How To Become A Flight Instructor: What It Is and Career Path

What is a flight instructor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Rodney Foster

Flight instructors educate young adults on how to fly aircraft through various methods, including live flight instruction. They develop curricula and instruct the students in a classroom setting, teaching them in various subjects such as aircraft systems, operating procedures, and so on. They earn an average salary of $52,000 annually or $25 per hour.

Flight instructors report on student progress after evaluating and monitoring their performance. They accompany the students on live flights to complete their training after completing the textbook education. Some instructors specialize as examiners or check pilots in a bid o ensure proficiency. They are truly resourceful and patient, with solid communication skills to boot.

Flight instructors generally have either Commercial Pilot Certification or Airline Transport Pilot Certification before applying to be certified flight instructors. They usually need a license for the aircraft they provide instruction for and meet the required number of hours flying that type of aircraft. Since it is a rapidly growing field, gaining experience will serve as an added advantage.

What general advice would you give to a flight instructor?

Rodney Foster

Instructor - Aviation Maintenance Technology Instructor - Airframe & Powerplant Technology, Orange Coast College

Orange Coast College (OCC) teaches Aircraft Maintenance Technology (AMT) and Avionics. Although the Government has dampened air travel by putting up restrictions to prevent a Covid-19 spread, there is still a certified mechanic/skilled labor shortage. I believe all our students will have permanent jobs within a six-month search. OCC AMT is listed as an essential workforce by the state of California and is back in classes full-time, Face-to-face labs, and online lectures. Our next semester registration maximum filled in two days and still has over 35 additional students per class on the waiting list.

ScoreFlight InstructorUS Average

Salary

4.0

Avg. Salary $51,324

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.9

Growth rate 2%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.28%

Asian 11.35%

Black or African American 6.96%

Hispanic or Latino 9.94%

Unknown 4.90%

White 66.57%

Gender

female 9.09%

male 90.91%

Age - 46

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46

Stress level

6.9

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.1

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

10.0

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a flight instructor

Explore flight instructor education requirements

Most common flight instructor degrees

Bachelor's

63.2 %

Associate

21.1 %

Master's

9.6 %

Start to develop specific flight instructor skills

Skills	Percentages
Aircraft Systems	9.03%
Syllabus	7.99%
CFI	7.90%
Flight Operations	5.77%
Training Programs	4.96%

Complete relevant flight instructor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New flight instructors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a flight instructor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real flight instructor resumes.

Gain additional flight instructor certifications

Flight instructor certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific flight instructor certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for flight instructors include Instructor and Certified Aviation Manager (CAM).

More About Certifications

Research flight instructor duties and responsibilities

Manage the daily maintenance efforts for 9 P-3C aircraft to meet short and long range flight tasking.
Manage and monitor all flight systems and electrical in-flight avionics of various commercial aircraft equipment types.
Conduct training using, CBT, stand-up lectures, PowerPoint, Wicat 2D FMS, and FTD trainers.
Diagnose, troubleshoot malfunctions and perform extensive maintenance operational checks on all systems.

Prepare your flight instructor resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your flight instructor resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a flight instructor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable flight instructor resume templates

Build a professional flight instructor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your flight instructor resume.