Also called: Air Ambulance Pilot, Medical Helicopter Pilot
Flies medical helicopters to accident scenes and rural hospitals, landing on highways and fields day and night.
HEMS pilots work 12-hour shifts at a base, ready to launch in minutes. They check weather, fly with night-vision goggles, and land in tight spots so the flight nurse and paramedic can reach patients.
Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 5 years after high school. Commercial helicopter license and instrument rating, usually 2,000+ flight hours (often military).
Ways in: Military, Certification, On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Aviation, Professional Pilot.
Growing about average. Steady demand; pilot shortage.
Low risk for 10 years. Night-vision and weather tools improve; landing on highways with patients aboard stays human-piloted.
Classes: Physics, Precalculus, Earth science, Geography.
Official data: O*NET occupation 53-2012.
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