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Passenger Airlines
Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
These pilots and flight engineers move passengers or cargo while juggling weather, route changes, aircraft limits, and air traffic control instructions. The work is distinct because one wrong judgment can affect dozens or hundreds of people at once, so the job rewards calm decision-making under strict procedures. The tradeoff is clear: the pay is exceptionally high, but the schedule, training burden, and safety pressure are just as demanding.
Also known as Airline PilotFirst OfficerCopilotCaptainFlight Engineer
Median Salary
$226,600
Mean $280,570
U.S. Workforce
~99K
11.7K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+3.9%
100K to 103.9K
Entry Education
Bachelor's degree
+ Less than 5 years experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers sits in the Transportation category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~99K workers, with a median annual pay of $226,600 and roughly 11.7K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 100 K in 2024 to 103.9K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Bachelor's degree in aviation or a related field, and employers typically expect less than 5 years of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Flight Instructor / Time-Building Pilot and can progress toward Captain / Check Airman. High-value skills usually include Aircraft Control Systems & Manual Flying, Flight Deck Instruments, Autopilot & Systems Monitoring, and Jeppesen FliteDeck Pro, ForeFlight & Dispatch Releases, paired with soft skills such as Situational awareness, Clear communication, and Quick judgment.
Core Responsibilities
- Review weather reports, flight plans, and dispatch notes before departure so the crew knows what to expect.
- Check how passengers, cargo, and fuel are loaded to make sure the aircraft stays within safe limits.
- Walk through the plane before takeoff and look for any mechanical issues or safety problems.
- Talk with air traffic control, dispatchers, and the rest of the crew to coordinate takeoff, routing, and arrival.
Keep exploring: more Transportation careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Review weather reports, flight plans, and dispatch notes before departure so the crew knows what to expect.
02 Check how passengers, cargo, and fuel are loaded to make sure the aircraft stays within safe limits.
03 Walk through the plane before takeoff and look for any mechanical issues or safety problems.
04 Talk with air traffic control, dispatchers, and the rest of the crew to coordinate takeoff, routing, and arrival.
05 Fly the aircraft and constantly watch the instruments, adjusting altitude, speed, or course when conditions change.
06 Give crew briefings and, when assigned, coach or train other pilots on aircraft procedures and flying techniques.
Industries That Hire
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Regional Airlines
SkyWest Airlines, Envoy Air, Republic Airways
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Cargo Airlines
FedEx Express, UPS Airlines, Atlas Air
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Charter and Private Aviation
NetJets, Flexjet, Wheels Up
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Flight Training and Aviation Services
CAE, FlightSafety International, Pan Am Flight Academy
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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The pay is extremely high, with a median salary of $226,600 and a mean of $280,570.
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There are still about 11.7K annual openings, so hiring does continue even in a mature field.
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The work is concrete and measurable: every flight requires real-time decisions about weather, routing, fuel, and safety.
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The experience requirement is lower than many six-figure careers, since the typical entry point is a bachelor's degree and less than 5 years of work experience.
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Skills can transfer across passenger airlines, cargo carriers, charter operations, and training roles.
Challenges
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Getting to the cockpit takes a lot of time and money, because flight hours, ratings, and training go far beyond a normal college degree.
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The schedule is hard on personal life, with nights, weekends, holidays, layovers, and early departures all common.
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Growth is modest at 3.9% through 2034, so this is not a fast-expanding occupation.
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Advancement is often tied to airline seniority, which means the path to captain or preferred routes can be slow even for strong performers.
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Health, medical certification, and strict regulation can interrupt the career quickly, and some roles like flight engineer have been reduced by newer cockpit automation.
Career Progression
Flight Instructor / Time-Building Pilot
0-3 years
$50K-$85K
New pilots usually build hours by teaching, flying smaller aircraft, or taking entry-level aviation jobs that sharpen procedures and judgment.
Regional First Officer
3-7 years
$90K-$160K
Pilots at this stage learn airline operations, work closely with captains, and build the experience needed for larger aircraft and more senior routes.
Airline Pilot, Copilot, or Flight Engineer THIS ROLE
7-15 years
$180K-$300K
This is the main airline-level job, where crews manage departures, arrivals, and in-flight decisions while following strict safety rules.
Captain / Check Airman
15+ years
$310K-$450K
Senior pilots command the aircraft, mentor younger crews, and often take on training or evaluation duties in addition to flying.
Education Paths
Bachelor's degree in aviation or a related field
The most common entry point, held by 61.02% of workers in this role, and it is the path most employers expect for airline hiring.
High school diploma plus flight training and pilot certifications
A smaller path, held by 18.17% of workers, but it usually has to be paired with a commercial license, logged flight hours, and airline-style training.
Associate's degree or 2-year aviation program
Used by 6.29% of workers and often combined with extra flight hours and licensing before someone is competitive for airline work.
Post-secondary aviation certificate
A niche path, held by 5.08% of workers, that can work when it is paired with the right ratings, experience, and enough flight time.
Key Skills
Technical
Aircraft Control Systems & Manual Flying 98%
Flight Deck Instruments, Autopilot & Systems Monitoring 92%
Jeppesen FliteDeck Pro, ForeFlight & Dispatch Releases 84%
Weather Radar, METARs & TAFs 82%
VHF Radio, ACARS & ATC Procedures 80%
Weight-and-Balance, Fuel Planning & Performance Calculations 78%
Soft Skills
Situational awarenessClear communicationQuick judgmentCalm under pressureTeam coordinationAttention to detail Job Outlook and Trends
+3.9%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
11.7K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 100K to 103.9 K over the next decade, representing 3.9% growth. Around 11.7 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Rare. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.