What pay does Ryanair publish for its pilots?

On its careers site in October 2026, Ryanair states that direct entry Captains can earn up to £155,500/€165,000 p.a. in year 1. The figure sits alongside the careers site's promise of outstanding earnings potential.1

What figures have been reported in earlier years?

As historical figures: in November 2015, The Irish Times reported that it had seen Ryanair contracts offering Captains a basic salary of €62,500 a year and First Officers €21,000 a year. The Dublin deal reported at the time added €2,000 to Captains' basic pay in the first year and €1,000 in each of the following four years, and raised the Captain allowance of €5,000 by €500. In October 2017, Fortune reported that Michael O'Leary had reportedly offered Captains at four key bases €10,000 more per year and First Officers €5,000 more if they stayed, plus a productivity and loyalty bonus of up to €12,000 for those who stayed at least a year. In August 2019, during a dispute with the Irish union Fórsa, Ryanair said that Senior Captains were then earning over €200,000 p.a. for working five days on and four days off. That is the airline's own claim, made in a press release.345

How is pay set by country?

Ryanair offers local contracts with local tax in each country, so pay and conditions depend on the base. In July 2020, 96% of Ryanair's UK pilots, on a turnout of 90%, accepted a BALPA agreement with a 20% pay reduction restored over 4 years. In June 2022, Ryanair said UK pilots had backed a deal with BALPA for accelerated pay restoration and pay increases to 2026, and that it had long-term agreements with 70% of its pilots running until 2026 or 2027. In July 2022, agreements followed with SEPLA in Spain and SNPL in France, with pay improvements in each year up to March 2027. On 20 December 2022, Ryanair signed a 4 year pay agreement with Fórsa for its Irish pilots, with Covid pay cuts restored in the December payroll and 3 years of pay increases up to March 2027. In Denmark, Ryanair's Malta Air subsidiary signed agreements with Dansk Metal in January 2023 that give Billund-based pilots pay increases until April 2026, on Danish contracts with Danish tax and social insurance. In Belgium, the union ACV Puls confirmed a strike by Belgian Ryanair pilots on 15 and 16 July 2023, saying their salaries had not been restored after the 20% cut they accepted in 2020. In Germany, Vereinigung Cockpit agreed the first collective agreements for Ryanair pilots in September 2019, including a pay agreement with higher basic salaries, and the pilots moved to the subsidiary Malta Air under German law. In July 2023, the union said Ryanair had offered German-based pilots only one-off inflation payments and a small single-digit rise in basic pay for the next three years.1678910111213

Are Ryanair pilots employed or contracted?

In its judgment of 8 July 2025, the Court of Appeal of England and Wales described two groups of Ryanair pilots at the time of the case: pilots directly employed by the airline and contracted pilots supplied through MCG Aviation, now Storm Global. The contract of the Stansted pilot Jason Lutz included a minimum of 450 flying hours per annum once he had provided services for at least 12 months and was available to work, which the court said gave him the opportunity to achieve a minimum level of earnings. The court dismissed the appeals of Ryanair and Storm Global, so Mr Lutz could pursue an annual leave claim as a worker and an equal terms claim as an agency worker. According to BALPA, the Supreme Court refused Ryanair permission to appeal on 31 October 2025. Ryanair's careers site in October 2026 mentions minimum hours for contractors.11415

What roster and progression does Ryanair describe?

Ryanair states that pilots have a stable roster pattern of 5 days on and 4 days off. According to the careers site, the roster is published 4 weeks in advance and contains no planned overnights. In 2023, ACV Puls said Ryanair wanted to change the Belgian roster to 6 days of work and 3 days of rest, which the union called illegal. Ryanair says a low hour cadet can become a commander in as little as 4/5 years from the initial type rating course. In January 2026, The Irish Times reported that Skyborne Airline Academy would take its first Ryanair cadets in March, who start as second officers after a programme of about 18 months.121116