Line pilot demographics and statistics in the US
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Line pilot demographics by:
Line pilot gender statistics
10.7% of line pilots are women and 89.3% of line pilots are men.
- Male, 89.3%
- Female, 10.7%
Line pilot gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 89.3% |
| Female | 10.7% |
Line pilot gender pay gap
Women earn 94¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$90,765
Female income
$85,179
Line pilot gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in line pilot positions over time. Currently, 10.7% of line pilots are female.
Line pilot gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 91.31% | 8.69% |
| 2011 | 94.35% | 5.65% |
| 2012 | 89.20% | 10.80% |
| 2013 | 92.57% | 7.43% |
| 2014 | 91.57% | 8.43% |
| 2015 | 92.53% | 7.47% |
| 2016 | 88.49% | 11.51% |
| 2017 | 89.28% | 10.72% |
| 2018 | 89.25% | 10.75% |
| 2019 | 91.02% | 8.98% |
| 2020 | 89.87% | 10.13% |
| 2021 | 89.30% | 10.70% |
Line pilot related jobs gender ratio
We compared line 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% |
| Line Pilot | 89% | 11% |
| 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%
Line pilot demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among line pilots is White, which makes up 81.5% of all line pilots. Comparatively, 7.2% of line pilots are Hispanic or Latino and 5.6% of line pilots are Unknown.
- White, 81.5%
- Hispanic or Latino, 7.2%
- Unknown, 5.6%
- Asian, 2.8%
- Black or African American, 2.7%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
Line pilot race
| Line pilot race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 81.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.2% |
| Unknown | 5.6% |
| Asian | 2.8% |
| Black or African American | 2.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.2% |
Line pilot race and ethnicity over time
See how line pilot racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Line pilot race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 87.50% | 2.29% | 1.42% | 6.31% |
| 2011 | 88.77% | 2.24% | 1.05% | 5.78% |
| 2012 | 87.97% | 2.82% | 1.58% | 5.65% |
| 2013 | 87.11% | 2.26% | 1.83% | 6.17% |
| 2014 | 87.71% | 2.46% | 1.61% | 5.91% |
| 2015 | 87.11% | 2.13% | 1.76% | 6.50% |
| 2016 | 86.39% | 1.88% | 1.67% | 6.88% |
| 2017 | 87.02% | 2.97% | 1.91% | 5.97% |
| 2018 | 85.32% | 2.16% | 1.99% | 7.51% |
| 2019 | 86.24% | 1.68% | 2.22% | 7.12% |
| 2020 | 82.66% | 2.54% | 2.81% | 7.48% |
| 2021 | 81.48% | 2.73% | 2.78% | 7.19% |
Line pilot wage gap by race
According to our data, unknown line pilots have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Asian line pilots have the lowest average salary at $80,052.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $97,846 |
| White | $95,598 |
| Black or African American | $92,227 |
| Asian | $80,052 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $89,201 |
Average line pilot age
See how the average age of line pilots varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Line 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 |
Line pilot age breakdown
The average age of line pilots is 40+ years years old, representing 61% of the line pilot population.
Line pilot age breakdown
| Line Pilot Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 61% |
| 30-40 years | 27% |
| 20-30 years | 11% |
Line pilot educational attainment
The most common degree for line pilots is bachelor's degree, with 63% of line pilots earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 18% and associate degree degree at 7%.
- Bachelor's, 63%
- Associate, 18%
- Master's, 7%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Other Degrees, 5%
Line pilots by degree level
| Line pilot degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 63% |
| Associate | 18% |
| Master's | 7% |
| High School Diploma | 7% |
| Other Degrees | 5% |
Line pilot jobs you might like
Line pilot wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $101,002 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $97,665 |
Line pilot employment statistics
Most line pilots work for a private in the transportation industry.
Company size where line pilots work
Below, you can see the size of companies where line pilots work.
Line pilot jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 8% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 14% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 29% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 5% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 20% |
| > 10,000 employees | 23% |
Line pilot jobs by company type
Employees with the line pilot job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most line pilots prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Line pilot jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 2% |
| Public | 32% |
| Private | 62% |
| Government | 4% |
Line pilot jobs by industry
The most common industries for line pilots are transportation, technology and manufacturing.
Line pilot industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Transportation | 33% |
| Fortune 500 | 11% |
| Technology | 9% |
| Manufacturing | 7% |
| Health Care | 7% |
| Professional | 7% |
| Hospitality | 5% |
| Internet | 3% |
| Government | 3% |
| Real Estate | 3% |
| Media | 2% |
| Telecommunication | 2% |
| Education | 2% |
| Pharmaceutical | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Retail | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Agriculture | 1% |
| Insurance | 1% |
Line pilot turnover and employment statistics
Line pilot unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for line pilots between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Line pilot unemployment rate by year
| Year | Line 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 line pilot tenure
The average line pilot stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 384 line pilots resumes in Zippia's database.
Line pilot tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 19% |
| 1-2 years | 37% |
| 3-4 years | 12% |
| 5-7 years | 12% |
| 8-10 years | 6% |
| 11+ years | 13% |
Line pilot LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of line 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 Parker | 3.71% | 3,214 |
| Auto Detailer | 4.91% | 11,018 |
| Feeder | 5.16% | 695 |
| Line Pilot | 8.59% | - |
| Airport Tower Controller | 13.04% | 15,879 |
| Ship Steward | 15.05% | 42,173 |
| International Flight Attendant | 31.52% | 46,599 |
Similar line pilot jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Valet Parker | 3.71% | 3,214 |
| Auto Detailer | 4.91% | 11,018 |
| Feeder | 5.16% | 695 |
| Airport Tower Controller | 13.04% | 15,879 |
| Ship Steward | 15.05% | 42,173 |
| International Flight Attendant | 31.52% | 46,599 |
Foreign languages spoken by line pilots
The most common foreign language among line pilots is Spanish at 50.0%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Carrier at 20.0% and Cherokee is the third-most popular at 10.0%.
- Spanish, 50.0%
- Carrier, 20.0%
- Cherokee, 10.0%
- German, 10.0%
- French, 10.0%
Line pilot languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 50.0% |
| Carrier | 20.0% |
| Cherokee | 10.0% |
| German | 10.0% |
| French | 10.0% |