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.
Also called: Airbus Captain · Airline Captain · Airline Pilot · Captain · Check Airman · Co-Pilot
Median pay (national)
$226,600
$98,560–$239,200+ (10th–90th)
Employed (US)
99,300
BLS OEWS, May 2024
Outlook 2024–34
+3.9%
~11,700 openings/yr
Typical entry
Bachelor's degree
What the numbers say
Refit analysis ·Pay for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers shows a broad range: the top 10% earn $239,200+ versus $98,560 at the bottom 10% — 2.4x. The median of $226,600 leaves roughly 6% of headroom to the 90th percentile, which is where seniority, specialization, and the skills below tend to pay off.
Refit analysis ·Employment is projected to change +3.9% from 2024 to 2034 — about as fast as the 3% all-occupation average. Even so, BLS projects about 11,700 openings a year, mostly to replace workers who retire or change careers.
Refit analysis ·Where you work moves the number a lot. Across the 39 states with released data, California pays the most for this role (median $239,200, +6% vs the national median), while Wyoming sits lowest at $46,070 — a 419% spread for the same job title.
Refit analysis ·O*NET rates Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Monitoring as the highest-importance skills here — so a resume aimed at this role should lead with evidence of those, not a generic skills list. On the tools side, O*NET flags R as in-demand technologies for this role.
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Top skills employers ask for
Ranked by O*NET importance for this occupation.
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Active Learning
- Writing
- Mathematics
- Learning Strategies
- Science
What they actually do
Core O*NET tasks for this role.
- 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.
- Monitor gauges, warning devices, and control panels to verify aircraft performance and to regulate engine speed.
- Check passenger and cargo distributions and fuel amounts to ensure that weight and balance specifications are met.
- Confer with flight dispatchers and weather forecasters to keep abreast of flight conditions.
- Order changes in fuel supplies, loads, routes, or schedules to ensure safety of flights.
Tools & technology
- R
- Microsoft Visio
- AeroPlanner
- Airline Pilots Daily Aviation Log PPC
- AirSmith FlightPrompt
- CoPilot Flight Planning & E6B
- Document Object Model DOM Scripting
- doXstor Flight Level Logbook
- Electronic aircraft information databases
- IFT-Pro
- MJICCS PilotLog
- Navzilla
- Nimblefeet Technologies Captain's Keeper
- Notam Development Group Airport Insight
- Pilot Navigator Software Load Balance
- Polaris Microsystems AeroLog Pro
Knowledge areas
- Transportation
- English Language
- Public Safety and Security
- Mechanical
- Geography
- Mathematics
- Computers and Electronics
- Physics