Flying in Europe might not be all smooth sailing, with competition stiff and legal requirements high. Let’s take a look at the options for Pilot jobs in Europe.
Flying over the Alps, only to ski down those same peaks a couple of days later – sounds like a life worth living. Europe is beautiful, with a rich history and lovely cities. I looked at the possibility of turning this dream into reality and considered license requirements and wages and how many jobs are available. Although beautiful, it seems flying in Europe might have a dark cloud or two to contend with.
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Are pilots in demand in Europe?
The good news for pilots is that the answer is yes. Pilots are in demand in Europe, just like all over the world. The demand for pilots is expected to reach nearly 600k as per an Airbus report.
There are currently many piloting roles available within every European region, as nicely laid out on the Pilot Career Centre website. This is great for pilots looking for work, but as with most things in life, they come with a few caveats.
Pilots with Airline flying experience are in high demand, and even pilots who are not rated on a type of aircraft (like Boeing 373, or Airbus A320) will find opportunities for employment if they have the required licensing and ratings – EASA CPL with multi-engine IFR rating, and around 500-1500 hours of flying total time. As an example of the requirements, look at a recent (Jan 2024) advertisement for a Dash 8 First Officer role in Luxembourg. As one can see, the flying hour requirements are low compared to a decade ago, but the right documentation and training are still important when applying. This is common throughout Europe.
Roles for low-time pilots have historically been hard to quantify, as advertising for these roles is usually limited, with many pilots getting their first job word-of-mouth, or being in the right place at the right time.
Instructor roles are advertised somewhat wider than other low-hour flying roles and are a good start, with CAE being a major instructor employer throughout the world, but especially in Europe.

Can a foreign pilot work in Europe?
As with many things in life, the devil is in the detail of this question. There is nothing that prevents non-European citizens from flying in Europe, provided that the pilot has the appropriate license and visa. Refer to the Dash 8 advertisement above.
Can foreign-qualified pilots take a job in Europe without conversion training/exams? The answer is yes – but only for a short while.
To work in Europe long term, a pilot needs an EASA license and a European work visa. To convert an FAA/ICAO license one can approach a flight school – I found one in Malta that explains the requirements.
Short-term contract work can be done in Europe without license conversion, but would not be longer than 6 months. Websites such as FCI are great for contract work, but this would be for pilots with type ratings and decent experience.
How do you get a job as a pilot in Europe?
Anecdotal evidence shows that European recruitment does happen heavily on LinkedIn. Many roles from Europe are advertised online through a variety of websites and services.
Pilot Career Centre is a great resource for pilots – especially pilots that know where they want to work, and what type of flying they want to do.
Foreign pilots I spoke to currently flying in Europe said a prospective pilot needs 4 things:
– EASA license
– Type Rating
– EU passport
– Right to live and work in Europe
Is it easy to get a job as a pilot in Europe?
This depends on what type of qualification/experience the pilot has. For rated, well-experienced Airline Captains and First Officers, the process seems to be relatively easy. Major Airlines are spending big money to combat the loss of pilots to the US.
The business jet (corporate) sector in Europe is quite big and might be a good place to start looking for employment. Many pilots work in operations for a while before being “upgraded” to a flying role.
Sites such as Flight Jobs usually have a range of positions available, just enter the search criteria and see what comes up.

What are the different pilot jobs in Europe?
Pilot jobs are very similar across the world and I divide them into 5 broad categories: Airlines, General Aviation & Corporate, Training/Instruction, Government and Military and Remote Pilot.
Airline jobs are the easiest to report about as the minimum requirements are clear and usually regulated by law. These jobs are also advertised widely.
General Aviation and corporate flying jobs are a bit harder to find, as the jobs are often word-of-mouth or without clear requirements – I.e. the requirements are dictated by insurance and all insurance requirements can be negotiated. Flying is not on small aircraft only, as many rich businessmen have small jets like Citations and Lear Jets. These jobs are hard to find though.
Other General Aviation jobs would be small twin charters, scenic flying, and parachute operations. Refer to jobs at PCC and follow the links depending on region to gain an idea of the opportunities and who is accepting applications.
Training/Instruction. The opportunities can be found in most places with a flight school. Pilots looking for instructor roles can negotiate with flight schools to employ them if they complete training with said flight school. Finding remote flight schools might make employment easier than in a city, but the prospective pilot has a lot of freedom in location.
Government and Military is usually limited to citizens of the country, but some aspects of government flying is subcontracted to civilian operators – fire spotting over forests, Search and Rescue, medical transport, etc.
Remote pilot jobs are fast-growing and could often serve as a good employment opportunity for pilots. Pilots should consider having both qualifications.
What are the low hour pilot jobs in Europe?
We did briefly touch on this in the paragraph above. These jobs are widely spread across a region but are quite hard to get as competition for the low-hour jobs is usually high.
Instruction is a great first job and will serve a pilot well.
The second good option is small plane charters or skydive operations.
A last thought to consider is that the requirements are not very high for cadetships in airline jobs, and many airlines offer cadetships.
Pilots need to decide what they want to do in the long run, and try and find a first job that enables that. If there is uncertainty about long-term plans or needing a job immediately, I recommend doing instruction.
Some good web pages are helping low-time pilots find roles, one of which is called flightdeck friend. At the time of writing, there were 100’s of opportunities posted.
Which is the best European country to be a pilot?
Flying a plane is an amazing career choice, and could be enjoyed almost everywhere on earth. Get airflow across a wing, and life can be good anywhere.
A second important factor to consider is the cost of living vs salary. Eastern Europe tends to be cheaper to live in than the Western side, without a major difference in pay scales.
If I had to choose, I would live in the southeastern part of Europe – either Greece, Croatia or one of the Balkan states. This a lifestyle question and thus very subjective when looking for a European Base.
For example, Greek airline Aegean Airlines, has the largest leisure fleet in the region and could be a great option for pilots looking to experience a new aircraft.

How many pilots are unemployed in Europe?
This is an interesting discussion point, and if one delves deeper into the online discussions, or talks to pilot unions, some reckon the “pilot shortage” is a myth.
The European Cockpit Association (ECA) published an article recently claiming that 15% of pilots in Europe are unemployed. This article lays out an argument that pilots will struggle to find employment until having a certain amount of experience and qualifications.
In contrast to the ECA, Oliver Wyman recently affirmed the pilot shortage globally, but with Europe showing less demand than Asia and America.
How much do European pilots get paid? Does it differ much by country?
Entry-level pilots in European airlines get paid €60k per year. The average pilot salary for pilots is €120k as per Glass door.
Pilot salaries for different positions in Jet2 show starting salaries of €57k with the highest salary advertised €127k.
Conclusion
There are pilot jobs in Europe, even for low-time pilots, but unless you are trained in Europe with an EASA license, or highly experienced, moving from the United States or Australia to Europe for a pilot job seems to be counterproductive.