Ryanair pilot recruitment

Pay and conditions, as pilots report them

Figures reported by pilots, not confirmed by the airline, each one dated (last update: October 2026). For information only.

• Captain: about €169,500 a year, €175,000 as line check captain (LCC), €185,000 as LTC and €209,000 as TRE (Italy, since April 2026); no seniority scale, within €2,000 a year across countries. Captains fly close to maximum hours all year and are reportedly often asked to use commander's discretion (September 2026).
• First officer: about €55,000 a year to start (December 2024) and about €85,000 beyond 1,500 hours in Europe outside the UK; in the UK, about £88,500, and £91,500 in London (August 2026).
• Second officer: about €35,000 a year; during line training, about €16,800 base plus €14 per flying hour after release (2024-2025).
• Pay per flying hour: about €40 for a captain, €23 for a first officer, €13 for a second officer (December 2024).
• Type rating paid by the candidate: about €30,000, with about €1,400 a month during line training and no guaranteed contract afterwards (2021 report).
• Rosters: in Germany, 5 days on and 3 off, with no more split between early and late weeks; the pattern may extend to other countries from 2027 (September 2026).
• Leave: 29 days including Christmas, as 4 blocks of 5 working days plus 8 ad hoc days; with the 5-4 roster a block gives 13 days off in a row (September 2025).
• Situation: few flying hours for first officers in winter (20 to 30 hours a month from November to March, so lower pay), 75% contracts at some bases; first officer hiring continues, more than 1,000 cadets planned for the 737 MAX 10 arriving in 2027. No direct entry captains. Outlook described as positive (October 2026).
• Selection: application on the website, online tests (psychometric, reasoning, logic, technical knowledge), then simulator and HR and technical interviews at headquarters (May 2024).

Reports published on pilotjobsnetwork.com