Career-PathGPS
← All education and training
Career

Commercial Pilots

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipHigh pressure Bright Outlook

What they do

Pilot and navigate the flight of fixed-wing aircraft on nonscheduled air carrier routes, or helicopters. Requires Commercial Pilot certificate. Includes charter pilots with similar certification, and air ambulance and air tour pilots. Excludes regional, national, and international airline pilots.

Kinds of work

  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Enterprising: Leading, persuading, selling and starting new projects or businesses.

High pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $123,220 Median per year Most earn $58,850–$266,620

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Coordinate flight activities with ground crews and air traffic control, and inform crew members of flight and test procedures.
  • Monitor engine operation, fuel consumption, and functioning of aircraft systems during flights.
  • 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.
  • Contact control towers for takeoff clearances, arrival instructions, and other information, using radio equipment.
  • Check aircraft prior to flights to ensure that the engines, controls, instruments, and other systems are functioning properly.
  • Plan flights according to government and company regulations, using aeronautical charts and navigation instruments.

Job outlook

Bright Outlook Rapid Growth

United States
5% more jobs by 2035, faster than average · about 5,200 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Nonscheduled air transportation37.6%
  • Technical and trade schools11.3%
  • Ambulance services9.7%
  • Support activities for air transportation8.3%
  • Support activities for agriculture and forestry4.1%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Commercial pilot is not usually a job you start straight out of school. Most people earn their Private Pilot certificate, build flying hours (often as a flight instructor), and then earn the Commercial Pilot certificate. That whole climb usually takes about 2 to 4 years of experience.

  1. High school diploma, then Private Pilot certificate training

    About 6 months to 1 year

    Finish school and then complete flight training at a local airport or flight school to earn a Private Pilot certificate. This teaches the basic flying skills and rules you need before you can fly for pay.

  2. Certified Flight Instructor

    About 1 to 3 years

    Earn your instructor certificate and teach new students to fly. Instructing builds the flight hours and experience that commercial jobs look for.

  3. Commercial Pilot

    Ongoing once hired

    Earn your Commercial Pilot certificate and fly passengers, cargo, aerial tours, or air ambulance missions on nonscheduled routes or in helicopters.

Where it can lead

  1. Airline Pilot

    2 to 4 years as a commercial pilot of experience first

    You move to flying scheduled airline routes as a copilot, which usually requires an Airline Transport Pilot certificate and often a bachelor's degree.

  2. Aviation Inspector

    4 to 6 years of flying experience of experience first

    You check that pilots, aircraft, and operators follow safety rules, often for a government agency. It uses your flying experience but is more of an office and field inspection job than flying.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take math and physicsPilots use math for navigation, fuel planning, and weight calculations, and physics explains how flight works.
  • Join an aviation or model aircraft clubClubs teach you the basics of flight and connect you with people who already fly.
  • Ask about an introductory flightA short flight with a certified instructor at a local airport shows you what flying is really like.
  • Volunteer at a local airportHelping at an airport lets you see how flight operations work and meet pilots and airport staff.
  • Get a part-time job and saveSaving money now can help pay for flight training later, and any job teaches reliability and customer service.

In college

  • Consider an aviation or aeronautical science majorMany colleges offer aviation programs that combine flight training with classes in weather, navigation, and aircraft systems.
  • Start or continue flight trainingWorking toward your Private Pilot and then Commercial Pilot certificates early gets you closer to paid flying.
  • Join an aviation student organizationStudent aviation groups offer networking, guest speakers, and chances to learn from other future pilots.
  • Work as a flight-related campus or airport jobJobs at a flight school, fixed-base operator, or airport can give you hands-on experience and access to pilots.
  • Work toward your flight instructor certificateBecoming an instructor builds flight hours and teaching experience, which is the typical path to commercial flying.

Tips for getting started

  • Talk to working pilots and flight instructors at a local airport. Ask how they got started and what they wish they had known.
  • Plan the money early. Flight training is expensive, so many people work part-time jobs or take on instructing work to pay for their hours. Ask about costs at local flight schools before you commit.
  • Get a first-hand look at flying. Many airports offer short introductory flights, which can help you decide if this career is right for you.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

  • Air Transportation Certificate: typical pay 1 year after finishing $32,236 a year · typical debt $8,750

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

Related careers