John Travolta does it. So does Carol Vorderman. And if you fancy joining them to become an airline pilot too, keep reading as we’ve collated a how-to guide to navigating a job as an airline pilot within the aviation industry.
How much does a Pilot earn working for EasyJet?
Although these two celebrities have private pilot licenses, for the purpose of this article, we are focusing on commercial jobs for EasyJet – this is a popular company that specialises in short-haul flights. This means your flights could be just a few hours long, so you are not spending all your time away from your family.
Let’s look a little more at EasyJet as a company
EasyJet has its headquarters based in Luton Airport. They operate both domestic and international scheduled services on over 1,000 routes in more than 30 countries.
Established in 1995, EasyJet employs around 14,000 people – most of whom are based in England.
How many Pilots does EasyJet have?
There are currently more than 2800 pilots and 6500 cabin crew employed by easyJet, distributed around the 26 bases across the UK and Europe.
Do Pilots earn good money?
Commercial pilots for big brand airlines are very well paid. Long Haul Captains may get paid up to $300,000 (£200,000). Junior First Officers might only be paid $25,000 (£20,000).
The salary varies from different routes and airline companies.
According to job and recruitment site Glassdoor, the average salary for a British Airways pilot is £88,347 per year. These range from £26,000 to £120,000 per year but jumps to £168,000 per year for international pilots.
We will come to the average salary of an EasyJet Pilot shortly.
Career prospects for working as an easyJet Pilot.
After gaining experience, you can progress to becoming a Captain for EasyJet. You can then train and recruit other pilots and take on longer, more challenging flights. You could work transporting specialist cargo, high profile people, military goods or work for private jets.
What is the average salary for an EasyJet Pilot?
The average EasyJet Pilot salary is £88,795 per year. Pilot salaries at easyJet can range from £32,742 – £552,000 per year.
Starting salaries average at around £32k rising after your first year. There are also perks to the job including discounted hotel and travel rooms, priority boarding and cheaper flights.
Staff are given sickness pay and life insurance but there are limited other perks.
What does an aircraft pilot do?
As an airline pilot, you will be responsible for flying passengers or cargo on long or short-haul flights for leisure, business or commercial purposes. The aircraft is typically operated by two pilots; one will be the captain who is the pilot in command, while the other will be the supporting first officer.
Flying the left-hand seat, you will be the leader on the day and will be responsible for providing a safe and enjoyable flying experience for our crew and customers.
Flying the right-hand seat, you’ll be ranked Second Officer, First Officer or Senior First Officer depending on your flying hours and airline experience. You will provide support to your Captain and crew and help us deliver exceptional service
What are the requirements for working for EasyJet?
- You’ll need to be over 18 with a good standard of education.
- You don’t necessarily need a degree or A Levels, but having them will give you an advantage over others.
- You’ll need to have a clean driving license, UK passport and an EASA medical
- You’ll need the right to live and work in the EU, UK and Switzerland.
- Good eyesight is required – you can wear glasses as long as your eyesight is good.
How do I fund my training?
Sometimes there are training programmes and apprenticeships available. You may also find a low-paying starting salary offered with additional training on the job.
Any additional experience to showcase your determination will go a long way. You can gain experience beforehand from:
Joining the Air Cadets or similar.
Any volunteer or paid work you have undertaken within the transport, hospitality or medical industry.
Assessment for Easy Jet includes:
Your assessment and training can take between 18-24 months.
You will cover such topics as spatial orientation, situational behaviour, verbal ability and applied numeracy.
You will also use a test pilot simulator.
Where do easyJet train their pilots?
Aspiring pilots on the easyJet MPL course will complete their ground school classes in one of CAE’s European aviation academy locations including CAE Brussels, CAE Madrid, CAE Milan or CAE Oxford.
Cabin Crew jobs for EasyJet.
Cabin Crew work directly with the customers, onboard the flights. The role ensures that customers are always happy and comfortable, and have a great flight experience. There are 8m000 cabin crew who work for EasyJet.
What is the average wage for cabin crew?
Air cabin crew with experience can expect to earn a base rate of £15,000 to £18,000 a year. Base pay at senior cabin crew level, which can be reached after a few years, is around £20,000. You can add an hourly flight rate, inflight commission on sales and performance bonuses to your base rate.
Where can I find out more?
Ready for take-off? Let your career soar with the following information:
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).