# Commercial Pilots

> Pilot and navigate the flight of fixed-wing aircraft on nonscheduled air carrier routes, or helicopters. Requires Commercial Pilot certificate. Includes charter pilots with similar certification, and air ambulance and air tour pilots. Excludes regional, national, and international airline pilots.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/commercial-pilots
- SOC code: 53-2012.00
- Career family: Transportation
- Median annual pay: $123,220 (10th percentile $58,850, 90th percentile $266,620)
- Projected growth: Faster than average, +5.2%
- Openings a year: 5,200
- Typical entry education: Postsecondary certificate
- Bright outlook: yes
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code CRE)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 63 |
| Investigative (I) | 26 |
| Artistic (A) | 2 |
| Social (S) | 26 |
| Enterprising (E) | 49 |
| Conventional (C) | 64 |

## What you'd do

- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment (importance 98/100)
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials (importance 98/100)
- Controlling Machines and Processes (importance 96/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 94/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 93/100)
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards (importance 92/100)
- Processing Information (importance 91/100)
- Analyzing Data or Information (importance 90/100)
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings (importance 88/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 87/100)

## Skills

Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Judgment and Decision Making, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Active Learning, Complex Problem Solving

## Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Transportation, Geography, Public Safety and Security, Mechanical, Law and Government, Computers and Electronics, Physics, Mathematics

## Also called

Advanced Air Mobility Operator (AAM Operator), Advanced Air Mobility Pilot (AAM Pilot), Advanced Air Mobility Technician (AAM Technician), Aerial Advertiser, Aerial Crop Duster, Aerial Hurricane Hunter, Aerial Sprayer, Agricultural Pilot, Air Ambulance Captain, Air Ambulance 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

- [Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/airline-pilots-copilots-and-flight-engineers): $232,140 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 Mechanics and Service Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/aircraft-mechanics-and-service-technicians): $79,870 median pay
- [Aviation Inspectors](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/aviation-inspectors): $92,100 median pay
- [Locomotive Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/locomotive-engineers): $81,410 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.