How hard is it to become a jet pilot?

It is relatively hard to become a jet pilot. Becoming a jet pilot typically involves earning a degree, completing flight training, and earning enough flight hours. Overall, this can take anywhere from 5-10 years or more, depending on the path you take and the opportunities available to you.

How To Become A Jet Pilot: What It Is and Career Path

What is a jet pilot and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a jet pilot. For example, did you know that they make an average of $48.74 an hour? That's $101,375 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 7,700 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreJet PilotUS Average

Salary

7.6

Avg. Salary $101,375

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.9

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

5.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.26%

Asian 2.53%

Black or African American 2.23%

Hispanic or Latino 5.20%

Unknown 5.16%

White 84.62%

Gender

female 4.76%

male 95.24%

Age - 44

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 - 44

Stress level

8.9

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.2

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.4

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a jet pilot

Explore jet pilot education requirements

Most common jet pilot degrees

Bachelor's

65.7 %

High School Diploma

11.4 %

Master's

11.4 %

Start to develop specific jet pilot skills

Skills	Percentages
FAA	65.97%
Flight Operations	26.77%
Customer Service	4.09%
Fars	3.17%

Complete relevant jet pilot training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New jet pilots 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 jet pilot based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real jet pilot resumes.

Research jet pilot duties and responsibilities

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.
React with expedite mission management and delegate to the aircrews for efficient no-notice helicopter launches.

Prepare your jet pilot resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your jet pilot 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 jet pilot resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable jet pilot resume templates

Build a professional jet pilot 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 jet pilot resume.