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Role hub · Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers

Airline Pilot: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.

The work, the skills that matter, the tools in demand and the pay range, from U.S. government data, plus every TryHired page for the role.

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Updated Nov 2, 2026 · Data: BLS OEWS May 2025 · O*NET 31.0
Pay ladder · select a percentile
Median percentile pay

Half of airline pilots earn more than this and half earn less.

Annual
$232,140
Hourly
Annual pay only (BLS)
Source
BLS May 2025
Quick answer

Airline Pilots pilot and navigate the flight of fixed-wing aircraft, usually on scheduled air carrier routes, for the transport of passengers and cargo. The median pay is $232,140 a year (BLS, May 2025). The most commonly reported education requirement is a bachelor's degree (61% of workers surveyed by O*NET).

Median pay
$232,140
BLS May 2025
Employed in the U.S.
103,560
BLS May 2025
Preparation
Job Zone 4 of 5
considerable preparation
Most common education
Bachelor's Degree
61% of workers

Data Government data groups this job as Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers (O*NET-SOC 53-2011.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

Key facts

Airline Pilots at a glance

  • Workers in the BLS occupation “Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers” in the United States earned a median annual wage of $232,140 in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

  • In its 2025–35 employment projections, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for workers in the BLS occupation “Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers” in the United States.

    Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35

  • BLS projects employment of workers in the BLS occupation “Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers” in the United States to grow 8.3% from 2025 to 2035, with about 11,200 openings a year on average, including replacement openings.

    Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35

  • BLS estimated that 103,560 people were employed in the BLS occupation “Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers” in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

Explore the role

Every page for Airline Pilots

SalaryAirline Pilot salary

Pay by percentile, state and metro, with a negotiation script.

Open →How to becomeAirline Pilot how to become

Education, training and the skills to build first.

Open →ResumeAirline Pilot resume

Keywords, bullet formulas and the skills to prove.

Open →Interview questionsAirline Pilot interview questions

Questions with what they test, plus practice mode.

Open →Free toolCheck your resume

Parsed text, evidence per bullet, fixes first.

Open →
The work

What airline pilots do day to day

Data Core tasks rated most important by workers in the role (O*NET).

  1. Use instrumentation to guide flights when visibility is poor.
  2. Start engines, operate controls, and pilot airplanes to transport passengers, mail, or freight, adhering to flight plans, regulations, and procedures.
  3. Work as part of a flight team with other crew members, especially during takeoffs and landings.
  4. Respond to and report in-flight emergencies and malfunctions.
  5. Inspect aircraft for defects and malfunctions, according to pre-flight checklists.
  6. Contact control towers for takeoff clearances, arrival instructions, and other information, using radio equipment.
  7. Monitor engine operation, fuel consumption, and functioning of aircraft systems during flights.
  8. Monitor gauges, warning devices, and control panels to verify aircraft performance and to regulate engine speed.
Where this career works

Industries that employ it

Data Share of all airline pilot jobs in each industry, 2025 (BLS Employment Matrix).

  1. Air transportation88.0% of all jobs in this occupation · +9.1% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $296,830
  2. Couriers and messengers5.3% of all jobs in this occupation · +4.2% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $285,390
  3. Government, excluding state and local education and hospitals2.8% of all jobs in this occupation · -5.3% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $142,830
  4. Support activities for transportation2.4% of all jobs in this occupation · +6.5% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $234,090
  5. Management of companies and enterprises0.5% of all jobs in this occupation · +4.6% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $195,040
  6. Educational services; state, local, and private0.3% of all jobs in this occupation · +3.1% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $103,390

Sources: BLS 2025–35 National Employment Matrix (share of the occupation's jobs, projected change) and BLS OEWS May 2025 industry estimates (mean wage). Different industry estimates are not a pay forecast for any person.

Skills that matter

Ranked by importance to the job

Data O*NET importance ratings. The first three are core.

Operation and ControlcoreOperations MonitoringcoreActive ListeningcoreCritical ThinkingMonitoringJudgment and Decision MakingTime ManagementReading ComprehensionSpeaking

Knowledge areas: Transportation, English Language, Public Safety and Security, Mechanical, Geography, Mathematics.

Tools and technology

Software airline pilots use

Data Examples reported for the role; employer demand flags from O*NET.

  • Microsoft VisioProcess mapping and design softwareHot technology
  • AeroPlannerInformation retrieval or search software
  • IFT-ProRoute navigation software
  • NavzillaRoute navigation software
  • Notam Development Group Airport InsightInformation retrieval or search software
  • Pilot Navigator Software Load BalanceAnalytical or scientific software
  • RObject or component oriented development softwareIn demand
  • Microsoft ExcelSpreadsheet softwareHot technology
  • Microsoft Office softwareOffice suite softwareHot technology
  • Microsoft OutlookElectronic mail softwareHot technology
  • Microsoft PowerPointPresentation softwareHot technology
  • Microsoft WordWord processing softwareHot technology

Also called: Airbus Captain, Airline Captain, Captain, Check Airman, Co-Pilot.

Method

How this page is built

Tasks, skills, tools, education and related roles come from O*NET 31.0. Pay and employment come from the BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates. The skill-match score is our calculation: Skill match is the cosine similarity of the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level and subtract the average across all occupations, then compare the direction of the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 means unrelated or opposite (negative values are shown as 0). Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared.

What this page can't tell you
  • How a specific employer defines the job.
  • Pay for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
  • Your own chances: data describes the occupation, not you.
Sources
  1. O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
  2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).

How TryHired builds this data: sources, methods and downloads. Spotted an error? Report a correction.