Read Boeing’s forecast in context
Boeing published its Pilot and Technician Outlook on July 22, 2025, covering the period 2025-2044. The manufacturer estimates that the world will need approximately 2.37 million new commercial aviation professionals: 660,000 pilots, 710,000 technicians and 1,000,000 cabin crew members.
For North America, the forecast indicates 119,000 pilots, 123,000 technicians and 193,000 cabin crew members, for a total of 435,000 people. For China, it indicates 124,000 pilots; for Southeast Asia, 62,000; for South Asia, 45,000; and for Northeast Asia, 23,000.
Boeing sells aircraft. The higher the demand for personnel, the stronger the justification for the aircraft market. This forecast is a manufacturer’s estimate, not a promise of employment, and it assumes growth in air traffic that other factors, such as economic or public health crises, may alter.
Add the BLS figures
The BLS projects growth of 7% between 2025 and 2035 for airline pilots, commercial pilots and flight engineers combined. It describes this as much faster than the average for all occupations. Projected growth is 8% for airline pilots and 5% for commercial pilots, with approximately 16,400 openings per year.
The group’s median salary was US$210,020 in May 2025. Airline pilots earned US$232,140 and commercial pilots US$123,220. The gap between the two subcategories is notable: commercial pilots work in a variety of activities (regional transport, aerial work and specialized services) where pay is lower.
These figures describe the U.S. market. They also reflect experienced pilots: an entry-level pilot does not earn the median salary, and the path to an airline position may involve years of low-paid flying.
Follow the licensing sequence
The BLS describes the U.S. sequence of Federal Aviation Administration certificates: student pilot, private pilot, instrument rating, commercial pilot, multi-engine rating, then airline transport pilot (ATP). Each stage requires a knowledge test and a practical flight test.
The BLS page provides some benchmarks: 40 hours of instrument flight and 50 hours of cross-country flight as pilot-in-command for the instrument rating. It does not specify the total number of hours required for the airline transport pilot licence, stating only that it includes flight-hour requirements.
Rules differ from country to country and are published by national authorities. International students must therefore check which licence is recognized in the country where they want to work and how to convert a licence obtained elsewhere.
Compare pilot profiles in a table
The following table reproduces the U.S. figures from the BLS. It does not apply as is to another country.
| Category (United States) | Growth 2025-2035 | Median salary, May 2025 | Typical training according to the BLS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airline pilots | 8% | US$232,140 | Bachelor’s degree in any field, plus flight training |
| Commercial pilots | 5% | US$123,220 | Flight training; a degree is sometimes preferred |
The difference in pay and training between the two rows is a reminder that “pilot” encompasses very different careers, from commercial passenger transport to agricultural or sightseeing flights.
The BLS specifies that airline pilots generally have a bachelor’s degree in any field in addition to their flight training, whereas commercial pilots primarily need flight training, with some employers requiring or preferring a degree. The 16,400 annual openings also include replacing pilots who leave the occupation or retire, not just the creation of new positions.
Check medical and age requirements
The BLS specifies that applicants for a commercial certificate must pass a medical examination, one requirement of which is vision correctable to 20/20. Pilots must then undergo periodic medical examinations, generally every year or every two years. The U.S. federal age limit of 65 applies to pilots working for air carriers subject to Part 121 of the FAA regulations; it does not apply to all commercial pilots.
These requirements apply in the United States. Other countries have different medical categories and age limits, which must be checked with the local authority.
Candidates interested in flying benefit from undergoing a medical fitness examination before incurring major expenses. A health problem that makes it impossible to obtain the certificate, discovered after several months of training, represents a considerable financial loss. Authorities publish lists of approved medical examiners and the criteria for each certificate category; some conditions, such as colour vision or hearing, may rule out specific roles without ruling out other aviation occupations.
Assess costs and financing
The sources consulted do not publish a total training cost that can be compared across countries or an average duration. The cost depends on the type of program: integrated training at a flight school, a university program with flight hours, or modular training through a club or private school.
A few questions can help you compare schools:
- does the cost include all flight hours, or only some?
- does the school own its fleet, and how many students are there per aircraft?
- how many students obtain their commercial licence within the stated time frame?
- is the school approved by the national aviation authority?
- what first jobs do its graduates hold?
Financing through borrowing increases the risk, especially if early-career earnings are low. Airlines sometimes offer sponsorship programs, but their conditions vary.
Also consider occupations related to flying
Boeing estimates that 710,000 technicians will be needed by 2044, a higher number than for pilots. The BLS projects growth of 6% for aircraft mechanics and technicians between 2025 and 2035, with a median salary of US$80,180 in May 2025; the typical entry-level qualification is a non-university certificate, most often obtained through a maintenance program approved by the aviation authority.
These occupations require neither a pilot medical examination nor hundreds of flight hours paid for by the student. They suit people who are attracted to aviation but concerned about the cost or medical constraints of flying. Airframe and powerplant certificates (A&P in the United States) are separate, and employers often prefer mechanics who hold both.
Plan for industry cycles
Aviation is cyclical. Economic, public health or geopolitical crises can reduce hiring for several years. Boeing’s forecast covers twenty years and does not indicate how hiring will change from one year to the next.
Graduates who complete their training during a slowdown may wait a long time for a first position. It is useful to consider what you would do during that period: work as a flight instructor, take a job in another aviation occupation or pursue a university degree.
A university degree, even one not directly related to flying, is required or preferred by some employers, according to the BLS information on airline pilots. It also provides a fallback plan. Flight schools affiliated with a post-secondary institution allow students to combine the two, but they increase the total duration and cost.
What about Canada?
In Canada, pilot training takes place through flight schools and university or college programs under the supervision of Transport Canada, whose licensing pages could not be consulted for this article. The precise conditions can be found on the authority’s website. North America, according to Boeing, will need 119,000 new pilots by 2044.
For international students, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada exempts flight school graduates from the language proficiency evidence requirement when applying for a post-graduation work permit, according to the page consulted. The other conditions for this permit still need to be reviewed on the same page. StudyCanada lists, among others, Science and Aviation and Geography and Aviation at the University of Waterloo. These two programs combine a university degree with flight training leading to a licence, according to Waterloo’s official pages.