Commercial Pilots
Transportation and Material Moving · SOC 53-2012
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 53-2012 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 0.0%
- Low · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 60/100
- High friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $123,220
- H-1B offered wage $150,000; LCAs are filings.
- Projected openings
- 4,600
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +5.1%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 17
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 7,845 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Transition context
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
AI could do ~23.9% of this role but only ~0% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
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.
Common titles: Captain, Charter Pilot, Check Airman, Commercial Helicopter Pilot, Commercial Pilot, EMS Helicopter Pilot (Emergency Medical Service Helicopter Pilot)
Representative Tasks
- •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.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Pilot aircraft.
- •Inspect aircraft or aircraft components.
- •Choose optimal transportation routes or speeds.
- •Monitor engine operation or functioning.
- •Resolve issues affecting transportation operations.
Tools & Technologies
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 0.0% | 0.2% |
| Outlook | Bright ↗ | 20% Bright |
| Median Salary | $123,220 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |