transportation · United States edition
It’s easy to be an Airline Pilot.
An airline pilot flies passenger or cargo aircraft for a commercial carrier, earning a median $232,140 a year (BLS, 2025). Getting there means climbing a ladder of FAA certificates -- private, instrument, commercial, then Airline Transport Pilot -- which needs 1,500 total flight hours, a bachelor's degree most major airlines expect, and typically 2 to 4 years building hours as a flight instructor before an airline will hire you.
Last verified Version 1By Editorial Team
Key facts
United States- Median salary (2025)
$232,140/yr
Range $106,710 – $463,830
- Time to qualify
2–6 years
Most pilots starting from zero experience take 2-4 years to reach the 1,500 flight hours the standard Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate requires, usually building hours as a flight instructor or charter pilot; military pilots and graduates of FAA-approved aviation degree programs can qualify faster under reduced-hour pathways.
- Cost to qualify
$70,000 – $125,000
Covers flight training from zero experience through a commercial pilot certificate and flight instructor rating (private, instrument, commercial, multi-engine, CFI); does not include the years of paid flying needed afterward to log the remaining hours toward 1,500. Figures cross-checked across multiple flight-school cost breakdowns; actual cost varies widely by school, aircraft type, and how efficiently a student progresses.
- Job outlook (2025-2035)
+8% growth
About 16,400 openings per year
All figures apply to United States. Salaries, licensing, and timelines differ by country — where other editions exist, switch between them at the top of the page.
Is it easy for you?
Tell us where you are now and get a personalized gap analysis for becoming an Airline Pilot — what you’ve already met, what’s left, and your likely remaining time. Computed from the sourced requirements on this page; nothing is stored unless you explicitly ask us to introduce you to a programme afterwards.
How to become an Airline Pilot — step by step
- 1
Earn a private pilot certificate 2-4 months
Complete ground school and flight training, then pass an FAA knowledge test and check ride.
- 2
Add an instrument rating 1-3 months
Train to fly by reference to instruments alone; the hours logged here count toward the later ATP requirement.
- 3
Earn a commercial pilot certificate and multi-engine rating 3-6 months
The minimum credential needed to be paid to fly; most students add a flight instructor (CFI) certificate at this stage.
- 4
Build flight hours as a flight instructor or charter/cargo pilot 1.5-3 years
Most pilots teach or fly charter and cargo routes to accumulate the 1,000-1,500 total flight hours the ATP certificate requires.
- 5
Complete the ATP Certification Training Program (ATP-CTP) and earn the ATP certificate 2-4 weeks
Once hours and the age-23 minimum are met, complete the required multi-crew training program and pass the ATP knowledge and practical tests.
- 6
Apply to a regional or major airline and complete type-rating training 2-3 months
Airlines put new hires through aircraft-specific type-rating and crew-resource-management training before line flying.
Requirements to be an Airline Pilot
- Bachelor's degree (any field)educationRequired
Not an FAA requirement for the ATP certificate itself, but effectively required by nearly all major U.S. airlines as a hiring prerequisite; regional airlines are more flexible.
- Private pilot certificatelicenseRequired
First FAA certificate in the sequence; requires ground school, flight training, a knowledge test, and a check ride.
- Instrument ratingcertificationRequired
Required before the commercial certificate; at least 75 of the required hours must be instrument flight time (14 CFR 61.159).
- Commercial pilot certificate with multi-engine ratinglicenseRequired
Minimum credential to fly for compensation; most aspiring airline pilots also earn a flight instructor certificate to build hours.
- Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificatelicenseRequired
Standard path requires 1,500 total flight hours including 500 cross-country, 100 night, 75 instrument and 250 pilot-in-command (14 CFR 61.159); reduced to 1,000 hours with an FAA-approved bachelor's aviation degree or 1,250 hours with an approved associate's degree (14 CFR 61.160). Minimum age 23 for the unrestricted certificate.
- First-class FAA medical certificatecertificationRequired
Must be renewed every 6-12 months depending on age; failing to maintain it can end a pilot's flying career.
A day in the life of an Airline Pilot
A flying day starts with a pre-flight briefing covering weather, fuel, and the flight plan, followed by a walkaround inspection of the aircraft with the first officer or captain. In the cockpit, pilots run checklists, coordinate with air traffic control and cabin crew, and monitor automated systems during cruise while staying ready to fly manually if conditions demand it. Schedules run on irregular blocks of flying days followed by days off, cross multiple time zones, and often include overnight layovers away from home -- the tradeoff for a career built around a seniority list rather than a fixed 9-to-5.
Is it worth it to be an Airline Pilot?
The ceiling is genuinely high -- a $232,140 median at the airlines -- but that number describes a seniority-weighted average, not a starting salary. Pay, schedule, and even where you're based are set by a strict seniority list that can take years to climb, and you'll spend $70,000-$125,000 on training before an airline hires you, with several more years of lower-paid instructing or charter flying to log enough hours to qualify. It suits people who can absorb that upfront cost and years of irregular, junior-list schedules and overnight layovers away from home. It's a poor fit for anyone who needs fast income, can't relocate to wherever they're based, or wants predictable hours early in a career -- and a first-class medical certificate you fail to maintain can end it at any point, including a mandatory retirement at 65.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Assuming the $232,140 median describes new-hire pay -- airline pay scales are entirely seniority-based, and it typically takes years at a carrier to approach the median.
- Choosing a flight school on price alone without checking its accreditation and Part 141 vs. 141 status, which affects eligibility for reduced-hour ATP pathways and financing options.
- Underestimating the years of lower-paid flight instructing or charter flying most pilots need to log hours between the commercial certificate and the 1,500-hour ATP threshold.
- Ignoring recurring costs after hiring -- medical exam renewals, currency requirements, and type-rating training -- that continue throughout a pilot's career, not just during initial training.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a college degree to become an airline pilot?
The FAA does not require one for the ATP certificate itself, but nearly every major U.S. airline requires a bachelor's degree in any field as a hiring prerequisite. Regional airlines and cargo carriers are often more flexible.
How many flight hours do I need for an airline job?
1,500 total flight hours for the standard Airline Transport Pilot certificate, reduced to 1,000 hours with an FAA-approved bachelor's aviation degree or 1,250 hours with an approved associate's degree (14 CFR 61.160).
How much does it cost to become an airline pilot?
Roughly $70,000-$125,000 to train from zero experience through a commercial pilot and flight instructor certificate, based on cross-checked flight-school cost breakdowns. That covers the credentials, not the years of paid flying afterward needed to log the rest of the 1,500 hours.
What's the difference between a commercial pilot and an airline pilot?
BLS tracks them as separate occupations with separate median wages: $123,220 for commercial pilots versus $232,140 for airline pilots (2025), reflecting the higher qualification bar and seniority-based pay scales at airlines.
How fast is airline pilot hiring growing?
BLS projects 8% growth for airline pilots specifically from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average. The often-cited figure of about 16,400 annual openings is a combined BLS estimate for airline and commercial pilots together -- the agency does not publish openings separately by code.
Can military experience shorten the path?
Yes. Military pilots who meet FAA experience standards under 14 CFR 61.73 can apply directly to airlines or qualify for reduced-hour ATP pathways, with some programs crediting military flight time toward a lower hour threshold.
Sources
Every figure on this page traces to one of these primary sources.
- 114 CFR 61.153 -- ATP eligibility requirements — Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute (14 CFR / FAA) · accessed September 9, 2026
- 214 CFR 61.159 -- ATP aeronautical experience requirements — Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute (14 CFR / FAA) · accessed September 9, 2026
- 314 CFR 61.160 -- Restricted ATP reduced-hour pathway — Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute (14 CFR / FAA) · accessed September 9, 2026
- 4BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook -- Airline and Commercial Pilots — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · accessed September 9, 2026
- 5Here's What It Actually Costs To Train As A US Commercial Pilot In 2026 — Simple Flying · accessed September 9, 2026
- 6How Much Does it Cost to Become a Pilot — ATP Flight School · accessed September 9, 2026
- 7O*NET 53-2011.00 -- Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers — O*NET OnLine (U.S. Department of Labor) · accessed September 9, 2026