Commercial pilots
SOC Code: 53-2012
Commercial pilots carries a 50% AI exposure score (High automation risk), with a median annual wage of $122,670 and +5.1% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 55,400 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 50% AI exposure, Commercial pilots sits 13 points above the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 87% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
63/100
Commercial pilots, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage A+ $122,670
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth B+ +5.1%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) F 50% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Commercial pilots in the High band.
Credential × growth standing
Associate / award entry with a named growth shelf
Entry credential Associate / award covers 99 of 832 occupations; BLS places this one in Average (378/832). Mid-credential standing - thicker than graduate shelves, thinner than HS-dominated mass.
Where Commercial pilots sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Commercial pilots sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
50% Higher than most higher than 87% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Commercial pilots vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Commercial pilots is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Commercial pilots's High automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score in the 40–70% range indicates meaningful automation pressure on specific task categories, but the role as a whole still requires human judgment for coordination, exception handling, or client interaction.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 53-2012) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Commercial pilots be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Commercial pilots. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Check aircraft prior to flights to ensure that the engines, controls, instruments, and other systems are functioning properly.
- 2. Co-pilot aircraft or perform captain's duties, as required.
- 3. Consider airport altitudes, outside temperatures, plane weights, and wind speeds and directions to calculate the speed needed to become airborne.
- 4. Use instrumentation to pilot aircraft when visibility is poor.
- 5. Monitor engine operation, fuel consumption, and functioning of aircraft systems during flights.
- 6. Order changes in fuel supplies, loads, routes, or schedules to ensure safety of flights.
- 7. Contact control towers for takeoff clearances, arrival instructions, and other information, using radio equipment.
- 8. Plan flights according to government and company regulations, using aeronautical charts and navigation instruments.
- 9. Start engines, operate controls, and pilot airplanes to transport passengers, mail, or freight according to flight plans, regulations, and procedures.
- 10. Check baggage or cargo to ensure that it has been loaded correctly.
Key Skills Required
- Operation and Control
- Operations Monitoring
- Monitoring
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Active Learning
- Complex Problem Solving
Knowledge Areas
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Transportation
- Geography
- Public Safety and Security
- Mechanical
- Law and Government
- Computers and Electronics
- Physics
- Mathematics
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Commercial pilots?
Commercial pilots has an AI exposure score of 50%, indicating a high level of automation risk. Some tasks in this role can be augmented or partially automated by AI, but core responsibilities require human judgment.
What is the job outlook for Commercial pilots?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Commercial pilots is projected to grow by 5.1% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 55,400 workers.
What skills are needed for Commercial pilots?
Key skills for Commercial pilots include Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Monitoring, and others. Typical entry-level education is Postsecondary nondegree award.
How much do Commercial pilots earn?
The median annual wage for Commercial pilots is $122,670, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Commercial pilots?
The typical entry-level education for Commercial pilots is Postsecondary nondegree award. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Moderate-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Commercial pilots?
Commercial pilots roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
High automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. A moderate share of tasks may be augmented by AI tools.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Commercial pilots: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (50% here).
- Broadcast technicians · AI exposure 50%
- Engineers, all other · AI exposure 50%
- Veterinary assistants and laboratory animal caretakers · AI exposure 50%
- Cartographers and photogrammetrists · AI exposure 49%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+5.1% here).
- Aircraft service attendants · growth +5.1%
- Animal trainers · growth +5.1%
- Cooks, private household · growth +5.1%
- Emergency medical technicians · growth +5.1%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 19 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Commercial pilots' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Commercial pilots side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).