United Airlines · 2026
United Airlines First Officer Pay 2026
First Officer base salary at United Airlines by years of experience, with estimated take-home pay.
First Officer base salary by year
| Year | Base salary | Est. take-home (TX) |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $111,408 | $92,072 |
| Year 5 | $209,347 | $165,900 |
| Year 10 | $231,158 | $180,731 |
Take-home estimate assumes Texas domicile and federal tax only.
A First Officer at United Airlines earns a base salary ranging from about $111,408 to $231,158 across the experience levels reported for 2026. First Officer is typically the entry point at a major carrier, and the pay scale climbs steadily with each year of service toward eventual upgrade to Captain.
Seniority is the dominant factor in first officer pay. Airline contracts set pay rates by year of service and aircraft category, so two first officers at United Airlines with the same tenure on the same fleet earn nearly identical base pay regardless of route or base. What changes take-home is the aircraft they hold — larger aircraft generally pay more — and the state they call home for tax purposes.
The table above shows base salary only. A First Officer's real annual earnings at United Airlines also include profit sharing, 401(k) match, and per diem. Open the explorer to see the full trajectory with those components and to compare first officer pay against other airlines.