Occupations · Transportation and Material Moving
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.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 53-2012.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 146% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $157,580 | 3,340 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $188,920 | 2,480 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $177,300 | 2,110 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV | $133,990 | 1,400 |
| Anchorage, AK | $111,070 | 1,340 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $224,840 | 1,270 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $130,560 | 1,160 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $167,210 | 950 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ | $109,270 | 820 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | $126,030 | 820 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $103,640 | 730 |
| Cleveland, OH | $120,280 | 670 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: Postsecondary nondegree award · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- Check aircraft prior to flights to ensure that the engines, controls, instruments, and other systems are functioning properly.
- Co-pilot aircraft or perform captain's duties, as required.
- Consider airport altitudes, outside temperatures, plane weights, and wind speeds and directions to calculate the speed needed to become airborne.
- Use instrumentation to pilot aircraft when visibility is poor.
- Monitor engine operation, fuel consumption, and functioning of aircraft systems during flights.
- Order changes in fuel supplies, loads, routes, or schedules to ensure safety of flights.
- Contact control towers for takeoff clearances, arrival instructions, and other information, using radio equipment.
- Start engines, operate controls, and pilot airplanes to transport passengers, mail, or freight according to flight plans, regulations, and procedures.
- Plan flights according to government and company regulations, using aeronautical charts and navigation instruments.
- Check baggage or cargo to ensure that it has been loaded correctly.
- Obtain and review data such as load weights, fuel supplies, weather conditions, and flight schedules to determine flight plans and identify needed changes.
- Conduct in-flight tests and evaluations at specified altitudes and in all types of weather to determine the receptivity and other characteristics of equipment and systems.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2024-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2024-08
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
Tasks O*NET flags as emerging
- Operate large scale uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones for various commercial purposes, such as aerial photography, surveying land and structures, or monitoring wildlife.
O*NET 30.3 emerging tasks
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning.
Now listed 18
No longer listed 2
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| commercial pilot | 3153.2.2 | exact |
| private pilot | 3153.2.5 | close |
| airline transport pilot | 3153.2.2.1 | close |
| air force pilot | 0310.1 | close |
| co-pilot | 3153.2.1 | close |
| aircraft pilot | 3153.2 | broader |
| helicopter pilot | 3153.2.4 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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