What is a charter pilot and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a charter pilot. For example, did you know that they make an average of $42.11 an hour? That's $87,597 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 7,700 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreCharter PilotUS Average
Salary
6.8

Avg. Salary $87,597

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
8.9

Growth Rate 6%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
5.2
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.26%

Asian 2.77%

Black or African American 2.70%

Hispanic or Latino 7.10%

Unknown 5.55%

White 81.62%

Gender

female 9.09%

male 90.91%

Age - 44
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44
Stress Level
8.9

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
7.2

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
4.4

Work Life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Charter Pilot career paths

Key steps to become a charter pilot

  1. Explore charter pilot education requirements

    Most common charter pilot degrees

    Bachelor's

    66.9 %

    Associate

    16.9 %

    Master's

    9.7 %
  2. Start to develop specific charter pilot skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    On-Demand31.85%
    Pilot-In-Command21.10%
    FAA19.91%
    PIC19.07%
    Flight Operations8.07%
  3. Complete relevant charter pilot training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New charter pilots learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a charter pilot based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real charter pilot resumes.
  4. Research charter pilot duties and responsibilities

    • Serve as a professional pilot managing a flight crew and ensuring safe transportation of VIP's internationally.
    • Develop and implement operational and administrative policies to align company policies and procedures with government (FAA) regulatory guidelines.
    • Conduct pilot proficiency and standardization evaluations in both A320 aircraft and simulator.
  5. Prepare your charter pilot resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your charter pilot resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a charter pilot resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Charter Pilot Resume templates

    Build a professional Charter Pilot resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Charter Pilot resume.
    Charter Pilot Resume
    Charter Pilot Resume
    Charter Pilot Resume
    Charter Pilot Resume
    Charter Pilot Resume
    Charter Pilot Resume
    Charter Pilot Resume
    Charter Pilot Resume
    Charter Pilot Resume
  6. Apply for charter pilot jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a charter pilot job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Charter Pilot Job

Zippi

Are you a Charter Pilot?

Share your story for a free salary report.

Average charter pilot salary

The average Charter Pilot salary in the United States is $87,597 per year or $42 per hour. Charter pilot salaries range between $65,000 and $118,000 per year.

Average Charter Pilot Salary
$87,597 Yearly
$42.11 hourly

What Am I Worth?

Loading...
Loading...
salary-calculator

How do charter pilots rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Charter Pilot reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020
Pros

challenges career opportunities learning opportunities

Cons

Workload 24/7 availability


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019
Pros

for sure to travel and meet a lot of people of all kinds .


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019
Pros

Every day at work was different. Each flight was different and flying an airplane well is challenging. When an airline pilot has completed their flight assignment they go home and do not think about the job until the next time they go to work. The FAA regulations require rest periods and days off for pilots. A normal flight schedule offers 8- 20 days off per month. A pilot can choose to fly trips that are 1- 12 days long. Most airlines have a seniority system. This means that the airplane and crew position are determined by the date you were hired. Generally speaking, Senior pilots are Captains that fly the airplane with highest pay rate. Senior pilots also have the best flight schedule. Starting pay at the major airlines in 2019 is about $85,000 year. Senior pilots flying wide-body airplanes can earn up to $600,000 year flying an international schedule

Cons

Jet-lag. Fatigue is a fact of life for an airline pilot. Domestic flying often includes trips that depart at 11:00 PM and arrive early in the morning. International trips fly all over the world at all hours of the day. Pilots learn to deal with jet-lag and fatigue, but it remains a fact of life for most aviators


Working as a Charter Pilot? Share your experience anonymously.
Overall Rating*
Career Growth
Work/Life balance
Pay/Salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse transportation jobs