Everyone is interested in climbing the career ladder. Should you decide to embark on aviation education to start a career as a commercial pilot, what kinds of jobs could you be hired for?
Let’s take a closer look.
Private and Charter Pilot
Commercial pilots needn’t fly planes for major airlines with thousands of people on board. They can work in a charter or private pilot capacity, transporting only select people.
These charter trips are usually small and can involve flying to some gorgeous and exotic locales. Or, you might be able to stay local as a private or charter pilot.
Overnight flights are infrequent as well, which allows you to carve out more of a work/life balance.
Corporate Pilot
As a corporate pilot, you’d commandeer a company plane and carry its staff where they need to go.
This job role might include both national and international travel, but you could possibly fly a luxury plane, which is great for both pilots and passengers.
Emergency and Rescue Pilot
Although flying people to their destinations is a noble enough career, if you want to become even nobler, then you might look into working as an emergency and rescue pilot.
This role will usually involve more specific training, as you could work with medical personnel to find injured or ill people and transport them to the closest medical facility.
As a rescue pilot, you might seek out people stranded on mountains, cliffs, or in the ocean and get them to safety.
Agricultural Pilot
Companies and government agencies are always looking for agricultural pilots. It’d be your job to spread chemical treatments to crops in large swathes to ensure the crops grow healthy.
Cargo Pilot
Commercial pilots don’t exclusively have to transport people. You can also work as a cargo pilot, sending packages, parcels, and crates to their destinations.
To present the viability of a commercial pilot role, let’s look at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or BLS’ insights on this career path.
According to the BLS, between 2020 and 2030, careers for commercial pilots could grow by 13 percent. An estimated 14,700 jobs could be added.
The BLS states that the 2021 median pay for commercial pilots is $134,630 per year!