Also called: Balloon Ride Pilot, LTA Pilot
Flies paying passengers in hot air balloons at sunrise, steering by finding winds at different heights.
You're up at 4:30 a.m. checking winds, then inflate the balloon with big fans and a burner. Passengers climb in, and you float over fields for an hour, while your chase crew follows in a truck to wherever you land. You finish with the traditional champagne toast.
Estimated; owners of busy ride companies in places like Napa or Albuquerque earn more.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 1 year after high school. FAA commercial pilot certificate with a lighter-than-air balloon rating.
Ways in: Certification, On-the-job training. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Aviation.
Growing about average. Tiny niche driven by tourism.
Low risk for 10 years. Nothing to automate in steering by the winds; weather judgment and the passenger experience stay human.
Classes: Earth science, Physics, Business.
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.