Airline pilots operate aircraft and manage flight operations for commercial and cargo airlines. The work is high-stakes, requires a bachelor's degree and significant preparation, and offers a clear path to a specialized career in aviation.
Pathly builds you a free, personalized roadmap and helps your counselor champion you along the way.
Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers are responsible for safely operating aircraft and managing all aspects of flight. You identify and inspect equipment before takeoff, monitor systems and instruments throughout the flight, and make critical decisions to ensure passenger and crew safety. You evaluate weather conditions, navigation data, and other information to determine compliance with safety standards. The role demands constant attention to your surroundings, active communication with your crew, and the ability to solve problems quickly under pressure.
Core work activities
Career video courtesy of CareerOneStop.
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers earn a median of $232,140 a year, based on 2025 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and location.
The outlook is steady. Employment is projected to grow 4 percent from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as average for all occupations, with about 11,700 openings a year.
Top skills
Knowledge areas
This career requires a bachelor's degree and considerable preparation. You'll need to build knowledge in transportation systems, public safety, mathematics, and mechanical principles. Flight training is a significant part of the path, involving both classroom instruction and hands-on experience. You'll develop critical thinking and monitoring skills through rigorous coursework and flight hours. The preparation is extensive, but it leads directly to a specialized role where your skills are in demand.
The path to the cockpit typically combines a bachelor's degree with flight training and certifications. The timeline and specific requirements can vary, so if you're exploring this route, Pathly can map the airline pilot, copilot, and flight engineer path that fits you with your counselor to build a step-by-step plan that fits your goals.
Many airline pilot, copilot, and flight engineers must be licensed, and professional certifications can strengthen your resume.
Common certifications
Licensing is handled at the state level and the requirements vary, so check the licensing board in your state. Pathly shows your state's specific steps inside your roadmap.
You're drawn to this work if you like solving practical problems, working with mechanical systems, and taking on responsibility in high-stakes environments. Realistic interests fit well here.
Reading about a career is the easy part. Turning it into a plan is where most students get stuck. Pathly takes you from curious to a clear next step, and gives your counselor the insight to champion you along the way.
Start with a quick quiz and assessments that surface your personality, your EQ, and what really motivates you, so your next steps are built around who you actually are.
Your free AI guide weighs this career against your strengths and goals, and surfaces the colleges, trades, and scholarships that match, so you know if it truly fits before you commit.
Get a personalized, step-by-step plan to reach this career, with the training, coursework, and credentials tracked in one place. Link your school or IEC and your counselor in the loop.
Last updated July 1, 2026.
Data sources. Career details from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Salary and outlook figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025 wages; 2024–2034 projections), delivered via the CareerOneStop API. Certification, licensing, wage, and outlook data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by USDOL/ETA and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).