What is a pilot and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

Pilots fly, control, and navigate airplanes, helicopters, and every other type of aircraft. As a pilot, you are expected to select efficient and safe flight routes. You are also responsible for performing pre-flight and post-flight aircraft inspections. One of your duties also includes determining risks that could or may occur. It is also expected that you keep accurate records for compliance purposes sake. Ensuring the comfort, safety of the crew, aircraft, and also passengers is also part of your responsibility.

Being a pilot requires meeting a lot of qualifications. You may have to receive training in the military. Educationally, the requirement is two years of college coursework, including math, English, aeronautical engineering, and physics. Though, most employers prefer to employ candidates with bachelor's degrees. If you want to work as a pilot, you will need a commercial pilot's license. Also, you must be at least 18 years of age, have flight experience of 250 hours, and must not be physically handicap. Ability to communicate, interpersonal skills, adaptability, task management, team spirit are skills you need to have to be a successful pilot. The average salary per year is $140,340.

ScorePilotUS Average
Salary
6.5

Avg. Salary $83,128

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 2.78%

Black or African American 2.73%

Hispanic or Latino 7.19%

Unknown 5.57%

White 81.47%

Gender

female 29.35%

male 70.65%

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

Pilot career paths

Key steps to become a pilot

  1. Explore pilot education requirements

    Most common pilot degrees

    Bachelor's

    59.1 %

    Associate

    14.9 %

    Master's

    10.2 %
  2. Start to develop specific pilot skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    PIC15.55%
    Pilot-In-Command13.33%
    Flight Operations7.91%
    ATP7.24%
    Helicopter5.31%
  3. Complete relevant pilot training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New 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 pilot based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real pilot resumes.
  4. Research pilot duties and responsibilities

    • Pilot company Lear 35 and manage the department.
    • Manage the UAV payload on the ground and in the air to meet customer expectations.
    • Serve as a professional pilot managing a flight crew and ensuring safe transportation of VIP's internationally.
    • Supervise aircraft maintenance activity on P-3C patrol and UH-1N helicopter aircraft.
  5. Prepare your pilot resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your 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 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 Pilot Resume templates

    Build a professional 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 Pilot resume.
    Pilot Resume
    Pilot Resume
    Pilot Resume
    Pilot Resume
    Pilot Resume
    Pilot Resume
    Pilot Resume
    Pilot Resume
    Pilot Resume
    Pilot Resume
    Pilot Resume
    Pilot Resume
    Pilot Resume
    Pilot Resume
    Pilot Resume
    Pilot Resume
  6. Apply for pilot jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a 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 Pilot Job

Zippi

Are you a Pilot?

Share your story for a free salary report.

Average pilot salary

The average Pilot salary in the United States is $83,128 per year or $40 per hour. Pilot salaries range between $58,000 and $118,000 per year.

Average Pilot Salary
$83,128 Yearly
$39.97 hourly

What Am I Worth?

Loading...
Loading...
salary-calculator

How do pilots rate their job?

5/5

Based On 1 Ratings

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

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 .

Cons

nothing at all. The way i look at it its kind of nonsense. best da.


profile
5.0
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 Pilot? Share your experience anonymously.
Overall Rating*
Career Growth
Work/Life balance
Pay/Salary

Pilot FAQs

Search for pilot jobs

Loading...
Loading...

Pilot jobs by state

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