Commercial Pilots — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$123,220
United States, 2025
Employment
47,630
United States, 2025
Typical education
Post-Secondary Certificate
Job Zone 3
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
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 code
- 53-2012.00
- Job zone
- 3
- Experience required
- Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Plan flights according to government and company regulations, using aeronautical charts and navigation instruments.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$58,850
25th percentile
$84,540
75th percentile
$190,440
90th percentile
$266,620
Most important skills
- Operation and Control4.8
- Operations Monitoring4.4
- Monitoring4.1
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Judgment and Decision Making3.9
- Active Listening3.9
- Reading Comprehension3.8
- Speaking3.8
- Active Learning3.6
- Complex Problem Solving3.6
- Coordination3.3
- Troubleshooting3.1
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 19 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
19
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operation and Control | 4.8 | 5.3 | Not selected | 5.3 |
| Operations Monitoring | 4.4 | 4.8 | Not selected | 4.8 |
| Monitoring | 4.1 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.9 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.8 | 4.1 | Not selected | 4.1 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.9 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Active Learning | 3.6 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 3.8 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.6 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Coordination | 3.3 | 3.5 | Not selected | 3.5 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.1 | 3.5 | Not selected | 3.5 |
| Instructing | 3.0 | 3.4 | Not selected | 3.4 |
| Troubleshooting | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Writing | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
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Compare with Commercial PilotsHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waterbury, CT | $315,450 | 130 | 2025 |
| Kiryas Joel, NY | $280,630 | 50 | 2025 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $274,730 | 130 | 2025 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $232,600 | 90 | 2025 |
| CT | $232,160 | 460 | 2025 |
| NJ | $226,710 | 670 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $225,900 | 1,210 | 2025 |
| Hartford, CT | $211,350 | 100 | 2025 |
| Trenton, NJ | $205,700 | 50 | 2025 |
| Midland, TX | $198,480 | 50 | 2025 |
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY | $193,940 | 430 | 2025 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $177,730 | 420 | 2025 |
| NY | $177,430 | 1,070 | 2025 |
| Columbus, OH | $175,690 | 1,410 | 2025 |
| Port St. Lucie, FL | $173,100 | 140 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $173,070 | 380 | 2025 |
| Wilmington, NC | $172,320 | 40 | 2025 |
| Lexington Park, MD | $171,560 | 60 | 2025 |
| Allentown, PA | $170,600 | 50 | 2025 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $167,310 | — | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Commercial Pilots to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.