(Photo above of a high performance cessna 182 | Photovcourtesy of Professional Air)
As an independent aviation business owner, and parent of three college-aged children, consider this: before you commit thousands of dollars on a college degree with no guarantee of employment, why not consider a career where the number of jobs exponentially outnumbers the available candidates? Look to the skies and start flying high! This could be the one career choice you can truly bank on in the coming decades.
The media is full of reports about the alarming worldwide shortage of qualified pilots. As baby boomer captains retire in the next couple of decades, there will not be nearly enough qualified pilots to replace them in the cockpits of the world’s largest airliners, corporate jets and privately owned and operated aircraft. The Boeing Company estimates that between now and 2034, the industry will need over 550,000 new commercial pilots, with the shortage hitting its peak in 2027. That translates into more than 30,000 new jobs each year, far greater than the current pilot pipeline can support.
So the aviation industry is facing a crisis. It desperately needs to find new ways to attract young people into the profession and efficiently transform them into qualified commercial aviators in order to meet the growing worldwide demand for air travel. This is excellent news for prospective pilots, because it means higher entry-level salaries and greater opportunities for advancement.
Traditionally, the two main challenges to becoming a career pilot were the high cost of training and low entry-level wages. True, the cost to earn all of your ratings is about $75,000. Then you’ve got to find a way to reach the 1,500 hours of flight time required by the FAA, which traditionally meant long hours teaching students, bouncing around in the right seat of a trainer.
And that was just to land an interview with a regional airline. But now, you can get that opportunity without all the hours, simply by having your ratings and delivering a solid performance at your interview. Some of these carriers will now hire a candidate with as little as 600 hours experience, and then pay for them to complete their 1,500 hours. In fact, many airlines will now even pay for the final FAA-required airline credential, the ATP certificate (Airline Transport Pilot).
The airlines have also begun to ratchet up those meager entry-level salaries. Ten years ago, a rookie pilot might earn less than $18,000 their first year. Now, new hires are starting out at annual salaries over $28,000, and it is not unusual to see hiring bonuses for top-notch candidates. Once hired, the ‘transition time’ from first officer to captain is accelerating, offering much better pay and benefits.
For those with international aspirations, pilots can easily double or triple their compensation, especially in Asia. It is estimated that China will need to hire nearly 100 pilots a week for the next 20 years to meet skyrocketing travel demand. As a result, Chinese airlines are dangling lucrative pay packages, sometimes in excess of $300,000 per year, at experienced foreign pilots. And in some cases, those salaries are just some of the compensation perks being offered.
For some, working for the airlines may be the first step in their career, after which they will seek jobs flying for private or on-demand aircraft providers. In Bend and elsewhere, a growing number of individuals and entities are using private aircraft to support their personal and business travel needs. Most require the services of an experienced pilot to fly and manage that aircraft. These arrangements offer pilots the benefit of being able to choose where they live, often with more schedule flexibility, while typically earning over $60,000 per year.
Becoming a pilot is just one of the ways you can get involved in aviation. If you have the aptitude and interest to learn how things work, obtaining your A&P (Airframe & Powerplant) Certificate will allow you to pursue a career in the growing fields of aircraft maintenance, avionics and manufacturing. Many types of engineers, aeronautical and others, are in high demand, obtaining high-paying jobs in dozens of aviation-related fields.
Want to learn more? Interested in exploring the world of aviation? Ready to take a Discovery Flight? Simply come visit Professional Air, located at the Bend Airport. Talk with one of our Certified Flight Instructors about careers in aviation and let the fun begin.
Gwil Evans
Professional Air
President and General Manager
541-388-0019
541-408-2630
Gwil@ProfessionalAir.com
www.ProfessionalAir.com
