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Flight Instructor

Types of Degrees Flight Instructor Majors Are Earning

Those studying Flight Instructor may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	14
Bachelor’s Degree	6
Master’s Degree	9

What Flight Instructor Majors Need to Know

Studies in Flight Instructor build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Flight Instructor graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Flight Instructor 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 emphasized by a Flight Instructor 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

Innate abilities most relevant to Flight Instructor 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, Flight Instructor 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 Flight Instructor professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Airline Pilots Daily Aviation Log PPC	Data base user interface and query software	—
MJICCS PilotLog	Data base user interface and query software	—
Polaris Microsystems CharterLog	Data base user interface and query software	—
Polaris Microsystems AeroLog Pro	Data base user interface and query software	—
Navzilla	Route navigation software	—
AeroPlanner	Information retrieval or search software	—
Electronic aircraft information databases	Data base user interface and query software	—
Skylog Services Skylog Pro	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Pilot Navigator Software Load Balance	Analytical or scientific software	—
Nimblefeet Technologies Captain’s Keeper	Data base user interface and query software	—
Notam Development Group Airport Insight	Information retrieval or search software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Flight Instructor graduates include:

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

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Flight Instructor 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 Flight Instructor?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 96.7% of Flight Instructor degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1	3.3%
Men	29	96.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Flight Instructor graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	23	76.7%
Hispanic or Latino	4	13.3%
Black or African American	1	3.3%
Two or More Races	1	3.3%
Race Unknown	1	3.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Flight Instructor Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Flight Instructor graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow 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.}

Is a Degree in Flight Instructor Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Flight Instructor 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
Airline/Commercial/Professional Pilot and Flight Crew	2,249
Aviation/Airway Management and Operations	1,786
Air Transportation, Other	315
Air Traffic Controller	189
Remote Aircraft Pilot	127
Airline Flight Attendant	47

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.