Air Canada Pilot Pay 2026: Rates by Aircraft and Seat
A first-year Air Canada first officer on the Airbus A320 earns $94.62 per credit hour, about $85,158 a year at the guarantee of 75 credit hours a month. By year five that is $176.08 per credit hour on the Airbus A320, about $158,472 a year. A tenth-year captain on the Airbus A320 earns $330.62 per credit hour, about $297,558 a year. The scale tops out at $459.25 per credit hour for a Boeing 777 captain, about $413,325 a year.
Source Air Canada / ALPA collective agreement
Pay scale covers September 30, 2023 to September 30, 2026
Rates below in force since September 30, 2026
Next scheduled increase none in the current agreement
Pay at typical career points
Seniority decides both the seat and the aircraft, so each point is paired with equipment a pilot could realistically hold by then: a first officer on a narrowbody in the early years, a narrowbody captain seat around year 10, and a widebody captain seat around year 25. A scale does not always define a step for every year. Where the year shown has no step of its own, the last step a pilot would have reached is used, and the year actually used is given in the table.
| Career point | Aircraft | Year used | Hourly | Annual at guarantee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1: First Officer | Airbus A320 | 1 | $94.62 | $85,158 |
| Year 5: First Officer | Airbus A320 | 5 | $176.08 | $158,472 |
| Year 10: Captain | Airbus A320 | 10 | $330.62 | $297,558 |
| Year 25: Captain | Boeing 777 | 12 (top of scale) | $459.25 | $413,325 |
Top of scale by aircraft
The agreement sets a rate for every aircraft category it covers. That can include types the carrier does not currently operate, so a rate here is the scale for that type rather than proof it is flown.
| Aircraft | Captain | First Officer | Relief Pilot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boeing 777 | $459.25 | $298.51 | $197.48 |
| Boeing 787 | $422.09 | $274.36 | $181.50 |
| Airbus A330 | $413.99 | $269.09 | $178.01 |
| Boeing 767 | $387.92 | $252.15 | not flown |
| Airbus A320 | $337.33 | $224.33 | not flown |
| Boeing 737 | $337.33 | $224.33 | not flown |
| Airbus A220 | $330.79 | $219.98 | not flown |
Full scale by year of service
Rates in CAD per credit hour. Year of service is the pilot's year on the seniority list. Where a year is marked no step, the agreement defines no rate for that seat in that year and pay stays at the last step reached.
Boeing 777
| Year | Captain | First Officer | Relief Pilot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $411.26 | $94.62 | $94.62 |
| 2 | $415.39 | $102.54 | $102.54 |
| 3 | $419.57 | $155.24 | $119.58 |
| 4 | $423.80 | $167.40 | $129.26 |
| 5 | $428.07 | $233.30 | $158.39 |
| 6 | $432.39 | $242.14 | $164.31 |
| 7 | $436.75 | $251.13 | $170.33 |
| 8 | $441.16 | $260.28 | $176.46 |
| 9 | $445.61 | $269.60 | $182.70 |
| 10 | $450.11 | $279.07 | $189.05 |
| 11 | $454.66 | $288.71 | $193.23 |
| 12 | $459.25 | $298.51 | $197.48 |
Boeing 787
| Year | Captain | First Officer | Relief Pilot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $377.98 | $94.62 | $94.62 |
| 2 | $381.78 | $102.54 | $102.54 |
| 3 | $385.62 | $142.68 | $109.90 |
| 4 | $389.51 | $153.86 | $118.80 |
| 5 | $393.43 | $214.42 | $145.57 |
| 6 | $397.40 | $222.54 | $151.01 |
| 7 | $401.41 | $230.81 | $156.55 |
| 8 | $405.46 | $239.22 | $162.18 |
| 9 | $409.56 | $247.78 | $167.92 |
| 10 | $413.69 | $256.49 | $173.75 |
| 11 | $417.87 | $265.35 | $177.60 |
| 12 | $422.09 | $274.36 | $181.50 |
Airbus A330
| Year | Captain | First Officer | Relief Pilot |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $370.72 | $94.62 | $94.62 |
| 2 | $374.45 | $102.54 | $102.54 |
| 3 | $378.22 | $139.94 | $107.79 |
| 4 | $382.03 | $150.90 | $116.52 |
| 5 | $385.88 | $210.30 | $142.77 |
| 6 | $389.77 | $218.27 | $148.11 |
| 7 | $393.70 | $226.38 | $153.54 |
| 8 | $397.68 | $234.63 | $159.07 |
| 9 | $401.69 | $243.02 | $164.69 |
| 10 | $405.75 | $251.56 | $170.41 |
| 11 | $409.85 | $260.25 | $174.18 |
| 12 | $413.99 | $269.09 | $178.01 |
Boeing 767
| Year | Captain | First Officer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $347.39 | $94.62 |
| 2 | $350.88 | $102.54 |
| 3 | $354.41 | $131.13 |
| 4 | $357.98 | $141.40 |
| 5 | $361.58 | $197.06 |
| 6 | $365.23 | $204.53 |
| 7 | $368.92 | $212.13 |
| 8 | $372.64 | $219.86 |
| 9 | $376.40 | $227.72 |
| 10 | $380.21 | $235.73 |
| 11 | $384.05 | $243.87 |
| 12 | $387.92 | $252.15 |
Airbus A320
| Year | Captain | First Officer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $302.08 | $94.62 |
| 2 | $305.12 | $102.54 |
| 3 | $308.19 | $129.44 |
| 4 | $311.29 | $138.53 |
| 5 | $314.43 | $176.08 |
| 6 | $317.60 | $182.62 |
| 7 | $320.80 | $189.27 |
| 8 | $324.04 | $196.05 |
| 9 | $327.32 | $202.94 |
| 10 | $330.62 | $209.94 |
| 11 | $333.96 | $217.07 |
| 12 | $337.33 | $224.33 |
Boeing 737
| Year | Captain | First Officer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $302.08 | $94.62 |
| 2 | $305.12 | $102.54 |
| 3 | $308.19 | $129.44 |
| 4 | $311.29 | $138.53 |
| 5 | $314.43 | $176.08 |
| 6 | $317.60 | $182.62 |
| 7 | $320.80 | $189.27 |
| 8 | $324.04 | $196.05 |
| 9 | $327.32 | $202.94 |
| 10 | $330.62 | $209.94 |
| 11 | $333.96 | $217.07 |
| 12 | $337.33 | $224.33 |
Airbus A220
| Year | Captain | First Officer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $296.23 | $94.62 |
| 2 | $299.20 | $102.54 |
| 3 | $302.21 | $126.93 |
| 4 | $305.26 | $135.84 |
| 5 | $308.33 | $172.67 |
| 6 | $311.44 | $179.08 |
| 7 | $314.58 | $185.61 |
| 8 | $317.76 | $192.25 |
| 9 | $320.97 | $199.00 |
| 10 | $324.21 | $205.87 |
| 11 | $327.49 | $212.87 |
| 12 | $330.79 | $219.98 |
Monthly guarantee
Air Canada guarantees 75 credit hours a month. The guarantee is a sliding scale of roughly 60 to 83 hours rather than a flat figure, and the agreement sets an annual floor of 900 hours. Annual figures on this page multiply the rate by that guarantee, which is a floor rather than typical earnings, and exclude per diems, premiums and overtime.
Use the pay calculator to model take-home pay, or compare carriers on the pilot pay index.