Sri Lanka Air Force Salary 2026 by Rank
Officer and airmen pay after the 2025 revision, what the Air Force publishes and what it does not
How much does the Sri Lanka Air Force pay in 2026?
Sri Lanka Air Force pay runs from about Rs. 65,000 to Rs. 214,109 a month. Commissioned officers earn about Rs. 137,447 gross as a Flying Officer and Rs. 214,109 as an Air Vice Marshal, based on equivalent army ranks. Airmen and airwomen earn roughly Rs. 65,000 to Rs. 135,000, which is our estimate because the Air Force does not publish their pay.
How we checked this
- We read the Air Force's own Join Us pages for officers and airmen; they give entry rules but no pay.
- We took officer figures from the Army's July 2026 notice, issued under the Army Pay Code, for the equivalent ranks.
- We used the rank-by-rank 2025 increases announced for all three forces in September 2024.
- We checked all of this in October 2026. Airmen pay is a SalaryLK editorial estimate.
We looked hard for a 2025 or 2026 Air Force recruitment notice with a pay table, the kind the Navy printed in its September 2026 gazette. We did not find one. So this page does what our navy officer salary guide does for senior navy ranks: it uses the army figures for the matching rank and labels them clearly.
What is the Sri Lanka Air Force ranks salary list for officers?
The Army, Navy and Air Force share equivalent rank structures and were revised together from 1 January 2025. The Army is the only force that has published gross monthly pay for every officer rank up to Major General. Here is how those figures line up with Air Force ranks:
| Air Force rank | Army equivalent | Gross monthly (Rs.) |
|---|---|---|
| Officer Cadet | Officer Cadet | Not published |
| Pilot Officer | Second Lieutenant | Not published |
| Flying Officer | Lieutenant | about 137,447 |
| Flight Lieutenant | Captain | about 149,610 |
| Squadron Leader | Major | about 158,419 |
| Wing Commander | Lieutenant Colonel | about 165,776 |
| Group Captain | Colonel | about 189,556 |
| Air Commodore | Brigadier | about 201,980 |
| Air Vice Marshal | Major General | about 214,109 |
| Air Marshal / Air Chief Marshal | Lieutenant General / General | Not published |
One caution. Where we can compare forces directly, the Navy's published totals sit about Rs. 5,800 below the army figure for the same rank. A navy Sub Lieutenant, the Flying Officer equivalent, is listed at Rs. 131,610 against the army Lieutenant's Rs. 137,447. We expect Air Force pay to behave in a similar way, so read our numbers as a ceiling rather than an exact payslip.
The full army breakdown, including annual totals, is on our army officer salary page. If you are still at school and weighing the cadet route, our cadet officer salary guide covers training pay and the Second Lieutenant gap.
How much do airmen and airwomen earn?
No force publishes gross pay for its other ranks in recruitment notices. Our ranges below are SalaryLK editorial estimates. We built them from the 2025 basic pay increases, the Rs. 17,800 cost of living allowance and the usual ration and service allowances, the same method we use for army soldiers.
| Airmen rank group | Estimated monthly (Rs.) |
|---|---|
| Aircraftman / Leading Aircraftman | 65,000 - 90,000 |
| Corporal / Sergeant | 85,000 - 115,000 |
| Flight Sergeant / Warrant Officer grades | 100,000 - 135,000 |
Within each rank, airmen move from Grade III up to Grade I and a Special Grade, and the 2025 increases were larger at each step, so two Corporals can be on different pay. Technical, medical and administrative trades all follow the same rank structure. For the army version of these estimates, see the army ranks salary list and commando pay.
How much did the 2025 revision raise air force pay?
In September 2024 the government announced fixed monthly increases in basic pay for every armed forces rank, effective from 1 January 2025. We have matched the announced ranks to their Air Force names:
| Air Force rank | Increase in basic (Rs.) |
|---|---|
| Aircraftman (Grade III / II / I) | 10,660 / 10,960 / 11,260 |
| Leading Aircraftman | 11,560 to 12,460 |
| Corporal | 12,460 to 13,500 |
| Sergeant | 13,500 to 14,610 |
| Flight Sergeant | 14,240 to 15,600 |
| Officer Cadet | 13,500 |
| Pilot Officer (cadet / non-cadet entry) | 19,725 / 23,025 |
| Flying Officer | 28,855 |
| Flight Lieutenant | 37,045 |
| Squadron Leader | 42,505 |
| Wing Commander | 44,175 |
| Group Captain | 58,095 |
| Air Commodore | 62,555 |
| Air Vice Marshal / Air Marshal / Air Chief Marshal | 71,000 / 76,300 / 84,700 |
These are increases, not salaries; airmen ranges run from Grade III to the Special Grade. Do not simply add them to an old payslip, because the forces apply their own salary instructions.
How does air force pay compare with the army, navy and police?
| Junior officer post | Monthly (Rs.) | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Army Lieutenant | 137,447 | Army notice, July 2026 |
| Navy Sub Lieutenant | 131,610 | Navy gazette, 11 September 2026 |
| Air Force Flying Officer | about 137,447 | Army equivalent (not published) |
| Police Sub Inspector | 120,700 | Police gazette, 30 April 2026 |
The forces pay junior officers more than a new police Sub Inspector, and well above most civilian graduate entry posts on the government salary scale. For the sailors' side of the Navy, see our Sri Lanka Navy salary overview.
How do you join the Sri Lanka Air Force?
- Pick your entry route. School leavers aged 18 to 22 apply as officer cadets; graduates and professionals aged 18 to 33 apply as direct-entry officers; O/L holders apply as airmen or airwomen in a trade.
- Check the education rules. Officer cadets need six O/L credits in one sitting including English, Science and Mathematics, and three A/L passes in one sitting. Pilots need the Bio or Physical Science stream; engineering branches need two credits and a simple pass in Physical Science.
- Meet the physical standards. Officers: men 5 feet 6 inches, women 5 feet 4 inches. Airmen: men 5 feet 5 inches with a 32-inch chest, women 5 feet 3 inches. Eyesight of 6/6 in each eye without spectacles is required for most branches.
- Apply online when vacancies open. The Air Force recruits officers and airmen about twice a year and takes applications through the Join Us section of airforce.lk.
- Pass selection and training. Selection includes fitness tests, written and aptitude tests, interviews and a medical. Officer cadets train at the Air Force Academy at China Bay; airmen do recruit and trade training at bases such as Diyatalawa and Ekala.
The Air Force lists more than 20 officer branches, from General Duties Pilot and Aeronautical Engineering to Air Traffic Control, Regiment, Logistics, Medical and Legal. Airmen trades run from aircraft and telecommunications work to fire fighting, catering, IT and civil engineering. If flying is the real goal, compare the military route with how to become a pilot in Sri Lanka through civil training, which costs money up front but leads to airline pilot pay.
Pension, tax and the extras
Air Force service is pensionable, so no EPF is deducted, and APIT applies only above Rs. 150,000 a month. We have not found a published list of Air Force allowance amounts for 2026, so we have not put a value on them.
Our take: good officer pay, but ask for the payslip figures
On the numbers we can verify, an Air Force commission pays about as well as an army or navy one, and better than nearly every civilian job open to a school leaver. A Flying Officer near Rs. 137,000 a month is ahead of a new Sri Lanka Administrative Service officer.
What we would watch is the gap in published information. The Navy and Army now print pay in their notices; the Air Force does not. If you get to interview, ask the recruiting officer for the current gross pay of your entry rank and trade, and compare it with our table.
For airmen, we would lean towards a technical trade such as aircraft, telecommunications or IT work. The rank pay is the same, but the skills carry more value in the civilian job market if you leave after your engagement.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Sri Lanka Air Force salary in 2026?
The Air Force does not print pay in its recruitment notices, so we use the equivalent army ranks, which share the same 2025 pay revision. On that basis a Flying Officer earns about Rs. 137,447 a month gross, a Squadron Leader about Rs. 158,419 and an Air Vice Marshal about Rs. 214,109. Airmen and airwomen earn roughly Rs. 65,000 to Rs. 135,000 by our estimate.
What is the Sri Lanka Air Force ranks salary list?
Using army-equivalent gross pay from the Army notice of July 2026: Flying Officer Rs. 137,447, Flight Lieutenant Rs. 149,610, Squadron Leader Rs. 158,419, Wing Commander Rs. 165,776, Group Captain Rs. 189,556, Air Commodore Rs. 201,980 and Air Vice Marshal Rs. 214,109. Pilot Officer, Air Marshal and Air Chief Marshal pay is not published.
How much does an airman earn in the Sri Lanka Air Force?
No official gross figure for airmen has been published. Our estimate, built the same way as our army soldier figures, is about Rs. 65,000 to Rs. 90,000 a month for an Aircraftman or Leading Aircraftman, Rs. 85,000 to Rs. 115,000 for a Corporal or Sergeant, and Rs. 100,000 to Rs. 135,000 for a Flight Sergeant or Warrant Officer.
How much did the 2025 pay revision raise air force pay?
From 1 January 2025 the government raised armed forces basic pay rank by rank. For the Air Force that meant Rs. 10,660 to Rs. 11,260 for an Aircraftman, Rs. 28,855 for a Flying Officer, Rs. 42,505 for a Squadron Leader, Rs. 62,555 for an Air Commodore and Rs. 84,700 for an Air Chief Marshal, as announced in September 2024.
What is the salary of an air force cadet officer in Sri Lanka?
The Air Force does not publish an officer cadet allowance. The 2025 revision added Rs. 13,500 a month to officer cadet basic pay and Rs. 19,725 to a Pilot Officer commissioned from the cadet route. Cadets who enter through Kotelawala Defence University are reported to receive about Rs. 105,000 a month including rations and allowances.
What are the qualifications to join the Sri Lanka Air Force as an officer?
Officer cadets must be 18 to 22 and unmarried, with six credit passes at O/L in one sitting including English, Science and Mathematics, and three A/L passes in one sitting. Pilots need the Bio or Physical Science stream. Direct-entry officers can be 18 to 33. Men need a height of 5 feet 6 inches and women 5 feet 4 inches.
What are the requirements to join as an airman or airwoman?
The Air Force asks for unmarried candidates with six O/L passes including mother tongue and Mathematics. Regular airmen are taken at 18 to 24 and airwomen at 18 to 23, with older limits for direct-entry trades. Men need a height of 5 feet 5 inches and a 32-inch chest, women 5 feet 3 inches, and eyesight of 6/6 in each eye without spectacles.
Do air force personnel pay EPF or income tax?
EPF is not deducted, because armed forces service is pensionable rather than private employment. Income tax under APIT applies only to taxable employment income above Rs. 150,000 a month, so most airmen and junior officers pay none, while a Squadron Leader and above may see a small deduction depending on which allowances are taxable.
Is air force pay the same as army and navy pay?
The three forces have equivalent ranks and were revised together, but published totals are not identical. An army Lieutenant is listed at Rs. 137,447 gross, while the navy gazette of September 2026 gives the equivalent Sub Lieutenant Rs. 131,610. Treat our army-based air force figures as an upper guide, possibly a few thousand rupees high.
Sources
- Officers / Lady Officers - Sri Lanka Air Force (age, height and education rules, branches)
- Airmen / Air Women - Sri Lanka Air Force (entry rules and trades)
- Enlistment of Other Professional Officers 2026 - Sri Lanka Army Volunteer Force (gross pay by rank, Army Pay Code)
- Sri Lanka Navy officer vacancies 2026 - Gazette, 11 September 2026
- Salary increment structure for tri-forces personnel announced - Ada Derana, 3 September 2024
- Sri Lanka Air Force - Wikipedia (training establishments)
Updated Reviewed by SalaryLK Editorial TeamHow we research salaries