Also called: Director of Flight Operations, Aviation Department Manager
Leads all the pilots at an airline base, charter company, or corporate flight department.
A chief pilot reviews pilot schedules and training records, handles safety reports, interviews new hires, and still flies trips to stay current. They are the link between pilots and company leadership.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 8 years after high school. Thousands of flight hours, an Airline Transport Pilot certificate, and usually a bachelor's degree.
Ways in: 4-year college, Certification, Military. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Aviation, Aeronautical Science.
Growing much faster than average (about 8% over 10 years). BLS 2025-35 projection band for SOC 53-2011: Much faster than average (7% or higher).
Low risk for 10 years. AI helps with scheduling and safety data; leading pilots, hiring and safety culture stay human.
Classes: Physics, Speech, Business.
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.