Headline risk
0%
Very Low RiskCommercial pilots
United States AI Work Index tracks this occupation on the shared structural baseline and then layers on local demand resilience, wages, and confidence.
Why This Score
Weighted task overlap from O*NET
Median annual from BLS OEWS
BLS employment projections
O*NET job zone level
Occupation profile
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.
Task evidence
100% weighted task match · 0% effective coverage
Method contract
structural_pressure = exposure × (1 - bottleneck)
headline_risk = structural_pressure × (1 - country_demand_resilience)
United States Now
Median Wage
USD 122,670
Employment 2024
55.4K
Projected Change
5.1%
Openings
6.6K
Wage distribution
Demand outlook
Overall employment of airline and commercial pilots is projected to grow 4 percent from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
Role Profile
Tasks
- 1. Check aircraft prior to flights to ensure that the engines, controls, instruments, and other systems are functioning properly. AI 0%
- 2. Consider airport altitudes, outside temperatures, plane weights, and wind speeds and directions to calculate the speed needed to become airborne. AI 0%
- 3. Monitor engine operation, fuel consumption, and functioning of aircraft systems during flights. AI 0%
- 4. Order changes in fuel supplies, loads, routes, or schedules to ensure safety of flights. AI 0%
- 5. Contact control towers for takeoff clearances, arrival instructions, and other information, using radio equipment. AI 0%
- 6. Plan flights according to government and company regulations, using aeronautical charts and navigation instruments. AI 0%
Technologies
Requirements
Work context
Worker profile
Median age 46.1 · 201K employed
Under 25: 3% · 25–54: 68% · 55+: 29%
Related
No direct US role match is available yet for this occupation.
Source coverage
11/11 source families · O*NET 30.2 / OEWS 2024 / ORS 2025 / OOH 2025-08-28 / Projections 2024-34 / CPS 2025 / Anthropic task penetration
Mapping quality
crosswalk_exact · employment series present
Narrative & sources
Airline and commercial pilots fly and navigate airplanes, helicopters, and other aircraft.
Pilots usually have variable work schedules, with overnight layovers that are more common for airline pilots.
Airline pilots typically need a bachelor’s degree and experience as a commercial or military pilot. Commercial pilots typically need flight training. Both also must meet Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements.
The median annual wage for airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers was $226,600 in May 2024.
Overall employment of airline and commercial pilots is projected to grow 4 percent from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
Published limitations
This page shows the local country layer, not realised individual job outcomes. The global structural baseline is shared across countries; only the local demand and wage layer changes here.
Built from O*NET occupation descriptions, task statements, technology skills, work context, Job Zones, Anthropic task penetration, BLS OEWS wages, BLS projection tables, BLS ORS requirements, BLS OOH narrative content, BLS skills data, and BLS CPS occupation age tables.