What Do Commercial Pilot Do?
Job Description & Duties Pilot and navigate the flight of fixed-winged aircraft on nonscheduled air carrier routes, or helicopters. Requires Commercial Pilot certificate. Includes charter pilots with similar certification, and air ambulance and air tour pilots.
Life As a Commercial Pilot: What Do They Do?
- Contact control towers for takeoff clearances, arrival instructions, and other information, using radio equipment.
- Consider airport altitudes, outside temperatures, plane weights, and wind speeds and directions to calculate the speed needed to become airborne.
- File instrument flight plans with air traffic control so that flights can be coordinated with other air traffic.
- Monitor engine operation, fuel consumption, and functioning of aircraft systems during flights.
- Supervise other crew members.
- Check baggage or cargo to ensure that it has been loaded correctly.
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Commercial Pilot Skills
When polled, Commercial Pilots say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Other Commercial Pilot Job Titles
- Private Pilot
- Astronaut
- Flying Instructor
- Airplane Pilot
- Photogrammetry Airplane Pilot
Is There Job Demand for Commercial Pilots?
In the United States, there were 40,800 jobs for Commercial Pilot in 2016. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 3.7% which is below the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 1,500 new jobs for Commercial Pilot by 2026. The BLS estimates 4,000 yearly job openings in this field.
The states with the most job growth for Commercial Pilot are Tennessee, Utah, and Arizona. Watch out if you plan on working in Minnesota, Massachusetts, or Vermont. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
What is the Average Salary of a Commercial Pilot
The salary for Commercial Pilots ranges between about $44,660 and $160,480 a year.
Commercial Pilots who work in South Carolina, Connecticut, or Massachusetts, make the highest salaries.
How much do Commercial Pilots make in each U.S. state?
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $91,100 |
| Alaska | $91,850 |
| Arizona | $80,000 |
| Arkansas | $78,310 |
| California | $97,720 |
| Colorado | $91,930 |
| Connecticut | $127,950 |
| Delaware | $97,420 |
| Florida | $110,540 |
| Georgia | $130,760 |
| Hawaii | $102,350 |
| Idaho | $76,310 |
| Illinois | $99,990 |
| Indiana | $75,790 |
| Iowa | $92,090 |
| Kansas | $96,370 |
| Kentucky | $106,470 |
| Louisiana | $85,440 |
| Maine | $58,540 |
| Maryland | $110,240 |
| Massachusetts | $97,740 |
| Michigan | $93,640 |
| Minnesota | $106,300 |
| Mississippi | $103,000 |
| Missouri | $93,420 |
| Montana | $82,290 |
| Nebraska | $79,700 |
| Nevada | $102,590 |
| New Hampshire | $66,240 |
| New Jersey | $93,440 |
| New Mexico | $99,400 |
| New York | $127,590 |
| North Carolina | $82,060 |
| North Dakota | $82,880 |
| Ohio | $88,830 |
| Oklahoma | $80,300 |
| Oregon | $70,900 |
| Pennsylvania | $89,030 |
| South Carolina | $106,170 |
| South Dakota | $63,090 |
| Tennessee | $72,300 |
| Texas | $104,680 |
| Utah | $77,550 |
| Vermont | $84,610 |
| Washington | $106,360 |
| West Virginia | $75,890 |
| Wisconsin | $80,520 |
| Wyoming | $77,970 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Commercial Pilots
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Commercial Pilots may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Office
- SBS International Maestro Suite
- RMS Technology Flitesoft
- Electronic aircraft information databases
- MJICCS PilotLog
- Nimblefeet Technologies Captain’s Keeper
- Polaris Microsystems AeroLog Pro
- Polaris Microsystems CharterLog
- AirSmith FlightPrompt
- Skylog Services Skylog Pro
- doXstor Flight Level Logbook
- AeroPlanner
- Notam Development Group Airport Insight
- Standard generalized markup language SGML
- Navzilla
- Pilot Navigator Software Load Balance
- Flight simulation software
How do I Become a Commercial Pilot?
What kind of Commercial Pilot requirements are there?
What work experience do I need to become a Commercial Pilot?
Where do Commercial Pilots Work?
The table below shows the approximate number of Commercial Pilots employed by various industries.
You May Also Be Interested In…
Those interested in being a Commercial Pilot may also be interested in:
References:
Image Credit: Tech. Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol via U.S. Air Force photo
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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