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Airline Pilot & Flight Crew

Types of Degrees Airline Pilot & Flight Crew Majors Are Earning

Those studying Airline Pilot & Flight Crew can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	106
Associate’s Degree	918
Bachelor’s Degree	716
Master’s Degree	430

What Airline Pilot & Flight Crew Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Airline Pilot & Flight Crew build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Airline Pilot & Flight Crew graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Airline Pilot & Flight Crew emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Transportation — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.7 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Public Safety and Security — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Geography — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Mechanical — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Airline Pilot & Flight Crew program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Operation and Control — Importance 4.8 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Operations Monitoring — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Airline Pilot & Flight Crew careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Response Orientation — Importance 4.7 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Control Precision — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Reaction Time — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Airline Pilot & Flight Crew graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.8 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.7 / 7
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment	4.7 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.7 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.7 / 7
Getting Information	4.6 / 7
Processing Information	4.5 / 7
Controlling Machines and Processes	4.4 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.4 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Airline Pilot & Flight Crew professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Navzilla	Route navigation software	—
Airline Pilots Daily Aviation Log PPC	Data base user interface and query software	—
Skylog Services Skylog Pro	Data base user interface and query software	—
RMS Technology Flitesoft	Data base user interface and query software	—
SBS International Maestro Suite	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Polaris Microsystems CharterLog	Data base user interface and query software	—
Pilot Navigator Software Load Balance	Analytical or scientific software	—
doXstor Flight Level Logbook	Data base user interface and query software	—
Notam Development Group Airport Insight	Information retrieval or search software	—
AirSmith FlightPrompt	Data base user interface and query software	—
MJICCS PilotLog	Data base user interface and query software	—
Nimblefeet Technologies Captain’s Keeper	Data base user interface and query software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Airline Pilot & Flight Crew graduates include:

• Check Airman
• Copilot
• First Officer Pilot (FO Pilot)
• Captain
• Pilot
• Airplane Pilot
• Helicopter Pilot
• Line Pilot
• Facilities Flight Check Pilot
• Co-Pilot
• Army Helicopter Pilot
• Airline Pilot Flight Instructor
• Aircraft Captain
• Jet Pilot
• Air Force Pilot

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Airline Pilot & Flight Crew graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	45.8%
High school diploma or equivalent	20.8%
Postsecondary certificate	13.0%
Less than a high school diploma	9.8%
Some college courses	5.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	5.0%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.3%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Airline Pilot & Flight Crew?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 85.5% of Airline Pilot & Flight Crew degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	325	14.5%
Men	1,924	85.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Airline Pilot & Flight Crew graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,517	67.5%
Asian	91	4.0%
Hispanic or Latino	266	11.8%
Black or African American	56	2.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	10	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	9	0.4%
Two or More Races	96	4.3%
Race Unknown	66	2.9%
International Students	138	6.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Airline Pilot & Flight Crew Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Airline Pilot & Flight Crew graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$54,735
4 years	$69,369
5 years	$80,156

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $80,156 — roughly 46% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Airline Pilot & Flight Crew Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Airline Pilot & Flight Crew. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	2	4
Bachelor’s	3	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Airline Pilot & Flight Crew Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Airline Pilot & Flight Crew graduates earn a median of $69,369 four years after completion — roughly 83% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Air Transportation	11,070
Aeronautics/Aviation/Aerospace Science and Technology, General	6,327
Aviation/Airway Management and Operations	1,786
Air Transportation, Other	315
Air Traffic Controller	189
Remote Aircraft Pilot	127
Airline Flight Attendant	47
Flight Instructor	30

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.