Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
Pilot and navigate the flight of fixed-wing aircraft, usually on scheduled air carrier routes, for the transport of passengers and cargo. Requires Federal Air Transport certificate and rating for specific aircraft type used. Includes regional, national, and international airline pilots and flight instructors of airline pilots.
- O*NET-SOC code
53-2011.00 - Preparation Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$232,140
Employment, U.S.103,560
Median hourly wageNot available
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $106,710 | $182,280 | $232,140 | $384,440 | $463,830 |
By state (39)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 360 | $136,990 | 0.26 |
| Alaska | 1,350 | $232,140 | 6.21 |
| Arizona | 2,200 | $227,870 | 1.02 |
| Arkansas | 250 | $168,970 | 0.29 |
| California | 10,670 | $353,900 | 0.88 |
| Colorado | 5,830 | $307,490 | 3.05 |
| Connecticut | 80 | $199,870 | 0.07 |
| Florida | 7,760 | $225,020 | 1.17 |
| Georgia | 8,770 | $618,090 | 2.69 |
| Idaho | 330 | $507,640 | 0.57 |
| Illinois | 6,460 | $293,490 | 1.59 |
| Indiana | $171,260 | ||
| Iowa | 100 | $131,730 | 0.10 |
| Kansas | 80 | $143,580 | 0.08 |
| Kentucky | 6,260 | $350,950 | 4.70 |
| Louisiana | 150 | $120,740 | 0.11 |
| Maine | 40 | $147,930 | 0.09 |
| Massachusetts | 2,240 | Not available | 0.93 |
| Michigan | $428,570 | ||
| Minnesota | 2,960 | $211,470 | 1.51 |
| Mississippi | 360 | $143,580 | 0.46 |
| Missouri | 120 | $97,680 | 0.06 |
| Nebraska | 60 | $131,650 | 0.09 |
| Nevada | 2,160 | $192,460 | 2.09 |
| New Hampshire | 50 | $99,280 | 0.10 |
| New Mexico | 50 | $136,990 | 0.08 |
| New York | 6,900 | $255,240 | 1.07 |
| North Carolina | 2,240 | $151,540 | 0.68 |
| Ohio | 1,550 | $204,170 | 0.42 |
| Oklahoma | 180 | $133,680 | 0.16 |
| Oregon | 750 | $173,190 | 0.57 |
| Pennsylvania | 2,270 | $164,990 | 0.56 |
| Rhode Island | 40 | $164,880 | 0.13 |
| South Carolina | 110 | $143,580 | 0.07 |
| Tennessee | 110 | $143,580 | 0.05 |
| Texas | 10,930 | $215,150 | 1.17 |
| Utah | 1,880 | $174,590 | 1.62 |
| Washington | 3,450 | $229,900 | 1.46 |
| Wyoming | 80 | Not available | 0.44 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
| # | Occupation | Job Zone | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Commercial Pilots | 3 | 0.984 |
| 2 | Locomotive Engineers | 1-2 | 0.963 |
| 3 | Subway and Streetcar Operators | 1-2 | 0.952 |
| 4 | Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers | 1-2 | 0.944 |
| 5 | Bus Drivers, School | 1-2 | 0.943 |
| 6 | Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1-2 | 0.939 |
| 7 | Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels | 3 | 0.937 |
| 8 | Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters | 1-2 | 0.935 |
| 9 | Crane and Tower Operators | 3 | 0.930 |
| 10 | Bridge and Lock Tenders | 1-2 | 0.929 |
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motorboat Operators | Equipment Maintenance | 1.75 | 0.921 |
| Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | Equipment Maintenance | 2.00 | 0.909 |
| Logging Equipment Operators | Equipment Maintenance | 1.75 | 0.895 |
| Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining | Equipment Maintenance | 1.87 | 0.894 |
| Biomass Plant Technicians | Equipment Maintenance | 1.87 | 0.891 |
| Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators | Equipment Maintenance | 1.37 | 0.885 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers, excluding software Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Windows | 8 of 20 | 1.5x |
| Inventory tracking software | 3 of 20 | 3.1x |
| SAP software | 3 of 20 | 0.5x |
| Web browser software | 4 of 20 | 0.4x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 4.88 | 5.62 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 4.62 | 4.88 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 4.12 | 4.25 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 4.12 | 4.25 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 4.12 | 4.12 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 4.00 | 4.25 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.88 | 4.12 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.75 | 4.12 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.62 | 3.75 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 3.62 | 3.62 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.50 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 4.00 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 3.12 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Science | Essential skill | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 1.75 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.25 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 1.00 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.50 |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 1.12 | not rated |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 1.00 | not rated |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation | 4.78 | 6.04 |
| English Language | 3.92 | 4.12 |
| Public Safety and Security | 3.71 | 3.82 |
| Geography | 3.70 | 4.61 |
| Mechanical | 3.70 | 3.98 |
| Mathematics | 3.39 | 3.43 |
| Computers and Electronics | 3.35 | 3.82 |
| Physics | 3.32 | 3.31 |
| Law and Government | 3.27 | 2.88 |
| Administration and Management | 3.13 | 3.46 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.13 | 3.16 |
| Engineering and Technology | 2.88 | 2.79 |
| Psychology | 2.84 | 3.77 |
| Education and Training | 2.62 | 2.92 |
| Telecommunications | 2.48 | 2.00 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 1.86 | 1.43 |
| Communications and Media | 1.84 | 1.64 |
| Chemistry | 1.81 | 1.70 |
| Design | 1.77 | 1.26 |
| Administrative | 1.69 | 1.21 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 1.61 | 1.04 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.41 | 0.93 |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.40 | not rated |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.35 | 0.70 |
| Foreign Language | 1.32 | not rated |
| Production and Processing | 1.31 | not rated |
| Economics and Accounting | 1.30 | not rated |
| Biology | 1.28 | not rated |
| Building and Construction | 1.19 | not rated |
| Sales and Marketing | 1.16 | not rated |
| History and Archeology | 1.09 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.00 | not rated |
| Food Production | 1.00 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Response Orientation | 4.88 | 5.62 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 4.75 | 5.00 |
| Control Precision | 4.62 | 4.50 |
| Far Vision | 4.25 | 5.38 |
| Reaction Time | 4.25 | 5.00 |
| Near Vision | 4.25 | 4.38 |
| Rate Control | 4.12 | 5.00 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 4.12 | 4.38 |
| Depth Perception | 4.12 | 4.38 |
| Perceptual Speed | 4.12 | 4.25 |
| Oral Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.75 |
| Spatial Orientation | 4.00 | 4.62 |
| Oral Expression | 4.00 | 4.38 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 4.00 | 4.25 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 4.00 | 4.25 |
| Time Sharing | 4.00 | 4.25 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Information Ordering | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Selective Attention | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Written Comprehension | 4.00 | 4.12 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 4.00 | 3.75 |
| Peripheral Vision | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.75 | 4.00 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.75 | 3.88 |
| Glare Sensitivity | 3.62 | 4.25 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 3.62 | 3.38 |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.50 | 3.25 |
| Speed of Closure | 3.38 | 4.00 |
| Visualization | 3.38 | 4.00 |
| Night Vision | 3.38 | 3.88 |
| Auditory Attention | 3.25 | 4.00 |
| Number Facility | 3.25 | 3.62 |
| Written Expression | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Memorization | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.00 | 3.38 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Originality | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Sound Localization | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 2.75 | 2.75 |
| Extent Flexibility | 2.50 | 2.50 |
| Static Strength | 2.12 | 2.12 |
| Trunk Strength | 2.12 | 1.38 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Dynamic Strength | 1.88 | 0.88 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 1.75 | 0.75 |
| Stamina | 1.62 | 0.62 |
| Explosive Strength | 1.50 | 0.50 |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- R in demand
- Microsoft Excel hot
- Microsoft Office software hot
- Microsoft Outlook hot
- Microsoft PowerPoint hot
- Microsoft Visio hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- AeroPlanner
- AirSmith FlightPrompt
- Airline Pilots Daily Aviation Log PPC
- CoPilot Flight Planning & E6B
- Document Object Model DOM Scripting
- Electronic aircraft information databases
- IFT-Pro
- MJICCS PilotLog
- Navzilla
- Nimblefeet Technologies Captain's Keeper
- Notam Development Group Airport Insight
- Pilot Navigator Software Load Balance
- Polaris Microsystems AeroLog Pro
- Polaris Microsystems CharterLog
- RMS Technology Flitesoft
- SBS International Maestro Suite
- Skylog Services Skylog Pro
- doXstor Flight Level Logbook
Where it concentrates
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anchorage, AK | 1,270 | 10.80 | $232,240 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 5,600 | 5.23 | $307,490 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 3,330 | 4.54 | $350,950 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 8,700 | 4.52 | $618,090 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | 1,740 | 3.16 | $174,940 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 2,070 | 2.73 | $204,340 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 4,810 | 2.56 | $216,070 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 5,100 | 2.44 | $209,750 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 3,340 | 2.41 | $229,900 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 2,090 | 2.31 | $151,540 |