The ceiling of the table. The median airline pilot earns $232k, and the top tenth more than $464k a year. But look at what it takes: a long certificate ladder, 1,500 logged flight hours, a first-class medical, and usually $80–120k of training before the first airline paycheck. Most new pilots build hours as flight instructors on modest pay first. The payoff is enormous; the entry cost and the time are too.
Method
- Private pilot, then instrument ratingThe first certificates, usually 6–12 months.
- Commercial certificate and multi-engine ratingNow you can be paid to fly.
- Build hours to 1,500Most do it as flight instructors; approved degree programs can lower the minimum.
- Regional airlineFirst officer at a regional carrier; many regionals now pay signing bonuses.
- Major airline and captainSeniority decides schedule and pay; major-airline captains are where the top numbers come from.
Watch out:Very high upfront cost, years of low-paid hour building, and a medical that can end a career. Hiring is cyclical and collapses in downturns.
Pay, licensing and demand vary by state, city and timing. Figures are averaged and partly approximate. Skill levels are illustrative. Sources: BLS OOH, Airline and Commercial Pilots (median $232,140; 10th pct $106,710; 90th pct $463,830; May 2025).