Discovering Higher and Degree Apprenticeships with UWE Bristol, get free advice >>

Is this a good salary

I want to join the RAF as a pilot where I would get paid £25K while training and then £30K while working.

I am a single young guy, i do not live a very flashy or expensive lifestyle, if anything im too cautious with money.

I just wanted to know if around £30K a year was a good salary.

P.S. After 12 year service or longer I would like to consider a commercial airline job if possible. Is this feasible.

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1

kkboyk

Original post by MatthewTG

Of course. Any salary above the average is a good salary.

Reply 2

Doones

Original post by MatthewTG

I'm pretty sure an RAF Pilot gets significantly more than £30k after 12 years service.

Reply 3

MatthewTG

Original post by AishaGirl

Or you could fly commercially, get paid double or even triple that amount without dropping bombs on people. Just a thought :rolleyes:

I read learning to fly costs like £90K and i do like the other benefits and qualifications the RAF offers. I was thinking that doing the RAF would be good and stable while i am young but when i am older my saved money ande experince could benefit me in the commercial side of piloting.

Reply 4

EternalLight

Original post by MatthewTG

You can get a scholarship?

Reply 5

MatthewTG

Original post by AishaGirl

You can get a scholarship?

I thought scholarships were for really determined people. Being a pilot to me is a recent thing and i am not the most passionate person in the world but it is the only real job i have ever pictured myself actually enjoying and wanting to do.

Reply 6

Doones

Original post by AishaGirl

You can get a scholarship?

No UK airline offers full sponsorships any more, but you may get an airline-backed loan.

e.g. http://www.ctcaviation.com/courses/virgin/

However they are very competitive. (Although so is becoming an RAF Pilot.)

Reply 7

MatthewTG

Original post by kkboyk

Of course. Any salary above the average is a good salary.

What is average though? and what an average salary being to get me a great house and car within 5 to 10 years

Reply 8

MatthewTG

Original post by Doonesbury

I'm pretty sure an RAF Pilot gets significantly more than £30k after 12 years service.

I am talking about during the 12 years of service or more.

Reply 9

Doones

Original post by MatthewTG

You would need to be extremely committed for either route - via the civil or military paths. And the RAF is by no means a good idea unless you are very committed and understand exactly what you are signing up for.

Reply 10

EternalLight

Original post by MatthewTG

Well if you do become a pilot in the RAF, perhaps you'd enjoy being part of the air rescue team like Prince William was? I forget the official name of it. At least you could sleep peacefully at night knowing your bombs didn't accidentally kill an innocent person but instead you are saving peoples lives.

Then after your service you could join the police or civilian air rescue service.

Reply 11

Doones

Original post by MatthewTG

I am talking about during the 12 years of service or more.

You can see RAF Pilot pay scales for yourself. £30k is just the initial pay after training. It goes up in increments after that.

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 12

MatthewTG

Original post by Doonesbury

I have researched quite a lot and i do not think that RAF pilot is competive but more that only people with the appropriate skills after training are accepted, obviously, They do not just let anybody in but i read the training seeks to push candidates through rather than weed them out.

Reply 13

MatthewTG

Original post by Doonesbury

I know that is why i am in turmoil trying to find out everything i can.

Reply 14

Sammylou40

Original post by MatthewTG

What is average though? and what an average salary being to get me a great house and car within 5 to 10 years

Depends where you live. U.K. average pay is 26k.

Reply 15

Doones

Original post by MatthewTG

I know that is why i am in turmoil trying to find out everything i can.

Ask the experts in this forum

https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/forumdisplay.php?f=96

Reply 16

MatthewTG

Original post by Doonesbury

I would most prefer to become a civilian commercial airline pilot. The RAF training and experience appealled to me because they pay me to learn and train. SInce pilot lessons or whatever cost like £100K the RAF seemed better. But a viable understanding of commercial airline pilot traing via scholarship or apprenticeship ETC will be appreciated.