Also called: Private Jet Pilot, Fractional Pilot, Charter Captain
Flies private jets for companies, wealthy owners, or fractional-ownership firms like NetJets.
Your schedule can change with one phone call: Aspen tonight, Teterboro tomorrow, maybe London next week. You help plan catering, check passenger lists, and sometimes load bags yourself. Between flights you might wait in a fancy FBO lounge for hours.
Commercial pilots (BLS 53-2012) had a median of about $123k in May 2024; this specialty is estimated within that group. Large-jet corporate captains often earn $180k-$250k.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 5 years after high school. Commercial pilot certificate with instrument and multi-engine ratings; larger jets require a type rating and often an ATP. A degree helps but isn't always required.
Ways in: Certification, 4-year college, Military. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Aviation / Professional Pilot, Aviation Management.
Growing about average (about 4% over 10 years). Business aviation is steady and tied to the economy; BLS commercial pilot growth is about 4%.
Low risk for 10 years. Automation eases workload; flying clients on short notice into small airports keeps two humans up front.
Classes: Physics, Algebra II, Speech.
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.