Also called: Aerial Supervision Module Pilot, ASM Pilot
Flies ahead of giant air tankers, showing them exactly where to drop retardant on a wildfire.
Lead plane pilots fly low through smoke and steep canyons, mark the drop path with smoke trails, and coordinate dozens of aircraft over a fire. It's one of the most demanding flying jobs anywhere.
Federal pay. Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 8 years after high school. Commercial pilot with thousands of hours, often military or firefighting aviation background.
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. Small number of positions.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Drones may help mark drop paths by the 2030s; flying low through smoke to guide tankers stays human for now.
Classes: Physics, Precalculus, Geography.
Official data: O*NET occupation 53-2011.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.