United Airlines publishes the most complete pilot pay grid of the three legacy carriers, and on rates effective 1 January 2026 it runs from $125.52 per flight hour for a year-one wide-body first officer to $483.74 for a year-twelve wide-body captain. On top of the hourly rate United pays a direct retirement contribution of 17 percent, rising to 18 percent in 2026.
Every rate on this page is from the Airline Pilot Central United profile, rates effective 1 January 2026, read on 13 September 2026. For how hourly airline pay works in general — credit hours against a guarantee, per diem, and why seniority matters more than carrier choice — read our airline pilot salary guide first.
United Captain Hourly Rates By Fleet And Year Of Service
| Year | Wide-Body (787, 777, 767-400) | Midsize (767-300, 757, A321neo, A321XLR) | Large Narrow-Body (737-900, MAX 9) | Narrow-Body |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $443.85 | $368.14 | $358.02 | $356.46 |
| 2 | $447.45 | $371.26 | $360.83 | $359.23 |
| 3 | $451.12 | $374.27 | $363.66 | $362.07 |
| 4 | $454.76 | $377.31 | $366.61 | $365.00 |
| 5 | $458.40 | $380.51 | $369.59 | $367.95 |
| 6 | $462.00 | $383.48 | $372.56 | $370.84 |
| 7 | $465.64 | $386.33 | $375.48 | $373.73 |
| 8 | $469.22 | $389.52 | $378.42 | $376.65 |
| 9 | $472.87 | $392.29 | $381.43 | $379.59 |
| 10 | $476.47 | $396.50 | $384.27 | $382.47 |
| 11 | $480.09 | $400.77 | $387.28 | $385.40 |
| 12 | $483.74 | $404.92 | $390.30 | $388.27 |
Read that table sideways rather than downwards. Twelve years of service on the narrow-body scale is worth about $32 an hour. Moving from the narrow-body column to the wide-body column in the same year of service is worth about $95. Which aircraft you can hold is decided by seniority, so the aircraft axis and the year axis are really the same axis seen twice.
United First Officer Hourly Rates
| Year Of Service | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|
| 1 | $125.52 |
| 2 | $239.41 |
| 3 | $280.15 |
| 4 | $286.94 |
| 5 | $293.79 |
| 6 | $301.24 |
| 7 | $309.61 |
| 8 | $316.72 |
| 9 | $320.17 |
| 10 | $324.52 |
| 11 | $327.42 |
| 12 | $330.44 |
The first row of that table is the single most misread number in airline pay. Year one is $125.52; year two is $239.41. The rate almost doubles after twelve months, and then rises again by more than 17 percent in year three. First-year pay at a major airline is a probation-year rate, not a career salary, and anyone budgeting a career change should budget for exactly one year of it.
What Else The Contract Pays
| Item | Published Value |
|---|---|
| Employer retirement contribution | 17 percent direct to the 401(k), increasing to 18 percent in 2026 |
| Per diem, CONUS | $2.90 per hour |
| Per diem, all other | $3.45 per hour |
| Per diem escalation | 2.5 percent annual increases |
Source: Airline Pilot Central United profile, read 13 September 2026. An 18 percent direct contribution on $350,000 of earnings is $63,000 a year paid on top of your pay, which is more than the entire first-year first officer rate produces. Any comparison between carriers that stops at the hourly rate is comparing about four-fifths of the package.
What A Year Adds Up To
The assumption here is ours: 900 credit hours a year, which is 75 a month. A senior line-holder may fly more; a reserve pilot is paid to the contractual guarantee whether the flying happens or not.
| Seat, Fleet And Year | Rate | At 900 Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| First officer, wide-body, year one | $125.52 | $112,968 |
| First officer, wide-body, year three | $280.15 | $252,135 |
| First officer, wide-body, year twelve | $330.44 | $297,396 |
| Captain, narrow-body, year one | $356.46 | $320,814 |
| Captain, wide-body, year one | $443.85 | $399,465 |
| Captain, wide-body, year twelve | $483.74 | $435,366 |
These are arithmetic on published rates, not figures United advertises. They exclude per diem, which accrues for every hour away from base and not only for flight hours, and they exclude the retirement contribution, which would add 17 or 18 percent on top.
How United Compares
United's year-twelve wide-body captain rate of $483.74 is the highest published rate among the three legacy carriers. Delta and American both publish $465.13 at the same point, according to Air Gazette's comparison of 2 June 2026 citing Airline Pilot Central's January 2026 tables. At year one, United's $125.52 also leads Delta's $118.00 and American's $113.00.
That is a real lead, and it is also a small one: under four percent at the top. Your base, how quickly you upgrade to captain and which fleet your seniority lets you hold will move your lifetime earnings far more than the difference between these three grids. The whole comparison, including per diem, guarantees and retirement, is on best-paying airlines for pilots.
What The Federal Wage Data Says
For context across the whole occupation, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $232,140 for airline pilots, copilots and flight engineers in May 2025 wage data, with the 10th percentile at $106,710 and the 90th at $463,830. Source: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, airline and commercial pilots, read 13 September 2026, with percentile figures as published by O*NET OnLine from 2025 BLS wage data. A United wide-body captain at 900 credit hours sits above the federal 90th percentile, which tells you how narrow the top of this profession is.
Getting To The Bottom Of That Grid
United hires pilots holding an airline transport pilot certificate, which requires 1,500 hours of total time under 14 CFR 61.159, including 500 hours cross-country, 100 hours night, 75 hours instrument and 250 hours of pilot-in-command time. Reduced minimums of 1,000 or 1,250 hours exist under 14 CFR 61.160 for graduates of qualifying degree programs, and 750 hours for military pilots; as a Part 61 school we do not issue degrees, so our students plan on the full 1,500.
United also runs the Aviate program as a structured pathway, which we explain on United Aviate explained. We are an independent flight school and are not a participating Aviate partner; that page is informational. From zero, our airline pilot career program covers every rating through MEI in about nine months for $84,000, and time-building jobs for new commercial pilots covers the stage that follows. Under 14 CFR 121.383(d), Part 121 flying ends on a pilot's 65th birthday.
Related Reading
- Airline pilot salary guide — credit hours, guarantees and seniority explained.
- Best-paying airlines for pilots — the carriers side by side.
- United Aviate explained — how the pathway program works.
- Delta pilot salary — rates, guarantee and profit sharing.
- American Airlines pilot salary — the APA contract and its rates.
United Airlines Pilot Salary FAQ
How Much Does A United Airlines Pilot Make?
On rates effective 1 January 2026, a year-one wide-body first officer is paid $125.52 per flight hour and a year-twelve wide-body captain $483.74. At 900 credit hours a year those annualize to about $112,968 and $435,366 before per diem and a retirement contribution of 17 to 18 percent. Source: Airline Pilot Central United profile, read 13 September 2026.
What Is United First-Year Pilot Pay?
$125.52 per flight hour on the wide-body first officer scale effective 1 January 2026. That rate rises to $239.41 in year two and $280.15 in year three, so first-year pay is a probation-year figure rather than a career salary.
How Much Does A United Captain Earn?
It depends on fleet and year of service. Effective 1 January 2026 a year-one narrow-body captain is at $356.46 an hour and a year-twelve wide-body captain at $483.74. The gap between the narrow-body and wide-body columns at the same year of service is about $95 an hour.
Does United Pay More Than Delta And American?
On published rates, yes, at both ends of the scale. United's year-twelve wide-body captain rate of $483.74 leads Delta and American at $465.13 each, and its year-one first officer rate of $125.52 leads Delta's $118.00 and American's $113.00. The differences are under four percent at the top.
What Is United's Retirement Contribution For Pilots?
17 percent direct employer contribution to the 401(k), increasing to 18 percent in 2026, as published on the Airline Pilot Central United profile read on 13 September 2026. On $350,000 of earnings an 18 percent contribution is $63,000 a year paid on top of pay.
What Is United Pilot Per Diem?
$2.90 per hour within the continental United States and $3.45 per hour elsewhere, with 2.5 percent annual increases, as published on the Airline Pilot Central United profile read on 13 September 2026. Per diem is paid for every hour away from base, not only for flight hours.
How Many Hours Do You Need To Fly For United?
An airline transport pilot certificate requires 1,500 hours under 14 CFR 61.159, including 500 cross-country, 100 night and 75 instrument hours, plus 250 hours of pilot-in-command time. Restricted minimums of 750, 1,000 or 1,250 hours exist under 14 CFR 61.160 for military pilots and qualifying degree holders.
Is United Aviate A Guaranteed Job?
No. Aviate is a structured pathway with defined transition points and flight-hour milestones rather than a guarantee of employment, and participants must still meet all United pilot hiring requirements at the end of it. We explain the published structure on our United Aviate page; we are an independent flight school and not an Aviate partner.
Every One Of These Rates Starts With A First Lesson
A 60-minute discovery flight is $229, you fly it yourself from the left seat with an instructor beside you, and it is credited in full toward your training if you enroll within 24 hours. To map the route from zero hours to an airline seniority number — certificates, hour building, medical and financing — book a free consultation or call (818) 330-1318 any day between 9 AM and 9 PM. We are at 7900 Balboa Blvd, Van Nuys, CA 91406, at Van Nuys Airport.