How hard is it to become a military pilot?

Becoming a military pilot is considered to be extremely challenging, as it requires both physical and mental prowess, rigorous training, and a commitment to service. The process of becoming a military pilot is complex and requires strong dedication to the task.

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

What is a military 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 military pilot. For example, did you know that they make an average of $48.44 an hour? That's $100,754 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 7,700 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreMilitary PilotUS Average

Salary

7.6

Avg. Salary $100,754

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 2.74%

Black or African American 2.65%

Hispanic or Latino 6.89%

Unknown 5.51%

White 81.95%

Gender

female 7.69%

male 92.31%

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 military pilot

Explore military pilot education requirements

Most common military pilot degrees

Bachelor's

76.9 %

Master's

17.9 %

Diploma

2.6 %

Start to develop specific military pilot skills

Skills	Percentages
Helicopter	72.62%
Logistics	13.84%
Safety	13.54%

Complete relevant military pilot training and internships

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

Research military 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.
Qualify in helicopters, multi-engine transports and various training aircraft.
Coordinate with AATD and USMA to assist with visits to the UK.

Prepare your military pilot resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your military 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 military 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 military pilot resume templates

Build a professional military 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 military pilot resume.

Apply for military pilot jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a military pilot job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do military pilots rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Military pilot reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019

Pros

Every day at work was different. Each flight was different and flying an airplane well is challenging. When an airline pilot has completed their flight assignment they go home and do not think about the job until the next time they go to work. The FAA regulations require rest periods and days off for pilots. A normal flight schedule offers 8- 20 days off per month. A pilot can choose to fly trips that are 1- 12 days long. Most airlines have a seniority system. This means that the airplane and crew position are determined by the date you were hired. Generally speaking, Senior pilots are Captains that fly the airplane with highest pay rate. Senior pilots also have the best flight schedule. Starting pay at the major airlines in 2019 is about $85,000 year. Senior pilots flying wide-body airplanes can earn up to $600,000 year flying an international schedule

Cons

Jet-lag. Fatigue is a fact of life for an airline pilot. Domestic flying often includes trips that depart at 11:00 PM and arrive early in the morning. International trips fly all over the world at all hours of the day. Pilots learn to deal with jet-lag and fatigue, but it remains a fact of life for most aviators