With a national median of $232,140 and +8.3% projected job growth through 2035, Airline Pilot offers both strong financial return and stable long-term demand.
This page sets out what the federal data says about working as a airline pilot: what the job pays, how fast it is growing, and what it takes to get in. Most people arrive through a degree in Air Transportation and what it leads to, though it is not the only route.
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.
Also known as:
Most airline pilots take home around $232,140 a year, well above what most college graduates make. Half earn somewhere between $182,280 and $384,440, so where you land depends a lot on employer, specialty and city. Worth weighing against how long the training takes. Source: BLS.
A wage on its own says nothing about whether the degree behind it pays for itself, which is a question of lifetime earnings set against the total cost of getting there.
Well above average for college graduates.
25th to 75th percentile. Most workers earn within this band.
The mean wage for this occupation is $288,650, above the median. A concentration of very high earners pulls the average up. The median is the better gauge of typical pay.
This is what the job actually looks like on a Tuesday: 5 core activities and 5 skills the work depends on. Read it before the salary, because pay matters less than whether you would want to spend your days doing this. Source: O*NET.
Hands-on tasks, physical activity, or working with tools and real materials are central parts of the daily work here.
Success depends on precision and structured processes, where detail-oriented people who work consistently within established systems perform best.
Leadership, influence, and business acumen are rewarded here, where managing teams, driving decisions, or persuading others shapes career outcomes.
What the physical and mental conditions of this job actually look like day to day, based on O*NET Work Context data collected from people working in this occupation.
Split between indoor and outdoor or field settings.
Mix of sitting and movement throughout the day.
High time pressure and significant consequences for errors. Deadline-driven or high-stakes decisions are common.
Through 2035 the BLS expects this field to change by +8.3%, meaning it is growing faster than most occupations, so jobs should be easier to find over time. Around 11,200 roles open up each year, which is the number that matters most if you are starting out. Source: BLS.
Growth rates are only meaningful next to other occupations, and the full list of careers with their projected growth puts this one in context.
Faster than average.
New positions plus replacements for retirees and career-changers.
Total US employment as of BLS May 2025.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035 and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025.
The five states below employ the most Airline Pilot professionals nationwide. State-level wages can differ significantly from the $232,140 national median. Research your specific market before committing to a program.
| # | State | Jobs | Median Wage | vs. National |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 10,930 | $215,150 | -7.3% |
| 2 | California | 10,670 | $353,900 | +52.5% |
| 3 | Georgia | 8,770 | $618,090 | +166.3% |
| 4 | Florida | 7,760 | $225,020 | -3.1% |
| 5 | New York | 6,900 | $255,240 | +10.0% |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Employment figures rounded. Read our methodology →
To get hired here you will usually need a bachelor's degree. The program below is the most common route in, ordered by how many people actually graduate from each one.
These positions typically require a bachelor's degree and several years of related experience before advancing into senior roles.
| # | Program | Graduates/yr | 4yr Median | Colleges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Air Transportation | 10,445 | $85,825 | 248 |
Colleges offering the degree programs that lead to this career, ranked by UCD Score. A strong program plus solid outcomes is a good place to begin your search.
| # | College | UCD Score | Net Price | Salary 10yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas A&M University-Central Texas Killeen, TX | 87 | $1,300 | — |
| 2 | Purdue University-Main Campus West Lafayette, IN | 86 | $14,600 | $72,424 |
| 3 | Miami Dade College Miami, FL | 84 | $5,463 | $40,654 |
| 4 | Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH | 83 | $17,339 | $60,409 |
| 5 | San Diego Miramar College San Diego, CA | 83 | $3,337 | $48,224 |
| 6 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Norman, OK | 82 | $15,300 | $63,126 |
Once you've sized up Airline Pilot, these tools turn the numbers into a plan. Estimate the real cost of a degree that leads here, weigh the long-term payoff, compare specific colleges side-by-side, and find programs that match your profile.
See if the degree that leads to Airline Pilot pays off. Weighs each college's cost against the earnings graduates see.
Enter a budget and see the colleges whose net price fits, with the out-of-pocket cost and likely loan load for each.
Put any 2–4 colleges side-by-side. Admissions, cost, outcomes, and earnings, all on one screen, no tab-hopping.
Answer six quick questions and see your best-fit colleges ranked by budget, field of study, and what matters most to you.
Strong earnings and growing demand make Airline Pilot a compelling path. The 3 strengths and 1 trade-offs below are drawn from BLS wage data and employment projections.
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