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UK salary report · 2026

Pilot Salary in London

Official ONS earnings for London, covering 10,000 jobs.

ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings Grouped occupation Imprecise estimate Where this comes from →

Median salary — London

£123,796

gross, per year, all employees

▲ 14.7% change on the previous year

Mean

£140,152

Jobs measured

10,000

Where this figure comes from

ONS occupation group
Aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers
SOC 2020 code
3511
Measure
Gross annual pay, all employees
Edition
ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional

ONS publishes a sampling error of 14.2% for this figure and asks that anything above 10% is treated as imprecise — too few people in this region answered the survey for this occupation. The figure is shown because it is the one ONS published, but it is not firm enough to rank London against anywhere else, so this page doesn't.

ONS doesn't measure “pilot” as its own category. These figures are for the wider group “Aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers”, which includes this role alongside others. ONS group combines pilots with air traffic controllers.

Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures are estimates from a survey of PAYE jobs and are not financial advice.

Pilot salary FAQs

What is the average Pilot salary in London?

The median is £123,796 a year and the mean is £140,152, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Those cover all employees; ASHE publishes no full-time split at regional level.

How much does a pilot earn per hour?

Across the UK the median hourly rate is £67.61 excluding overtime, or £47.32 for full-time employees. ASHE publishes hourly pay by occupation nationally only, so there is no separate rate for London.

Do pilots in London earn more than the UK average?

The median in London is £123,796 against £107,712 across the UK, 14.9% higher. ONS marks the London figure as imprecise, so treat the gap as indicative.

Has pilot pay gone up in the last year?

ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at +14.7% for this occupation in London. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.

How many pilots are there in London?

ASHE counts around 10,000 employee jobs in “Aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers” (SOC 3511) in London. Self-employed work is not included.

Is this figure official?

Yes. It comes from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, an accredited official statistic based on employer PAYE records.

Official figures show the market. Your salary shows what employers actually pay.

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