What Does an Airline Pilot/First Officer Do?

Airline pilot first officers are professional pilots who are responsible for assisting the captain in flight preparation and operation of an aircraft. These pilots are required to conduct a pre-flight inspection of the aircraft to ensure that all navigation, safety, and operating systems are properly working. They are required to communicate with the air traffic control unit during take-off, flight, and landing. Airline pilot first officers must also maintain navigation manuals and charts and should act quickly during emergencies to ensure the safety of passengers.

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Airline Pilot/First Officer Responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real airline pilot/first officer resumes representing typical tasks they are likely to perform in their roles.

Serve as a professional pilot managing a flight crew and ensuring safe transportation of VIP's internationally.
Assist with all aspects of administration, logistics and equipment inventory, ensuring successful financial execution.
License in both single-engine and multi-engine airplanes.

Airline Pilot/First Officer Job Description

Between the years 2018 and 2028, airline pilot/first officer jobs are expected to undergo a growth rate described as "as fast as average" at 6%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. So if the thought "should I become an airline pilot/first officer?" Has crossed your mind, maybe you should take the growth rate into account. In addition, the number of airline pilot/first officer opportunities that are projected to become available by 2028 is 7,000.

Airline pilot/first officers average about $45.59 an hour, which makes the airline pilot/first officer annual salary $94,830. Additionally, airline pilot/first officers are known to earn anywhere from $74,000 to $120,000 a year. This means that the top-earning airline pilot/first officers make $56,000 more than the lowest earning ones.

Once you've become an airline pilot/first officer, you may be curious about what other opportunities are out there. Careers aren't one size fits all. For that reason, we discovered some other jobs that you may find appealing. Some jobs you might find interesting include a flight engineer manager, flight superintendent, flight commander, and flight engineer.

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Airline Pilot/First Officer Jobs You Might Like

5 Airline Pilot/First Officer Resume Examples

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Carolyn Rodriguez Airline Pilot/First Officer Contact Information Jacksonville, FL (280) 555-1651 crodriguez@example.com Skills TSA CFI Instructor Pilot Patience Efficient Operation Accurate Information Data Entry Positive Attitude Proper USE Safety Procedures Employment History Airline Pilot/First Officer 2014 - Present Subway Jacksonville, FL Worked independently for hours at a time and felt comfortable taking charge in emergency situations. Radio Controlled In-Game Blimp and UAV Pilot Flights and aerial imaging for all ACC Basketball Tournaments Directed and oversaw the day-to-day flight operations. Fly remote controlled helicopter with camera equipment mounted on bottom. Provide flight operations, safety, and technical support to airline customers in multiple aircraft types and models. Airline Pilot/First Officer 2009 - 2014 Trihydro Tampa, FL Manage pilots, company aircraft and operations manual. Trained new crew chiefs in flight operations that ranged from aeromedical training to mission critical roles in the aircraft during flight. Customer Service Agent 2004 - 2009 Verizon Tampa, FL Received and placed telephone calls. Access and update customer accounts in computer billing system. Managed escalations Developed highly empathetic client relationships and earned reputation for exceeding sales goals. Researched and follow-up with customer complaints or inquiries. Education Bachelor's Degree Aviation 2001 - 2004 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach Daytona Beach, FL


Cynthia Cox Airline Pilot/First Officer Contact Info Kalamazoo, MI (350) 555-7404 ccox@example.com Skills ProceduresFederal AviationFlight OperationsCompany AircraftCrew MembersSICRadio EquipmentNVGWeather ConditionsCrew Resource Management Employment History Airline Pilot/First Officer 2016 - Present Battle Creek Kalamazoo, MI Maintained flight operations staffing, training and procedures documents per FAA and DCMA requirements Developed training curriculum for all certified UAV positions Airline Pilot/First Officer 2012 - 2016 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI Complied with all Federal Aviation Administration regulations and operating procedures. Collaborate with staff to execute programs in accordance to company policies and regulatory guidelines. Graduated as a fully qualified AH-64D Longbow Apache pilot Attained additional civilian instrument and commercial helicopter pilot ratings through FAA testing Directed and assisted Pilot-In-Command in emergency procedures. Airline Pilot 1999 - 2005 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI Experienced in international operations to countries including Mexico, Canada, Belize, and multiple countries in the Caribbean. Responded to major aircraft accident investigations for FedEx, Airline Pilots Association, and United States Air Force. Manage pilots, company aircraft and operations manual. Trained crew members to company and FAA standards. Provided leadership for flight team, coordinating with other crew members, especially during takeoffs and landings. Education Master's Degree Aviation 2005 - 2006 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI Bachelor's Degree Aviation 1990 - 1993 Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI


Cynthia Cox Airline Pilot/First Officer Kalamazoo, MI (350) 555-7404 ccox@example.com Experience Airline Pilot/First Officer2016 - Present Battle Creek•Kalamazoo, MI Maintained flight operations staffing, training and procedures documents per FAA and DCMA requirements Developed training curriculum for all certified UAV positions Airline Pilot/First Officer2012 - 2016 Western Michigan University•Kalamazoo, MI Complied with all Federal Aviation Administration regulations and operating procedures. Collaborate with staff to execute programs in accordance to company policies and regulatory guidelines. Graduated as a fully qualified AH-64D Longbow Apache pilot Attained additional civilian instrument and commercial helicopter pilot ratings through FAA testing Directed and assisted Pilot-In-Command in emergency procedures. Airline Pilot1999 - 2005 Western Michigan University•Kalamazoo, MI Experienced in international operations to countries including Mexico, Canada, Belize, and multiple countries in the Caribbean. Responded to major aircraft accident investigations for FedEx, Airline Pilots Association, and United States Air Force. Manage pilots, company aircraft and operations manual. Trained crew members to company and FAA standards. Provided leadership for flight team, coordinating with other crew members, especially during takeoffs and landings. Skills ProceduresFederal AviationFlight OperationsCompany AircraftCrew MembersSICRadio EquipmentNVGWeather ConditionsCrew Resource Management Education Master's Degree Aviation2005 - 2006 Western Michigan University•Kalamazoo, MI Bachelor's Degree Aviation1990 - 1993 Western Michigan University•Kalamazoo, MI

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Airline Pilot/First Officer Skills and Personality Traits

We calculated that 32% of Airline Pilot/First Officers are proficient in Customer Service, Flight Operations, and ATP. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Problem-solving skills, and Quick reaction time.

We break down the percentage of Airline Pilot/First Officers that have these skills listed on their resume here:

Customer Service, 32%
Perform exceptional levels of customer service to my passengers to ensure satisfaction and a calm atmosphere through constant communication.
Flight Operations, 15%
Directed domicile flight operations in Chicago and Honolulu flight domiciles overseeing operations, pilot proficiency and domicile business functions.
ATP, 14%
Assisted with the administration of the unit aircrew training program (ATP).
Federal Aviation, 14%
Complied with all Federal Aviation Administration regulations and operating procedures.
Operations Manuals, 13%
Maintain familiarity with Company's Operations Manual as are necessary to fulfil his function both professionally and safely.
Air Traffic Control, 10%
Coordinate communications between air traffic control to ensure required rules and regulations was approved before every flight day.

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Some of the skills we found on airline pilot/first officer resumes included "customer service," "flight operations," and "atp." We have detailed the most important airline pilot/first officer responsibilities below.

The most important skills for an airline pilot/first officer to have in this position are communication skills. In this excerpt that we gathered from a airline pilot/first officer resume, you'll understand why: "pilots must speak clearly when conveying information to air traffic controllers and other crew members" According to resumes we found, communication skills can be used by a airline pilot/first officer in order to "improved communications throughout flight operations by providing better administrative detail and organization to the flight division. "

Another commonly found skill for being able to perform airline pilot/first officer duties is the following: problem-solving skills. According to a airline pilot/first officer resume, "pilots must be able to identify complex problems and figure out appropriate solutions." Check out this example of how airline pilot/first officers use problem-solving skills: "resolved numerous conflicts arising in daily flight operations. "

Quick reaction time is also an important skill for airline pilot/first officers to have. This example of how airline pilot/first officers use this skill comes from a airline pilot/first officer resume, "pilots must respond quickly, and with good judgment, to any impending danger." Read this excerpt from a resume to understand how vital it is to their everyday roles and responsibilities, "total time: kc-135 = 3600+ hrs c-7 = 2201 hrs ground school aircraft systems instructor. "

See the full list of airline pilot/first officer skills.

After discovering the most helpful skills, we moved onto what kind of education might be helpful in becoming an airline pilot/first officer. We found that 66.7% of airline pilot/first officers have graduated with a bachelor's degree and 9.5% of people in this position have earned their master's degrees. While most airline pilot/first officers have a college degree, you may find it's also true that generally it's possible to be successful in this career with only a high school degree. In fact, our research shows that one out of every eight airline pilot/first officers were not college graduates.

Those airline pilot/first officers who do attend college, typically earn either a aviation degree or a management degree. Less commonly earned degrees for airline pilot/first officers include a biology degree or a mechanical engineering degree.

Since salary is important to some airline pilot/first officers, it's good to note that they are figured to earn the highest salaries at Republic Airways Holdings, SkyWest Airlines, and CommutAir. If you were to take a closer look at Republic Airways Holdings, you'd find that the average airline pilot/first officer salary is $94,633. Then at SkyWest Airlines, airline pilot/first officers receive an average salary of $94,574, while the salary at CommutAir is $93,628.

View more details on airline pilot/first officer salaries across the United States.

Some other companies you might be interested in as a airline pilot/first officer include Us Navy, American Airlines, and United States Army Corps of Engineers. These three companies were found to hire the most airline pilot/first officers from the top 100 U.S. educational institutions.

The three companies that hire the most prestigious airline pilot/first officers are:

Republic Airways Holdings11 Airline Pilot/First Officers Jobs

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What Flight Engineer Managers Do

A Flight Commander is the leader of a constituent portion of an aerial squadron in aerial operations, often into combat. The position is traditionally held by a captain, naval lieutenant, or air force flight lieutenant.

In this section, we take a look at the annual salaries of other professions. Take flight engineer manager for example. On average, the flight engineer managers annual salary is $12,543 lower than what airline pilot/first officers make on average every year.

Even though airline pilot/first officers and flight engineer managers have vast differences in their careers, a few of the skills required to do both jobs are similar. For example, both careers require flight operations, air traffic control, and cfr in the day-to-day roles.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. An airline pilot/first officer responsibility is more likely to require skills like "customer service," "atp," "federal aviation," and "operations manuals." Whereas a flight engineer manager requires skills like "dod," "security procedures," "control systems," and "in-flight." Just by understanding these different skills you can see how different these careers are.

On average, flight engineer managers reach similar levels of education than airline pilot/first officers. Flight engineer managers are 0.6% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 4.8% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

What Are The Duties Of a Flight Superintendent?

A Flight Engineer monitors and controls various aircraft systems, such as airplanes and helicopters. They ensure that all components of the plane are in proper working order, as well as diagnose and rectify problems that may arise.

Now we're going to look at the flight superintendent profession. On average, flight superintendents earn a $19,519 lower salary than airline pilot/first officers a year.

But both careers also use different skills, according to real airline pilot/first officer resumes. While airline pilot/first officer responsibilities can utilize skills like "customer service," "atp," "federal aviation," and "operations manuals," some flight superintendents use skills like "logistics," "flight safety," "training programs," and "combat."

On the topic of education, flight superintendents earn similar levels of education than airline pilot/first officers. In general, they're 4.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 4.8% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

How a Flight Commander Compares

The flight commander profession generally makes a lower amount of money when compared to the average salary of airline pilot/first officers. The difference in salaries is flight commanders making $24,158 lower than airline pilot/first officers.

There are many key differences between these two careers as shown by resumes from each profession. Some of those differences include the skills required to complete responsibilities within each role. As an example of this, an airline pilot/first officer is likely to be skilled in "customer service," "atp," "federal aviation," and "operations manuals," while a typical flight commander is skilled in "combat," "logistics support," "usaf," and "afb."

Flight commanders are known to earn higher educational levels when compared to airline pilot/first officers. Additionally, they're 9.3% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 3.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Description Of a Flight Engineer

Now, we'll look at flight engineers, who generally average a lower pay when compared to airline pilot/first officers annual salary. In fact, the difference is about $9,795 per year.

While their salaries may vary, airline pilot/first officers and flight engineers both use similar skills to perform their jobs. Resumes from both professions include skills like "flight operations," "crew resource," and "aircraft operations. "

Each job requires different skills like "customer service," "atp," "federal aviation," and "operations manuals," which might show up on an airline pilot/first officer resume. Whereas flight engineer might include skills like "faa," "simulator," "dod," and "combat."

The average resume of flight engineers showed that they earn similar levels of education to airline pilot/first officers. So much so that the likelihood of them earning a Master's Degree is 3.1% less. Additionally, they're less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 4.0%.

Updated October 2, 2020