Also called: Airline Captain, First Officer, Copilot
Flies passenger jets for major and regional airlines, sharing the cockpit with a second pilot.
You arrive an hour before departure, review weather and the flight plan with your copilot, and walk around the jet checking it with a flashlight. Once airborne, you manage the autopilot, talk to air traffic control, and watch fuel and weather the whole way. A 'trip' might be four days of flying with hotel nights in different cities.
BLS 90th percentile is capped at $239k+; senior widebody captains at major airlines often earn $350k+.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 6 years after high school. Most major airlines want a bachelor's (any major) plus an FAA Airline Transport Pilot certificate, which requires 1,500 flight hours (fewer for military or aviation-degree grads).
Ways in: 4-year college, Certification, Military. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Aviation / Professional Pilot, Aeronautical Science, Any bachelor's degree.
Growing about average (about 4% over 10 years). BLS projects 4% growth 2024-34, plus many openings from mandatory retirement at 65.
Low risk for 10 years. Autopilot already flies much of each trip; two-pilot rules, takeoffs, landings and emergencies keep humans in the seat.
Classes: Physics, Algebra II, Earth science.
Official data: O*NET occupation 53-2011.
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