Pilot demographics and statistics in the US
Pilot demographics research summary. Zippia estimates pilot demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our pilot estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about pilots after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 32,861 pilots currently employed in the United States.
- 29.3% of all pilots are women, while 70.7% are men.
- The average pilot age is 44 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of pilots is White (81.5%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (7.2%), Unknown (5.6%) and Asian (2.8%).
- Pilots are most in-demand in Columbus, OH.
- The transportation industry is the highest-paying for pilots.
- San Francisco, CA pays an annual average wage of $118,389, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women pilots earned 94% of what men earned.
- 9% of all pilots are LGBT.
- Wyoming is the best state for pilots to live.
- Pilots are 66% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Pilot demographics by:
Pilot gender statistics
29.3% of pilots are women and 70.7% of pilots are men.
- Male, 70.7%
- Female, 29.3%
Pilot gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 70.7% |
| Female | 29.3% |
Pilot gender pay gap
Women earn 94¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$78,267
Female income
$73,450
Pilot gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in pilot positions over time. Currently, 29.3% of pilots are female.
Pilot gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 75.19% | 24.81% |
| 2011 | 82.81% | 17.19% |
| 2012 | 70.44% | 29.56% |
| 2013 | 78.23% | 21.77% |
| 2014 | 75.81% | 24.19% |
| 2015 | 78.14% | 21.86% |
| 2016 | 68.92% | 31.08% |
| 2017 | 70.61% | 29.39% |
| 2018 | 70.54% | 29.46% |
| 2019 | 74.51% | 25.49% |
| 2020 | 71.91% | 28.09% |
| 2021 | 70.65% | 29.35% |
Pilot related jobs gender ratio
We compared 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% |
| Pilot | 71% | 29% |
| 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%
Pilot demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among pilots is White, which makes up 81.5% of all pilots. Comparatively, 7.2% of pilots are Hispanic or Latino and 5.6% of 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%
Pilot race
| 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% |
Pilot race and ethnicity over time
See how pilot racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Pilot race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 87.49% | 2.29% | 1.42% | 6.31% |
| 2011 | 88.76% | 2.24% | 1.05% | 5.79% |
| 2012 | 87.96% | 2.82% | 1.58% | 5.65% |
| 2013 | 87.10% | 2.27% | 1.83% | 6.18% |
| 2014 | 87.70% | 2.46% | 1.61% | 5.91% |
| 2015 | 87.10% | 2.13% | 1.76% | 6.50% |
| 2016 | 86.38% | 1.88% | 1.67% | 6.88% |
| 2017 | 87.01% | 2.97% | 1.91% | 5.98% |
| 2018 | 85.31% | 2.16% | 1.99% | 7.52% |
| 2019 | 86.23% | 1.68% | 2.22% | 7.13% |
| 2020 | 82.65% | 2.54% | 2.81% | 7.49% |
| 2021 | 81.47% | 2.73% | 2.78% | 7.19% |
Pilot wage gap by race
According to our data, unknown pilots have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Asian pilots have the lowest average salary at $69,030.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $84,372 |
| White | $82,434 |
| Black or African American | $79,527 |
| Asian | $69,030 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $76,918 |
Average pilot age
See how the average age of pilots varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
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 |
Pilot age breakdown
The average age of pilots is 40+ years years old, representing 61% of the pilot population.
Pilot age breakdown
| Pilot Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 61% |
| 30-40 years | 27% |
| 20-30 years | 11% |
Pilot educational attainment
The most common degree for pilots is bachelor's degree, with 59% of pilots earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 15% and associate degree degree at 10%.
- Bachelor's, 59%
- Associate, 15%
- Master's, 10%
- High School Diploma, 9%
- Other Degrees, 7%
Pilots by degree level
| Pilot degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 59% |
| Associate | 15% |
| Master's | 10% |
| High School Diploma | 9% |
| Other Degrees | 7% |
Pilot jobs you might like
Pilot wage gap by degree level
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $87,093 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $84,216 |
Pilot employment statistics
Most pilots work for a private in the transportation industry.
Company size where pilots work
Below, you can see the size of companies where pilots work.
Pilot jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 4% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 14% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 21% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 10% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 24% |
| > 10,000 employees | 28% |
Pilot jobs by company type
Employees with the pilot job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most pilots prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Pilot jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 2% |
| Public | 25% |
| Private | 66% |
| Government | 7% |
Pilot jobs by industry
The most common industries for pilots are transportation, professional and technology.
Pilot industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Transportation | 30% |
| Fortune 500 | 12% |
| Professional | 7% |
| Technology | 7% |
| Government | 6% |
| Hospitality | 5% |
| Manufacturing | 4% |
| Retail | 4% |
| Media | 3% |
| Health Care | 3% |
| Energy | 3% |
| Telecommunication | 2% |
| Automotive | 2% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Insurance | 2% |
| Real Estate | 2% |
| Education | 2% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Agriculture | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
Pilot turnover and employment statistics
Pilot unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for pilots between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Pilot unemployment rate by year
| Year | 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 pilot tenure
The average pilot stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 11,984 pilots resumes in Zippia's database.
Pilot tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 29% |
| 1-2 years | 30% |
| 3-4 years | 13% |
| 5-7 years | 13% |
| 8-10 years | 5% |
| 11+ years | 11% |
Pilot LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of 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 Attendant | 3.71% | 45,127 |
| Inspector Packer | 4.53% | 33,923 |
| Service Porter | 4.91% | 10,027 |
| Pilot | 8.59% | - |
| Traffic Controller | 13.04% | 17,859 |
| Bus Attendant | 15.05% | 51,391 |
| Flight Purser | 31.52% | 1,429 |
Similar pilot jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Parking Attendant | 3.71% | 45,127 |
| Inspector Packer | 4.53% | 33,923 |
| Service Porter | 4.91% | 10,027 |
| Traffic Controller | 13.04% | 17,859 |
| Bus Attendant | 15.05% | 51,391 |
| Flight Purser | 31.52% | 1,429 |
Foreign languages spoken by pilots
The most common foreign language among pilots is Spanish at 47.3%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 11.7% and German is the third-most popular at 5.7%.
- Spanish, 47.3%
- French, 11.7%
- German, 5.7%
- Japanese, 5.3%
- Portuguese, 4.3%
- Other, 25.7%
Pilot languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 47.3% |
| French | 11.7% |
| German | 5.7% |
| Japanese | 5.3% |
| Portuguese | 4.3% |
| Other | 25.7% |
