Also called: Aerial Patrol Pilot, Powerline Patrol Pilot
Flies low and slow along oil, gas, and power lines looking for leaks, damage, or digging that could cause an accident.
A patrol pilot flies hundreds of miles of pipeline a day at 500 feet, spotting dead vegetation that hints at a leak or a backhoe digging too close, and logs GPS photos for the pipeline company.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 3 years after high school. Commercial pilot certificate; often a first job for building flight hours.
Ways in: Certification. Training cost: $60k – $150k.
Majors to look at: Aviation, Professional Pilot.
Growing about average. Steady demand from pipeline and utility companies.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. Long-range drones and satellite monitoring are approved for more pipeline patrols; crewed flights shrink by 2036.
Classes: Physics, 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.