on average 51.0% of what male pilots earn, and sets this against average service of 19.0 years for men and 6.7 years for women. Women make up 2.3% of the permanent pilot workforce.1
What does a JAL cadet pilot earn?
JAL recruits ab initio cadets and lists a salary of 263,000 yen for graduates, as at 27 March 2026, without stating the period. Pay rises once a year and bonuses are paid three times a year, in summer, at year end and when the financial year closes, based on 2024 practice. Benefits listed include a corporate pension, a defined contribution plan, a retirement allowance and discounted staff travel. For the intake of April 2027, JAL plans to hire around 50 cadets across its graduate and experienced routes. Applicants who hold or have held a commercial pilot licence from any country cannot join the cadet scheme. The experienced route is open to degree holders up to around 30 years old. Licence holders are recruited through separate selections held as needed, and JAL refers them to their training institution for details.34
Where are pilots based and how is the roster set?
Cadets start with a period of ground duties at offices in Japan, then train at facilities in Japan and abroad. Once flying, pilots are based at airports including Haneda and Narita and work a variable roster that includes weekends and public holidays, with in principle 10 days off a month. According to the securities report, the Japan Airlines pilots union had 2,371 members among ground staff and flight crew as at 31 March 2026.13
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SALARY

How much does a Japan Airlines pilot earn?

By the PilotinQ editorial teamUpdated 15 Oct 2026
THE ANSWER55 sec read

Japan Airlines gives no pay by rank in its securities report for the year to 31 March 2026, only an average annual salary of 21,527 thousand yen for all flight crew across the group.1

Was this useful?
Updated 15 Oct 2026All 4 sources →

Pay by rank

RankPayAs of
Flight crew, all ranks (group average)21,527 thousand yen a year1average annual salary of flight crew across the JAL group, published by JAL in its securities report2026-03
Flight crew, all ranks (group average)20,051 thousand yen a year2average annual salary of flight crew across the JAL group, previous year, published by JAL2025-03
Cadet pilot (graduate entry)263,000 yen (period not stated)3salary listed for graduate cadet pilots by JAL recruitment; the page does not state the period2026-03

Only amounts with a source and a date are shown.

Step by step

What does JAL publish about pilot pay?
In its annual securities report for the year to 31 March 2026, JAL lists an average annual salary of 21,527 thousand yen for flight crew across the group. The figure is calculated by dividing the cash pay within consolidated personnel costs by the average number of staff during the year, so it is one average for all flight crew together, not pay for a single rank. For comparison, the same report gives a group average of 7,002 thousand yen for ground staff, 6,327 thousand yen for cabin crew and 8,119 thousand yen across all employees. A year earlier, in the report for the year to 31 March 2025, the flight crew average was 20,051 thousand yen.12
Why does length of service matter?
JAL reports that female pilots in permanent employment earn on average 51.0% of what male pilots earn, and sets this against average service of 19.0 years for men and 6.7 years for women. Women make up 2.3% of the permanent pilot workforce.1
What does a JAL cadet pilot earn?
JAL recruits ab initio cadets and lists a salary of 263,000 yen for graduates, as at 27 March 2026, without stating the period. Pay rises once a year and bonuses are paid three times a year, in summer, at year end and when the financial year closes, based on 2024 practice. Benefits listed include a corporate pension, a defined contribution plan, a retirement allowance and discounted staff travel. For the intake of April 2027, JAL plans to hire around 50 cadets across its graduate and experienced routes. Applicants who hold or have held a commercial pilot licence from any country cannot join the cadet scheme. The experienced route is open to degree holders up to around 30 years old. Licence holders are recruited through separate selections held as needed, and JAL refers them to their training institution for details.34
Where are pilots based and how is the roster set?
Cadets start with a period of ground duties at offices in Japan, then train at facilities in Japan and abroad. Once flying, pilots are based at airports including Haneda and Narita and work a variable roster that includes weekends and public holidays, with in principle 10 days off a month. According to the securities report, the Japan Airlines pilots union had 2,371 members among ground staff and flight crew as at 31 March 2026.13
SOURCES
  1. 1Annual Securities Report, fiscal year April 2025 to March 2026 (in Japanese)Japan Airlines · published 22 Jun 2026 · accessed 15 Oct 2026
  2. 2Annual Securities Report, fiscal year April 2024 to March 2025 (in Japanese)Japan Airlines · published 23 Jun 2025 · accessed 15 Oct 2026
  3. 3Recruitment requirements: cadet pilots, new graduates (in Japanese)Japan Airlines · accessed 15 Oct 2026
  4. 4Recruitment requirements: cadet pilots, experienced candidates (in Japanese)Japan Airlines · accessed 15 Oct 2026
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