Profession · 2026/27
RAF Flight Lieutenant Salary 2026/27: OF-2 Take-Home
Flight Lieutenant is the senior junior-officer rank in the RAF, equivalent to Captain (Army) and Lieutenant (Royal Navy). 2026/27 AFPRB pay: £50,538 (Level 1) to £61,956 (Level 7) plus 14.5% X-Factor.
Typical pay & take-home
- Median gross
- £56,247
- Typical range
- £50,538–£61,956
- Take-home at median
- £43,181
England, no pension applied — use the salary calculator for your scheme.
At the median for this profession, you earn about 50% above the UK full-time median (£37,430), placing you in the top 22% of UK earners.
What influences raf flight lieutenant pay
Flight Lieutenant base pay £50.5k-£62k. With 14.5% X-Factor added, gross is £57,800-£70,900 - entirely above the £50,270 higher-rate threshold. Marginal IT is 40% across the band, NI 2% above the Upper Earnings Limit.
RAF aircrew receive Flying Pay on top - £8,000-£22,000 a year depending on role (junior pilot/WSO through to instructor and senior pilot). Aircrew Flight Lieutenants therefore commonly earn £75,000-£90,000+ gross including X-Factor and Flying Pay.
AFPS 2015 non-contributory CARE remains the standard. Senior Flight Lieutenants approaching the £100k Personal Allowance taper threshold (especially with Flying Pay + allowances) should consider AVCs to keep adjusted net income below £100k where possible.
Career progression
- Pilot Officer (OF-1) Level 1: £35,000 + X-Factor.
- Flying Officer (OF-1) Level 2: £41,000 + X-Factor.
- Flight Lieutenant (OF-2) Level 1: £50,538 + X-Factor = ~£57,900.
- Flight Lieutenant Level 7: £61,956 + X-Factor = ~£70,900.
- Squadron Leader (OF-3) next: £58,000+ base.
Frequently asked questions
- What is take-home for an RAF Flight Lieutenant?
- On £56,247 base + 14.5% X-Factor = £64,403 gross, take-home is approximately £48,000-£48,800 a year after Income Tax (40% on most of the income) and NI. With Flying Pay of £15,000 the gross rises to £79,400 and take-home to ~£57,400.
- How does HICBC affect Flight Lieutenants?
- Most Flight Lieutenants are firmly in the £60,000-£80,000 HICBC taper zone. A Flt Lt with 2 children and £65,000 adjusted net income loses ~£580 of Child Benefit; at £75,000 the loss is £1,742. AVCs into AFPS or a SIPP are the main mitigation route.
- Is X-Factor pensionable?
- Yes - X-Factor is treated as pensionable pay under AFPS 2015. The 1/47th CARE accrual is applied to base + X-Factor. Flying Pay is also pensionable for aircrew, materially boosting pension build-up vs ground branch officers at the same rank.