Commercial pilot demographics and statistics in the US
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Commercial pilot demographics by:
Commercial pilot gender statistics
8.1% of commercial pilots are women and 91.9% of commercial pilots are men.
- Male, 91.9%
- Female, 8.1%
Commercial pilot gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 91.9% |
| Female | 8.1% |
Commercial pilot gender pay gap
Women earn 93¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$88,267
Female income
$82,227
Commercial pilot gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in commercial pilot positions over time. Currently, 8.1% of commercial pilots are female.
Commercial pilot gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 93.49% | 6.51% |
| 2011 | 95.81% | 4.19% |
| 2012 | 91.87% | 8.13% |
| 2013 | 94.46% | 5.54% |
| 2014 | 93.70% | 6.30% |
| 2015 | 94.43% | 5.57% |
| 2016 | 91.31% | 8.69% |
| 2017 | 91.93% | 8.07% |
| 2018 | 91.91% | 8.09% |
| 2019 | 93.27% | 6.73% |
| 2020 | 92.39% | 7.61% |
| 2021 | 91.94% | 8.06% |
Commercial pilot related jobs gender ratio
We compared commercial 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 Pilot | 92% | 8% |
| 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 pilot demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among commercial pilots is White, which makes up 81.7% of all commercial pilots. Comparatively, 7.0% of commercial pilots are Hispanic or Latino and 5.5% of commercial 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 pilot race
| Commercial 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 pilot race and ethnicity over time
See how commercial pilot racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Commercial pilot race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 87.74% | 2.25% | 1.40% | 6.15% |
| 2011 | 89.02% | 2.20% | 1.03% | 5.63% |
| 2012 | 88.22% | 2.78% | 1.56% | 5.49% |
| 2013 | 87.36% | 2.23% | 1.81% | 6.01% |
| 2014 | 87.96% | 2.42% | 1.59% | 5.75% |
| 2015 | 87.35% | 2.09% | 1.75% | 6.34% |
| 2016 | 86.64% | 1.84% | 1.66% | 6.72% |
| 2017 | 87.26% | 2.93% | 1.89% | 5.82% |
| 2018 | 85.56% | 2.12% | 1.98% | 7.36% |
| 2019 | 86.48% | 1.64% | 2.20% | 6.97% |
| 2020 | 82.91% | 2.50% | 2.79% | 7.33% |
| 2021 | 81.73% | 2.69% | 2.76% | 7.03% |
Commercial pilot wage gap by race
According to our data, unknown commercial pilots have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Asian commercial pilots have the lowest average salary at $76,724.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $95,985 |
| White | $93,528 |
| Black or African American | $89,854 |
| Asian | $76,724 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $86,571 |
Average commercial pilot age
See how the average age of commercial pilots varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Commercial 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 pilot age breakdown
The average age of commercial pilots is 40+ years years old, representing 61% of the commercial pilot population.
Commercial pilot age breakdown
| Commercial Pilot Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 61% |
| 30-40 years | 27% |
| 20-30 years | 11% |
Commercial pilot educational attainment
The most common degree for commercial pilots is bachelor's degree, with 65% of commercial pilots earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 16% and associate degree degree at 10%.
- Bachelor's, 65%
- Associate, 16%
- Master's, 10%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 7%
Commercial pilots by degree level
| Commercial pilot degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 65% |
| Associate | 16% |
| Master's | 10% |
| High School Diploma | 2% |
| Other Degrees | 7% |
Commercial pilot jobs you might like
Commercial pilot wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $99,446 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $95,787 |
Commercial pilot employment statistics
Most commercial pilots work for a private in the transportation industry.
Company size where commercial pilots work
Below, you can see the size of companies where commercial pilots work.
Commercial pilot jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 5% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 16% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 38% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 13% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 13% |
| > 10,000 employees | 14% |
Commercial pilot jobs by company type
Employees with the commercial pilot job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most commercial pilots prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Commercial pilot jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 4% |
| Public | 16% |
| Private | 74% |
| Government | 6% |
Commercial pilot jobs by industry
The most common industries for commercial pilots are transportation, manufacturing and professional.
Commercial pilot industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Transportation | 36% |
| Manufacturing | 9% |
| Professional | 7% |
| Technology | 7% |
| Government | 6% |
| Fortune 500 | 6% |
| Media | 4% |
| Education | 4% |
| Hospitality | 3% |
| Construction | 3% |
| Health Care | 3% |
| Retail | 2% |
| Start-up | 2% |
| Real Estate | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
| Finance | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Agriculture | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
Commercial pilot turnover and employment statistics
Commercial pilot unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for commercial pilots between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Commercial pilot unemployment rate by year
| Year | Commercial 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 pilot tenure
The average commercial pilot stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 369 commercial pilots resumes in Zippia's database.
Commercial pilot tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 16% |
| 1-2 years | 26% |
| 3-4 years | 16% |
| 5-7 years | 17% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 20% |
Commercial pilot LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of commercial 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Parking Lot Attendant | 3.71% | 49,080 |
| Lead Packer | 4.53% | 17,228 |
| Detail Technician | 4.91% | 10,951 |
| Commercial Pilot | 8.59% | - |
| Flight Service Specialist | 13.04% | 17,220 |
| Bus Attendant | 15.05% | 51,391 |
| Airplane Flight Attendant | 31.52% | 45,893 |
Similar commercial pilot jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Parking Lot Attendant | 3.71% | 49,080 |
| Lead Packer | 4.53% | 17,228 |
| Detail Technician | 4.91% | 10,951 |
| Flight Service Specialist | 13.04% | 17,220 |
| Bus Attendant | 15.05% | 51,391 |
| Airplane Flight Attendant | 31.52% | 45,893 |
Foreign languages spoken by commercial pilots
The most common foreign language among commercial pilots is Spanish at 36.7%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Portuguese at 13.3% and French is the third-most popular at 6.7%.
- Spanish, 36.7%
- Portuguese, 13.3%
- French, 6.7%
- Russian, 6.7%
- Italian, 6.7%
- Other, 29.9%
Commercial pilot languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 36.7% |
| Portuguese | 13.3% |
| French | 6.7% |
| Russian | 6.7% |
| Italian | 6.7% |
| Other | 29.9% |
