Career profile · 53-2011
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
Pilot and navigate the flight of fixed-wing aircraft, usually on scheduled air carrier routes, for the transport of passengers and cargo. Requires Federal Air Transport certificate and rating for specific aircraft type used. Includes regional, national, and international airline pilots and flight instructors of airline pilots.
What the work can involve
- Use instrumentation to guide flights when visibility is poor.
- Start engines, operate controls, and pilot airplanes to transport passengers, mail, or freight, adhering to flight plans, regulations, and procedures.
- Work as part of a flight team with other crew members, especially during takeoffs and landings.
- Respond to and report in-flight emergencies and malfunctions.
- Inspect aircraft for defects and malfunctions, according to pre-flight checklists.
- Contact control towers for takeoff clearances, arrival instructions, and other information, using radio equipment.
Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.
Preparation and entry routes
This O*NET group commonly calls for substantial preparation, often including a bachelor’s degree or considerable relevant experience. An introductory vocational course alone may not provide an entry route.
Check the route for the specific occupation where you plan to work. Education, employer experience requirements, occupational licensing and industry certification can be separate steps.
Understand the different credentials →Skills used in this occupation
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Learning
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Knowledge to build
- Transportation
- English Language
- Public Safety and Security
- Geography
- Mechanical
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Common work activities
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Training subjects to investigate
The federal education-to-occupation crosswalk connects this role to the subjects below. These links do not endorse a school or guarantee that any particular award qualifies a graduate for the job.
Working conditions to consider
These are the most common published responses to selected O*NET work-setting questions. They describe occupation-level survey findings, not every employer or a particular job.
| Work-setting question | Most common response | Share giving that response |
|---|---|---|
| Contact With Others | Constant contact with others | 75.0%08/2021 · sample 30 |
| Exposed to Contaminants | Every day | 35.2%08/2021 · sample 30 |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections | Never | 61.7%08/2021 · sample 30 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | Never | 38.9%08/2021 · sample 29 |
| Spend Time Sitting | Continually or almost continually | 74.3%08/2021 · sample 30 |
| Spend Time Standing | Less than half the time | 93.9%08/2021 · sample 30 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | Continually or almost continually | 63.3%08/2021 · sample 30 |
| Time Pressure | Every day | 72.2%08/2021 · sample 30 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | Every day | 54.4%08/2021 · sample 30 |
| Work Schedules | Irregular (changes with weather conditions, production demands, or contract duration) | 72.5%08/2021 · sample 29 |
O*NET 31.0 Work Context, selected topics. Only unsuppressed source responses with sample size at least 10 are shown. A most-common response need not be a majority. Sampling uncertainty applies; source dates vary. Ask employers about actual schedules, accessibility, protective equipment and working conditions.
Software used in the workplace
Use these O*NET examples to ask how a course builds practical digital skills. They are workplace examples, not a required shopping list or confirmation of a school’s curriculum.
- Analytical or scientific software: Pilot Navigator Software Load Balance
- Calendar and scheduling software: SBS International Maestro Suite
- Data base user interface and query software: AirSmith FlightPrompt, Airline Pilots Daily Aviation Log PPC, CoPilot Flight Planning & E6B, Electronic aircraft information databases
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook
- Information retrieval or search software: AeroPlanner, Notam Development Group Airport Insight
- Object or component oriented development software: Document Object Model DOM Scripting, R
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint
- Process mapping and design software: Microsoft Visio
- Route navigation software: IFT-Pro, Navzilla
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word
Selected categories and examples from O*NET 31.0 Software Skills. Products and employer requirements change. These examples are not endorsements; check the complete official occupation profile.
Pay & employment outlook
Salary estimates for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers
The median divides workers into two equally sized groups by pay. It is not a starting salary, a school’s graduate outcome or a promise of employment. Lower percentiles are not automatically new graduates.
National outlook: 2025–2035
- Typical education for entry
- Bachelor's degree
- Related work experience
- Less than 5 years
- Typical on-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
BLS national employment projections, 2025–2035. Openings include people leaving occupations or the labor force; these are not advertised vacancies. Education categories describe typical entry, not legal eligibility or a guarantee that any specific program is sufficient.
Compare wages across 39 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $136,990 | Not published | 360 |
| Alaska | $232,140 | Not published | 1,350 |
| Arizona | $227,870 | Not published | 2,200 |
| Arkansas | $168,970 | Not published | 250 |
| California | $353,900 | Not published | 10,670 |
| Colorado | $307,490 | Not published | 5,830 |
| Connecticut | $199,870 | Not published | 80 |
| Florida | $225,020 | Not published | 7,760 |
| Georgia | $618,090 | Not published | 8,770 |
| Idaho | $507,640 | Not published | 330 |
| Illinois | $293,490 | Not published | 6,460 |
| Indiana | $171,260 | Not published | Not published |
| Iowa | $131,730 | Not published | 100 |
| Kansas | $143,580 | Not published | 80 |
| Kentucky | $350,950 | Not published | 6,260 |
| Louisiana | $120,740 | Not published | 150 |
| Maine | $147,930 | Not published | 40 |
| Massachusetts | Not published | Not published | 2,240 |
| Michigan | $428,570 | Not published | Not published |
| Minnesota | $211,470 | Not published | 2,960 |
| Mississippi | $143,580 | Not published | 360 |
| Missouri | $97,680 | Not published | 120 |
| Nebraska | $131,650 | Not published | 60 |
| Nevada | $192,460 | Not published | 2,160 |
| New Hampshire | $99,280 | Not published | 50 |
| New Mexico | $136,990 | Not published | 50 |
| New York | $255,240 | Not published | 6,900 |
| North Carolina | $151,540 | Not published | 2,240 |
| Ohio | $204,170 | Not published | 1,550 |
| Oklahoma | $133,680 | Not published | 180 |
| Oregon | $173,190 | Not published | 750 |
| Pennsylvania | $164,990 | Not published | 2,270 |
| Rhode Island | $164,880 | Not published | 40 |
| South Carolina | $143,580 | Not published | 110 |
| Tennessee | $143,580 | Not published | 110 |
| Texas | $215,150 | Not published | 10,930 |
| Utah | $174,590 | Not published | 1,880 |
| Washington | $229,900 | Not published | 3,450 |
| Wyoming | Not published | Not published | 80 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 51 published local-area estimates for this occupation. Metropolitan areas can cross state lines; a city’s postal name is not necessarily the statistical area’s name.
Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS public downloads and 2025–2035 employment projections, retrieved September 9, 2026. Unpublished estimates stay unavailable. “+” means BLS’s upper reporting threshold ($239,200 annually or $115 hourly). Wages exclude self-employment and nonwage benefits. How to interpret these figures.
Compare the route and prepare for work
Questions to test the fit
- What does an entry-level working day look like, and how does it differ from the experienced role described here?
- Which tasks, work environments and schedules would I enjoy or find difficult?
- What education, supervised practice and credentials do local employers actually request?
- Can I speak with someone in the occupation or arrange a suitable workplace visit?
- How does the complete training cost compare with my realistic budget and available routes?
Related occupations to compare
Related through shared training-subject mappings. Entry requirements can differ substantially.
Sources and attribution
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. Trade School Guides selects and organizes the material and adds explanatory guidance. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. Occupation code: 53-2011.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.