Pilot
Quick Facts
Median Salary$210,503
Most Common EducationHigh school or GED
Projected 10-Year Growth+55.73%
Assessment MatchTake the Assessment
What They Do
A Pilot operates and navigates a commercial, private, or military aircraft or helicopter
Core Tasks:
- Use instrumentation to guide flights when visibility is poor.
- Respond to and report in-flight emergencies and malfunctions.
- Work as part of a flight team with other crew members, especially during takeoffs and landings.
- Start engines, operate controls, and pilot airplanes to transport passengers, mail, or freight, adhering to flight plans, regulations, and procedures.
- Inspect aircraft for defects and malfunctions, according to pre-flight checklists.
- Contact control towers for takeoff clearances, arrival instructions, and other information, using radio equipment.
- Monitor gauges, warning devices, and control panels to verify aircraft performance and to regulate engine speed.
- Monitor engine operation, fuel consumption, and functioning of aircraft systems during flights.
- Steer aircraft along planned routes, using autopilot and flight management computers.
- Check passenger and cargo distributions and fuel amounts to ensure that weight and balance specifications are met.
- Confer with flight dispatchers and weather forecasters to keep abreast of flight conditions.
- Order changes in fuel supplies, loads, routes, or schedules to ensure safety of flights.
- Brief crews about flight details, such as destinations, duties, and responsibilities.
- Choose routes, altitudes, and speeds that will provide the fastest, safest, and smoothest flights.
- Direct activities of aircraft crews during flights.
- Record in log books information, such as flight times, distances flown, and fuel consumption.
- Instruct other pilots and student pilots in aircraft operations and the principles of flight.
- Make announcements regarding flights, using public address systems.
What to expect as a Pilot
1Earn a High school or GED Diploma
28% of people achieve this level of education.
2Gain skills and experience
See Pilot related courses on Tallo
3Land a job
1088 openings for Pilots
Career Progression
in United States (Nation)
The career progression is an interactive way to explore careers related to Pilot. Click on each career to see its associated salary, job availability, skills, and more.