Commercial Pilots
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.
How to read this profile
BLS projects U.S. employment for Commercial Pilots to increase by 5.2% between 2024 and 2034, from 50,400 to 53,000 jobs. Its estimate of 5,200 annual openings includes replacement needs, so it does not represent current vacancies, contract postings, or freelance demand. The wage ($123,220), education (Postsecondary nondegree award), and related experience (None) figures on this profile describe typical U.S. employees. O*NET skills describe the occupation; they do not assess an individual worker's proficiency.
Base employment (2024)
50,400
Projected employment (2034)
53,000
Projected change (2024–2034)
5%
Annual openings (projected average)
5,200
Pay & Preparation
$123,220
Postsecondary nondegree award
None
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Essential Skills
Operation and Control (4.75/5) • Operations Monitoring (4.38/5) • Monitoring (4.12/5) • Critical Thinking (4/5) • Active Listening (3.88/5) • Judgment and Decision Making (3.88/5)
O*NET describes occupational requirements; these ratings do not measure current job-posting frequency or an individual worker’s proficiency.
BLS projections are long-term estimates; annual openings include growth and replacement needs and are not current vacancies.
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