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.
Explore this career interactively, with full detail →
Licensing, certifications and working conditions
State licensing. Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers is licensed or registered in 13 of 57 states and territories, as reported by each state to CareerOneStop. Federal credentials are listed as well. A license often applies only to certain roles within a career, and records were last updated between 2010 and 2024, so confirm requirements with the state licensing board.
Certifications. CareerOneStop directly links 2 professional certifications to Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers. 2 of them are in CareerOneStop's "Advanced" group, for example: Airline Transport Pilot (ATP), Flight Engineer (FE). Certifications are voluntary credentials offered by the organizations named; listing one is not an endorsement.
Sources: CareerOneStop (licenses and certifications), part of the CareerOneStop suite of web products, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (working conditions, wages). MajorPays has reorganized this information; these agencies have not approved or endorsed it. See it interactively, with state-by-state detail →
More data on this career
Where the jobs are, and what they pay by industry. Nationwide, the industries that employ the most airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers are Scheduled Air Transportation (88% of the jobs counted, median pay $293,240), Couriers and Express Delivery Services (6% of the jobs counted, median pay $334,930), Federal Executive Branch (3% of the jobs counted, median pay $141,140), Support Activities for Air Transportation (2% of the jobs counted, median pay $202,680) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). Among large industries, the highest median pay is in Couriers and Express Delivery Services ($334,930), Scheduled Air Transportation ($293,240), Support Activities for Air Transportation ($202,680). Pay differs by industry for many reasons, including the mix of jobs and where employers are located.
Injury and illness rates. For the broader group "Aircraft pilots and flight engineers", which includes this career (BLS did not publish enough cases for this exact occupation), employers reported 36.0 nonfatal injury and illness cases with days away from work per 10,000 full-time workers, compared with 94.6 for all U.S. workers; the median case kept the worker away 88 days (all workers: 8) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023-2024). Rates reflect the work setting as well as the occupation.
Union membership. In the broad group "Transportation and material moving", which includes this career, 12.8% of wage and salary workers belong to a union (all U.S. workers: 10.0%); median weekly pay is $1,174 for union members and $866 for workers not in a union (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, 2025). This is a group figure, not specific to airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers.
Employer benefits. In the broad group "Transportation and material moving", which includes this career, 80% of civilian workers had access to an employer retirement plan, 76% had access to employer medical care benefits, and 82% had paid sick leave, 86% paid vacation and 85% paid holidays (all civilian workers: 75%, 74%, 83%, 77% and 79%) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey, March 2026). This is a group figure, not specific to airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers, and having access to a benefit does not mean every worker uses it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has not endorsed this presentation. Employers spent about $37.05 per hour worked on total compensation for the occupational group "Transportation and material moving" in June 2026 ($25.16 in wages and salaries and $11.89 in benefits, 32.1% of the total; all civilian workers: $49.46, with 31.6% in benefits) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation).
Work environment. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, the conditions most often placed at the two highest levels for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers are: spend time sitting (100%), importance of being exact or accurate (100%), spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls (99%), physical proximity (94%), exposed to sounds, noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable (93%), in an enclosed vehicle or operate enclosed equipment (89%). Each percentage is the share of respondents choosing the top two levels for that condition (for example 'most of the time' or 'continually'), so it describes how common the condition is in the job, not how a particular workplace is (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Typical preparation. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, for related work experience, the most common answer (33% of 24 respondents) was "over 2 years, up to and including 4 years"; for on-site or in-plant training, the most common answer (50% of 24 respondents) was "over 1 month, up to and including 3 months"; for on-the-job training, the most common answer (41% of 24 respondents) was "over 1 month, up to and including 3 months". These are what workers report is needed to do the job; employers' requirements and individual paths vary (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Related careers. O*NET lists these occupations as similar to airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers in the work done and the skills used: Commercial Pilots, Air Traffic Controllers, Airfield Operations Specialists, Aircraft Service Attendants, Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels, Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians, Aviation Inspectors, Locomotive Engineers (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Pay by state. See what airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers earn in each state, with the pay range and number of jobs: Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers salary by state (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025).
Compare airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers with other careers (pay, growth, openings and education side by side).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 PUMS (MajorPays' own estimates from the survey; Census is credited as the source of the original data and has not endorsed them); BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses; BLS Current Population Survey; BLS National Compensation Survey (employee benefits); HRSA National Center for Health Workforce Analysis; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (LCA disclosure data, FY2025). MajorPays has selected and reorganized these figures; these agencies have not approved or endorsed them. See it interactively →
Flight Instructor
CIP 49.0108