How to Become an Airline Pilot
Fly passengers and cargo for airlines on scheduled routes, as captain or first officer. It typically requires a bachelor's degree + faa atp certificate, with a median salary of $232,140 per year and about average projected job growth.
Median pay
$232,140/yr
Middle half
$182,280 to $384,440
Job growth
About average
Openings / yr
11,700
Majors that lead here
Key skills
- Aircraft Operation
- Navigation
- Decision Making
- Communication
Related careers
- Air Traffic Controller$148,080 median
- Commercial Pilot$123,220 median
- Aircraft Mechanic$79,870 median
Frequently asked questions
How much does an Airline Pilot make?
The median pay for an Airline Pilot is $232,140 a year, and the middle half of workers earn between $182,280 and $384,440 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025). That covers everyone in the job, not only people starting out, so newer workers sit toward the lower end.
What degree do you need to become an Airline Pilot?
The usual entry point is a bachelor's degree + faa atp certificate. Common majors are Aviation Science.
Is Airline Pilot a growing field?
Projected job growth for this role from 2024 to 2034 is about average (BLS projections via O*NET), with roughly 11,700 U.S. openings a year.
What skills does an Airline Pilot use most?
Common skills for this role are Aircraft Operation, Navigation, Decision Making, and Communication.
Planning to become a Airline Pilot?
Save this career to your PlanexAI path and track the majors, courses, and milestones that lead to it.
Not sure this is right for you?
Take our free 2-minute quiz to match your interests to majors and careers.
Take the major quizWhere these pay figures come from
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.
Job-growth figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).