Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
Pilot and navigate the flight of fixed-wing aircraft, usually on scheduled air carrier routes, for the transport of passengers and cargo. Requires Federal Air Transport certificate and rating for specific aircraft type used. Includes regional, national, and international airline pilots and flight instructors of airline pilots.
103,560 people do this job in the US. $232,140 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 11%
- 1%
- 88%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 9%. Today's estimate: 9%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 24 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start engines, operate controls, and pilot airplanes to transport passengers, mail, or freight, adhering to flight plans, regulations, and procedures.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 22% | 2.5 h50 min to 1 work day | Stays with people | |
| Monitor engine operation, fuel consumption, and functioning of aircraft systems during flights.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 14% | 50 min25 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Steer aircraft along planned routes, using autopilot and flight management computers.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 13% | 50 min17 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people | |
| Monitor gauges, warning devices, and control panels to verify aircraft performance and to regulate engine speed.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 10% | 38 min17 min to 1.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Work as part of a flight team with other crew members, especially during takeoffs and landings.Done several times a day by most who do it. | 7% | 38 min17 min to 1.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Choose routes, altitudes, and speeds that will provide the fastest, safest, and smoothest flights.Done daily by most who do it. | 5% | 38 min13 min to 1.3 h | 98%Half by now | |
| Use instrumentation to guide flights when visibility is poor.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 4% | 25 min13 min to 50 min | Stays with people | |
| Direct activities of aircraft crews during flights.Done several times a day by most who do it. | 3% | 38 min17 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Inspect aircraft for defects and malfunctions, according to pre-flight checklists.Done several times a day by most who do it. | 3% | 25 min17 min to 50 min | Stays with people | |
| Brief crews about flight details, such as destinations, duties, and responsibilities.Done several times a day by most who do it. | 2% | 25 min13 min to 38 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Instruct other pilots and student pilots in aircraft operations and the principles of flight.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 2% | 1.7 h50 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Evaluate other pilots or pilot-license applicants for proficiency.Done yearly or less by most who do it. | 2% | 2.5 h50 min to 5 h | Stays with people |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Commercial Pilots24% now, 27% by 2028
- Air Traffic Controllers71% now, 73% by 2028
- Airfield Operations Specialists20% now, 33% by 2028
- Aircraft Service Attendants15% now, 15% by 2028
- Captains, Mates, and Pilots of Water Vessels5% now, 8% by 2028
- Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians7% now, 8% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).