Also called: Part 135 Pilot, Regional Charter Pilot
Flies small planes on demand for paying customers, carrying people or packages to places airlines don't go.
You might fly a hunting group to a remote lodge in the morning and medical lab samples to a city in the afternoon. You do a lot yourself: fueling, loading bags, and briefing passengers. Many pilots build hours this way before moving to an airline.
Commercial pilots (BLS 53-2012) had a median of about $123k in May 2024; this specialty is estimated within that group.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 2 years after high school. FAA commercial pilot certificate with instrument rating, plus about 500-1,200 hours depending on the job.
Ways in: Certification, Trade school, 2-year college. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Aviation / Professional Pilot.
Growing about average (about 4% over 10 years). Tied to commercial pilot demand (BLS 4%).
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Booking apps fill more seats; flying small planes to small airports stays human, though self-flying air taxis may come later.
Classes: Physics, Algebra II, Geography.
Official data: O*NET occupation 53-2012.
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.