Commercial Pilots

Transportation, Distribution and LogisticsO*NET 53-2012.00United States

Pilot and navigate the flight of fixed-wing aircraft on nonscheduled air carrier routes, or helicopters. Requires Commercial Pilot certificate.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning

Median annual earnings: $120,088
Projected change: +8.5%
Typical education: High school diploma or less
Employment: 69.35K jobs

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Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

The work

What commercial pilots do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

Check aircraft prior to flights to ensure that the engines, controls, instruments, and other systems are functioning properly.
Co-pilot aircraft or perform captain's duties, as required.
Consider airport altitudes, outside temperatures, plane weights, and wind speeds and directions to calculate the speed needed to become airborne.
Use instrumentation to pilot aircraft when visibility is poor.
Monitor engine operation, fuel consumption, and functioning of aircraft systems during flights.
Order changes in fuel supplies, loads, routes, or schedules to ensure safety of flights.
Contact control towers for takeoff clearances, arrival instructions, and other information, using radio equipment.
Start engines, operate controls, and pilot airplanes to transport passengers, mail, or freight according to flight plans, regulations, and procedures.
Plan flights according to government and company regulations, using aeronautical charts and navigation instruments.
Check baggage or cargo to ensure that it has been loaded correctly.
Obtain and review data such as load weights, fuel supplies, weather conditions, and flight schedules to determine flight plans and identify needed changes.
Conduct in-flight tests and evaluations at specified altitudes and in all types of weather to determine the receptivity and other characteristics of equipment and systems.
Choose routes, altitudes, and speeds that will provide the fastest, safest, and smoothest flights.
Write specified information in flight records, such as flight times, altitudes flown, and fuel consumption.
Coordinate flight activities with ground crews and air traffic control, and inform crew members of flight and test procedures.
Perform minor aircraft maintenance and repair work, or arrange for major maintenance.
Request changes in altitudes or routes as circumstances dictate.
Supervise other crew members.
File instrument flight plans with air traffic control so that flights can be coordinated with other air traffic.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile: $56,719
25th percentile: $81,859
50th percentile: $120,088
75th percentile: $187,544
90th percentile: $266,455

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $120,088 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

+8.5%faster than average

202569,352 jobs

2035 projected75,217 jobs

5,865 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

High school diploma or less: 43.7%
Certificate: 36.4%
Some college: 16.9%
Bachelor's degree: 1.8%
Associate degree: 1.1%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

Federal Aviation Administration
Rotorcraft
Federal Aviation Regulations
Airworthiness
Regulatory Documents
Turbines
Ambulances
Flight Testing
Flight Planning
Flight Safety
Aircraft Maintenance
Lifting Ability
Aviation
Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)
Navigational Charts
Oil Well Workover
Emergency Medical Services
IBM MQ
Test Planning
American Institute Of Architects

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Operations Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Learning Strategies: Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Troubleshooting: Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Systems Analysis: Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
Instructing: Teaching others how to do something.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Time Management: Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Systems Evaluation: Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

01Helicopter Air Ambulance Pilots209 postings
02Persons-in-Charge87 postings
03Air Interdiction Agents68 postings
04Test Pilots68 postings
05Maintenance Test Pilots66 postings
06UH-60 Pilots61 postings
07Directors of Aviation55 postings
08Fixed Wing Pilots17 postings
09Flight Test Pilots17 postings
10Helicopter Pilots17 postings
11Aircraft Pilots15 postings
12Experimental Test Pilots14 postings
13Directors of Flight Operations13 postings
14Commercial Pilots12 postings
15Night Crew Clerks12 postings
16Order Pickers12 postings
17Production Test Pilots12 postings
18Ramp Leads12 postings
19Strikers12 postings
201st Grade Lead Teachers11 postings

Top employers

01Global Medical Response323 postings
02Metro Aviation149 postings
03Jet Aviation90 postings
04Jet Linx Aviation90 postings
05Jet Methods74 postings
06United States Department of Homeland Security68 postings
07Netjets50 postings
08Transmedics23 postings
09Total Aviation Staffing20 postings
10OSF Healthcare System18 postings
11Northrop Grumman16 postings
12Yulista16 postings
13Jet Linx15 postings
14Amentum14 postings
15Sta Jets14 postings
16Swissport13 postings
17Big Y Foods12 postings
18Worldwide Jet Charter12 postings
19Garmin International9 postings
20Northern Jet Management9 postings

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