Best degree programs for Commercial Pilots, ranked by enrollment
2 college programs and 108 schools train Commercial Pilots. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $123,220 median wage, 47,630 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
2 college programs at 108 schools train commercial pilots, graduating 2,593 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Airline/Commercial/Professional Pilot and Flight Crew. The job pays a median of $123,220 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About commercial pilots
Pilot and navigate the flight of fixed-wing 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. Excludes regional, national, and international airline pilots.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
2 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 49.0102 | 2,557 | 98.6% | 105 | $41,774 | $23,500 |
| 2 | CIP 49.0108 | 36 | 1.4% | 5 | $41,774 | $23,500 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
What commercial pilots earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utahlimited | $99,610 | 540 | 1.02× | 2 | 393 |
| California | $165,590 | 4,900 | 0.88× | 11 | 279 |
| Indiana | $104,160 | 960 | 0.97× | 6 | 182 |
| Texas | $137,960 | 4,120 | 0.96× | 8 | 160 |
| Florida | $121,890 | 6,340 | 2.09× | 7 | 152 |
| Oregon | $120,760 | 670 | 1.11× | 5 | 146 |
| Illinoismoderate | $126,100 | 1,170 | 0.63× | 4 | 129 |
| North Carolina | $127,310 | 1,520 | 1.00× | 5 | 119 |
| Coloradomoderate | $139,680 | 1,240 | 1.40× | 3 | 115 |
| Alabamalimited | $101,420 | 780 | 1.20× | 2 | 89 |
| Missourimoderate | $102,990 | 670 | 0.75× | 4 | 88 |
| Kentuckylimited | $129,990 | 800 | 1.30× | 1 | 80 |
| Washington | $117,730 | 890 | 0.82× | 5 | 73 |
| Arkansaslimited | $94,410 | 460 | 1.15× | 2 | 61 |
| Iowalimited | $101,800 | 300 | 0.62× | 2 | 55 |
| Kansasmoderate | $105,440 | 680 | 1.53× | 4 | 47 |
| Michiganmoderate | $126,670 | 1,390 | 1.03× | 3 | 47 |
| New Jerseylimited | $226,710 | 670 | 0.51× | 2 | 37 |
| Hawaiilimited | $113,030 | 350 | 1.84× | 2 | 36 |
| Arizonalimited | $103,060 | 1,540 | 1.55× | 2 | 32 |
| Ohiolimited | $150,330 | 2,680 | 1.58× | 1 | 30 |
| Montanalimited | $103,690 | 330 | 2.13× | 1 | 28 |
| New Yorkmoderate | $177,430 | 1,070 | 0.36× | 3 | 27 |
| Pennsylvaniamoderate | $134,030 | 530 | 0.29× | 4 | 26 |
| Minnesotalimited | $98,630 | 910 | 1.01× | 2 | 23 |
| Marylandlimited | $131,210 | 360 | 0.42× | 1 | 20 |
| Nevadalimited | $105,340 | 1,100 | 2.32× | 1 | 18 |
| Louisianalimited | $95,940 | 910 | 1.54× | 1 | 17 |
| Mississippilimited | $103,640 | 240 | 0.67× | 1 | 15 |
| Wisconsinlimited | $129,860 | 1,090 | 1.21× | 2 | 14 |
| Wyominglimited | $102,990 | 190 | 2.17× | 2 | 11 |
| Oklahomalimited | $126,180 | 540 | 1.04× | 1 | 8 |
| West Virginialimited | $105,950 | 40 | 0.20× | 1 | 8 |
| Vermontlimited | $137,810 | 40 | 0.40× | 1 | 7 |
| Alaskalimited | $100,120 | 1,000 | 10.07× | 2 | 6 |
| South Dakotalimited | $83,710 | 320 | 2.31× | 1 | 6 |
| Massachusettslimited | — | 160 | 0.14× | 1 | 4 |
| Mainelimited | $117,560 | 100 | 0.49× | 1 | 4 |
| North Dakotalimited | $133,010 | 370 | 2.81× | 1 | 1 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Check aircraft prior to flights to ensure that the engines, controls, instruments, and other systems are functioning properly.
- Co-pilot aircraft or perform captain's duties, as required.
- Consider airport altitudes, outside temperatures, plane weights, and wind speeds and directions to calculate the speed needed to become airborne.
- Use instrumentation to pilot aircraft when visibility is poor.
- Monitor engine operation, fuel consumption, and functioning of aircraft systems during flights.
- Order changes in fuel supplies, loads, routes, or schedules to ensure safety of flights.
- Contact control towers for takeoff clearances, arrival instructions, and other information, using radio equipment.
- Plan flights according to government and company regulations, using aeronautical charts and navigation instruments.
Skills
- Monitoring4.1
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Active Listening3.9
- Speaking3.8
- Reading Comprehension3.8
- Active Learning3.6
- Learning Strategies3.1
- Writing3.0
Knowledge areas
- Customer and Personal Service4.2
- English Language4.0
- Transportation4.0
- Geography3.6
- Public Safety and Security3.6
- Mechanical3.4
Abilities
- Perceptual Speed4.1
- Problem Sensitivity4.1
- Control Precision4.1
- Near Vision4.1
- Depth Perception4.0
- Far Vision4.0
Core activities
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment4.9
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials4.9
- Controlling Machines and Processes4.8
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.8
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.7
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards4.7
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Commercial Pilot
Job zone 3 of 5 · SVP 6.0 to < 7.0- Typical entry education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 2 majors mapped to Commercial Pilots2 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 49.0102Airline/Commercial/Professional Pilot and Flight Crew
- 49.0108Flight Instructor
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a Commercial Pilot?+
Postsecondary nondegree award is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Airline/Commercial/Professional Pilot and Flight Crew, which awarded 2,557 degrees in 2024-25, 98.6% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Commercial Pilot?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 2 programs to this occupation. The largest are Air Transportation. Together they graduate about 2,593 people a year.
How much do commercial pilots earn?+
The median is $123,220 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $58,850 at the 10th percentile to $266,620 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for commercial pilots growing?+
BLS projects a +5.1% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, faster than average, with roughly 6,600 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
108 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 2 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do commercial pilots work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Pilot, Captain, Commercial Pilot, Helicopter Pilot among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 53-2012.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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