Commercial airline pilot demographics and statistics in the US
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Commercial airline pilot demographics by:
Commercial airline pilot gender statistics
16.4% of commercial airline pilots are women and 83.6% of commercial airline pilots are men.
- Male, 83.6%
- Female, 16.4%
Commercial airline pilot gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 83.6% |
| Female | 16.4% |
Commercial airline pilot gender pay gap
Women earn 95¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$93,666
Female income
$89,207
Commercial airline pilot gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in commercial airline pilot positions over time. Currently, 16.4% of commercial airline pilots are female.
Commercial airline pilot gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 86.55% | 13.45% |
| 2011 | 91.10% | 8.90% |
| 2012 | 83.49% | 16.51% |
| 2013 | 88.41% | 11.59% |
| 2014 | 86.94% | 13.06% |
| 2015 | 88.36% | 11.64% |
| 2016 | 82.48% | 17.52% |
| 2017 | 83.61% | 16.39% |
| 2018 | 83.57% | 16.43% |
| 2019 | 86.12% | 13.88% |
| 2020 | 84.46% | 15.54% |
| 2021 | 83.64% | 16.36% |
Commercial airline pilot related jobs gender ratio
We compared commercial airline pilots with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, airline transport pilot and combat control have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Airline Flight Attendant | 16% | 84% |
| International Flight Attendant | 21% | 79% |
| Flight Attendant | 21% | 79% |
| Commercial Airline Pilot | 84% | 16% |
| Agricultural Aviation Pilot | 98% | 2% |
| Combat Control | 98% | 2% |
| Airline Transport Pilot | 98% | 2% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Commercial airline pilot demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among commercial airline pilots is White, which makes up 81.7% of all commercial airline pilots. Comparatively, 7.0% of commercial airline pilots are Hispanic or Latino and 5.5% of commercial airline pilots are Unknown.
- White, 81.7%
- Hispanic or Latino, 7.0%
- Unknown, 5.5%
- Asian, 2.8%
- Black or African American, 2.7%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
Commercial airline pilot race
| Commercial airline pilot race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 81.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.0% |
| Unknown | 5.5% |
| Asian | 2.8% |
| Black or African American | 2.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.3% |
Commercial airline pilot race and ethnicity over time
See how commercial airline pilot racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Commercial airline pilot race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 87.73% | 2.25% | 1.40% | 6.15% |
| 2011 | 89.01% | 2.20% | 1.03% | 5.63% |
| 2012 | 88.21% | 2.78% | 1.56% | 5.50% |
| 2013 | 87.35% | 2.23% | 1.81% | 6.02% |
| 2014 | 87.95% | 2.42% | 1.59% | 5.76% |
| 2015 | 87.35% | 2.09% | 1.75% | 6.35% |
| 2016 | 86.63% | 1.84% | 1.66% | 6.73% |
| 2017 | 87.26% | 2.93% | 1.89% | 5.82% |
| 2018 | 85.55% | 2.12% | 1.98% | 7.36% |
| 2019 | 86.48% | 1.64% | 2.20% | 6.97% |
| 2020 | 82.90% | 2.50% | 2.79% | 7.33% |
| 2021 | 81.72% | 2.69% | 2.76% | 7.03% |
Commercial airline pilot wage gap by race
According to our data, unknown commercial airline pilots have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Asian commercial airline pilots have the lowest average salary at $85,055.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $99,227 |
| White | $97,472 |
| Black or African American | $94,822 |
| Asian | $85,055 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $92,424 |
Average commercial airline pilot age
See how the average age of commercial airline pilots varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Commercial airline pilot age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 46 | |
| White | 44 | 40 |
| Black or African American | 46.5 | |
| Asian | 34 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 44 |
Commercial airline pilot age breakdown
The average age of commercial airline pilots is 40+ years years old, representing 61% of the commercial airline pilot population.
Commercial airline pilot age breakdown
| Commercial Airline Pilot Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 61% |
| 30-40 years | 27% |
| 20-30 years | 11% |
Commercial airline pilot educational attainment
The most common degree for commercial airline pilots is bachelor's degree, with 77% of commercial airline pilots earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 18% and associate degree degree at 3%.
- Bachelor's, 77%
- Associate, 18%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Diploma, 3%
Commercial airline pilots by degree level
| Commercial airline pilot degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 77% |
| Associate | 18% |
| High School Diploma | 3% |
| Diploma | 3% |
Commercial airline pilot jobs you might like
Commercial airline pilot wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $101,675 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $99,086 |
Commercial airline pilot employment statistics
Company size where commercial airline pilots work
Below, you can see the size of companies where commercial airline pilots work.
Commercial airline pilot jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 50 - 100 employees | 5% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 11% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 5% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 42% |
| > 10,000 employees | 37% |
Commercial airline pilot turnover and employment statistics
Commercial airline pilot unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for commercial airline pilots between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Commercial airline pilot unemployment rate by year
| Year | Commercial airline pilot unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 3.56% |
| 2011 | 2.99% |
| 2012 | 2.30% |
| 2013 | 2.29% |
| 2014 | 2.11% |
| 2015 | 1.19% |
| 2016 | 0.95% |
| 2017 | 1.24% |
| 2018 | 0.65% |
| 2019 | 0.93% |
| 2020 | 1.69% |
| 2021 | 2.31% |
Average commercial airline pilot tenure
The average commercial airline pilot stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 58 commercial airline pilots resumes in Zippia's database.
Commercial airline pilot tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 11% |
| 1-2 years | 25% |
| 3-4 years | 12% |
| 5-7 years | 9% |
| 8-10 years | 6% |
| 11+ years | 37% |
Commercial airline pilot LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of commercial airline pilots that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Valet Parking Attendant | 3.71% | 46,347 |
| Picker And Packer | 4.53% | 67,478 |
| Detailer | 4.91% | 6,789 |
| Commercial Airline Pilot | 8.59% | - |
| Flight Operations Specialist | 13.04% | 64,152 |
| Bus Attendant | 15.05% | 51,391 |
| Flight Attendant | 31.52% | 45,878 |
Similar commercial airline pilot jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Valet Parking Attendant | 3.71% | 46,347 |
| Picker And Packer | 4.53% | 67,478 |
| Detailer | 4.91% | 6,789 |
| Flight Operations Specialist | 13.04% | 64,152 |
| Bus Attendant | 15.05% | 51,391 |
| Flight Attendant | 31.52% | 45,878 |
Foreign languages spoken by commercial airline pilots
The most common foreign language among commercial airline pilots is Romanian at 25.0%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Portuguese at 25.0% and French is the third-most popular at 25.0%.
- Romanian, 25.0%
- Portuguese, 25.0%
- French, 25.0%
- Spanish, 25.0%
Commercial airline pilot languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Romanian | 25.0% |
| Portuguese | 25.0% |
| French | 25.0% |
| Spanish | 25.0% |