# Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers

> Pilot and navigate the flight of fixed-wing aircraft, usually on scheduled air carrier routes, for the transport of passengers and cargo. Requires Federal Air Transport certificate and rating for specific aircraft type used. Includes regional, national, and international airline pilots and flight instructors of airline pilots.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/airline-pilots-copilots-and-flight-engineers
- SOC code: 53-2011.00
- Career family: Transportation
- Median annual pay: $232,140 (10th percentile $106,710, 90th percentile $463,830)
- Projected growth: Much faster than average, +8.3%
- Openings a year: 11,200
- Typical entry education: Bachelor's degree
- Bright outlook: yes
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code RCE)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 62 |
| Investigative (I) | 36 |
| Artistic (A) | 7 |
| Social (S) | 25 |
| Enterprising (E) | 47 |
| Conventional (C) | 62 |

## What you'd do

- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 97/100)
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials (importance 96/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 93/100)
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings (importance 93/100)
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards (importance 92/100)
- Getting Information (importance 92/100)
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment (importance 91/100)
- Processing Information (importance 87/100)
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge (importance 86/100)
- Controlling Machines and Processes (importance 83/100)

## Skills

Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Judgment and Decision Making, Reading Comprehension, Time Management, Active Learning, Speaking

## Knowledge

Transportation, English Language, Public Safety and Security, Geography, Mechanical, Mathematics, Computers and Electronics, Physics, Law and Government, Administration and Management

## Also called

Air Force Pilot, Airbus Captain, Aircraft Captain, Aircraft Pilot, Airline Captain, Airline Pilot, Airline Pilot Flight Instructor, Airline Transport Pilot, Airplane Pilot, Army Helicopter Pilot

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Air Transportation](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/4901) (CIP 4901, 253 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Utah Valley University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/utah-valley-university-3103) | Air Transportation | $70,419 | $106,001 | $20,375 |
| [University of North Dakota](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-north-dakota-2996) | Air Transportation | $59,101 | $104,472 | $25,250 |
| [Utah State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/utah-state-university-3102) | Air Transportation | $43,591 | $103,989 | $24,375 |
| [Minnesota State University-Mankato](https://www.collegesref.com/college/minnesota-state-university-mankato-1721) | Air Transportation | $57,213 | $103,858 | $21,500 |
| [Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/eastern-new-mexico-university-main-campus-872) | Air Transportation | $91,027 | $103,617 | $19,143 |
| [Liberty University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/liberty-university-1481) | Air Transportation | $77,466 | $102,096 | $20,500 |
| [Ohio University-Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/ohio-university-main-campus-2008) | Air Transportation | $56,127 | $99,701 | $25,000 |
| [Middle Georgia State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/middle-georgia-state-university-1687) | Air Transportation | $53,459 | $93,627 | $19,035 |

## Related careers

- [Commercial Pilots](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/commercial-pilots): $123,220 median pay
- [Air Traffic Controllers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/air-traffic-controllers): $148,080 median pay
- [Airfield Operations Specialists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/airfield-operations-specialists): $56,850 median pay
- [Aircraft Service Attendants](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/aircraft-service-attendants): $40,450 median pay
- [Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/captains-mates-and-pilots-of-water-vessels): $92,460 median pay
- [Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/aircraft-mechanics-and-service-technicians): $79,870 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.