CareerGPS

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
Summary Occupational Forecast Data for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
Employment Employment Change Average Annual Job Openings Wage & Training Levels
2020 2025 Numerical Percent New Jobs Replacement Jobs Total Median Hourly Median Annual Training Levels
354 413 59 16.78% 12 52 64 $66.75 $138,834 Bachelor's degree
Description: Pilot and navigate the flight of multi-engine aircraft in regularly scheduled service for the transport of passengers and cargo. Requires Federal Air Transport rating and certification in specific aircraft type used.
Forecast Data Source: EMSI (4th Quarter 2023)

Occupation Details

The information in this section represents occupational characteristics included in O*NET which defines key features of an occupation as a standardized, measurable set of variables called "descriptors". These distinguishing characteristics of an occupation are described in greater detail in the O*NET Content Model. All items are listed in descending order of importance.

  • Use instrumentation to guide flights when visibility is poor.
  • Respond to and report in-flight emergencies and malfunctions.
  • Work as part of a flight team with other crew members, especially during takeoffs and landings.
  • Contact control towers for takeoff clearances, arrival instructions, and other information, using radio equipment.
  • Steer aircraft along planned routes, using autopilot and flight management computers.
  • Monitor gauges, warning devices, and control panels to verify aircraft performance and to regulate engine speed.
  • Start engines, operate controls, and pilot airplanes to transport passengers, mail, or freight, adhering to flight plans, regulations, and procedures.
  • Inspect aircraft for defects and malfunctions, according to pre-flight checklists.
  • Check passenger and cargo distributions and fuel amounts to ensure that weight and balance specifications are met.
  • Monitor engine operation, fuel consumption, and functioning of aircraft systems during flights.
  • Confer with flight dispatchers and weather forecasters to keep abreast of flight conditions.
  • Coordinate flight activities with ground crews and air traffic control and inform crew members of flight and test procedures.
  • Order changes in fuel supplies, loads, routes, or schedules to ensure safety of flights.
  • Choose routes, altitudes, and speeds that will provide the fastest, safest, and smoothest flights.
  • Direct activities of aircraft crews during flights.
  • Brief crews about flight details, such as destinations, duties, and responsibilities.
  • Record in log books information such as flight times, distances flown, and fuel consumption.
  • Make announcements regarding flights, using public address systems.

Knowledge

96%
Transportation - Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
83%
Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
75%
Geography - Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
72%
English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
71%
Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
65%
Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
64%
Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
64%
Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
60%
Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
59%
Law and Government - Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
56%
Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
55%
Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
54%
Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
51%
Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

Skills

100%
Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
94%
Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
78%
Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
78%
Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
75%
Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
72%
Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
72%
Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
72%
Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
72%
Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
69%
Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
65%
Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
65%
Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
62%
Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
60%
Mathematics - Using mathematics to solve problems.
56%
Quality Control Analysis - Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
56%
Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
53%
Systems Evaluation - Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
53%
Troubleshooting - Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
53%
Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
53%
Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
53%
Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
50%
Systems Analysis - Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
50%
Management of Personnel Resources - Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.

Abilities

94%
Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
91%
Response Orientation - The ability to choose quickly between two or more movements in response to two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures). It includes the speed with which the correct response is started with the hand, foot, or other body part.
91%
Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
85%
Spatial Orientation - The ability to know your location in relation to the environment or to know where other objects are in relation to you.
85%
Depth Perception - The ability to judge which of several objects is closer or farther away from you, or to judge the distance between you and an object.
81%
Reaction Time - The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
81%
Rate Control - The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
81%
Far Vision - The ability to see details at a distance.
81%
Multilimb Coordination - The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
78%
Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
78%
Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
75%
Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
75%
Perceptual Speed - The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes compa
75%
Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
75%
Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
72%
Flexibility of Closure - The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
72%
Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
72%
Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
72%
Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
72%
Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
72%
Time Sharing - The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
69%
Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
69%
Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
66%
Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
66%
Hearing Sensitivity - The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.
62%
Peripheral Vision - The ability to see objects or movement of objects to one's side when the eyes are looking ahead.
62%
Visual Color Discrimination - The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.
62%
Mathematical Reasoning - The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
60%
Finger Dexterity - The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
60%
Auditory Attention - The ability to focus on a single source of sound in the presence of other distracting sounds.
60%
Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
60%
Number Facility - The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
60%
Visualization - The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
60%
Night Vision - The ability to see under low light conditions.
56%
Speed of Closure - The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
50%
Glare Sensitivity - The ability to see objects in the presence of glare or bright lighting.
50%
Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
50%
Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).

Work Activities

100%
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment - Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.
93%
Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
91%
Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
88%
Controlling Machines and Processes - Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).
86%
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
86%
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
85%
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material - Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
85%
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
85%
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
84%
Analyzing Data or Information - Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
79%
Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
78%
Interacting With Computers - Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
76%
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
75%
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
74%
Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information - Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
69%
Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others - Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
67%
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others - Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
64%
Performing for or Working Directly with the Public - Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
62%
Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
61%
Developing and Building Teams - Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
55%
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others - Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
54%
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
54%
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates - Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
53%
Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People - Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
50%
Monitoring and Controlling Resources - Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
Title Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Overall Experience A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Job Training Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Job Zone Examples Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include accountants, sales managers, database administrators, teachers, chemists, environmental engineers, criminal investigators, and special agents.
Education Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

Interests

Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outsi
Conventional - Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Investigative - Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Enterprising - Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Work Styles

Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Self Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.
Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.

Work Values

Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Independence - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Working Conditions - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Achievement - Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Recognition - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.
Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.