Overview
1. Automation Risk
2. User Poll
3. Growth
4. Wages
5. Volume
Decription
Comments

Commercial Pilots

AUTOMATION RISK
CALCULATED
55%
risk level
POLLING
38%
Based on 2,070 votes
LABOR DEMAND
GROWTH
5.1%
by year 2032
WAGES
$113,080
or $54.36 per hour
Volume
52,750
as of 2023
SUMMARY
JOB SCORE
6.0/10

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Comments (74)

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Automation risk

55% (Moderate Risk)

Moderate Risk (41-60%): Occupations with a moderate risk of automation usually involve routine tasks but still require some human judgment and interaction.

More information on what this score is, and how it is calculated is available here.

Some quite important qualities of the job are difficult to automate:

  • Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions

  • Manual Dexterity

  • Finger Dexterity

  • Assisting and Caring for Others

  • Social Perceptiveness

User poll

38% chance of full automation within the next two decades

Our visitors have voted there's a low chance this occupation will be automated. However, the automation risk level we have generated suggests a higher chance of automation: 55% chance of automation.

What do you think the risk of automation is?

What is the likelihood that Commercial Pilots will be replaced by robots or artificial intelligence within the next 20 years?






Sentiment

The following graph(s) are included wherever there is a substantial amount of votes to render meaningful data. These visual representations display user poll results over time, providing a significant indication of sentiment trends.

Sentiment over time (quarterly)

Sentiment over time (yearly)

Growth

Moderate growth relative to other professions

The number of 'Commercial Pilots' job openings is expected to rise 5.1% by 2032

Total employment, and estimated job openings

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period between 2021 and 2031
Updated projections are due 09-2023.

Wages

Very high paid relative to other professions

In 2023, the median annual wage for 'Commercial Pilots' was $113,080, or $54 per hour

'Commercial Pilots' were paid 135.3% higher than the national median wage, which stood at $48,060

Wages over time

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Volume

Moderate range of job opportunities compared to other professions

As of 2023 there were 52,750 people employed as 'Commercial Pilots' within the United States.

This represents around < 0.001% of the employed workforce across the country

Put another way, around 1 in 2 thousand people are employed as 'Commercial Pilots'.

Job description

Pilot and navigate the flight of fixed-wing aircraft on nonscheduled air carrier routes, or helicopters. Requires Commercial Pilot certificate. Includes charter pilots with similar certification, and air ambulance and air tour pilots. Excludes regional, national, and international airline pilots.

SOC Code: 53-2012.00

Comments

Leave a comment

Hayden (No chance) 15 days ago
I am training to become a pilot. Knowing how complicated everything is and how many things can go wrong, I would never step foot on an AI-flown plane. What will AI do when an emergency that it hasn't been programmed for occurs? If you go look through the history of incidents, you'll find that there are way more complicated issues than a simple engine failure that can occur. Not to mention the concern of hacking.
0 0 Reply
Ryan (No chance) 20 days ago
It's already dangerous enough as it is so I don't think it'll be wise to let AI take control of planes, especially with all its faults. Maybe in 50 years at least.
0 0 Reply
.. 11 days ago
planes are the single safest form of transportation there is but i agree it will take atleast 50 yrs
0 0 Reply
asdf (Low) 22 days ago
people don't trust em
0 0 Reply
Bao Nam (No chance) 25 days ago
Because flying airplanes is very hard to do, if done not correctly, the plane could crash, the A.I is smart but some times the A.I will have errors that cannot be fixed. I think just that.
0 0 Reply
Sina (No chance) 2 months ago
A human being is required to accept legal responsibility
0 0 Reply
grummangrouse45 (Uncertain) 3 months ago
The technology required to do it is almost here, the only significant hurdle is the trust of passengers. Once the general population trusts AI/robots enough to put their lives in it's hands, pilots won't be as needed. However, that day may never come, and there are still things which technology can't do yet (respond to emergencies, handle passengers, aircraft repairs, etc.).
0 0 Reply
Dee Snuts (No chance) 3 months ago
If the automated system went down because of a storm or someone forgetting to turn their phone on airplane mode then every passenger is screwed
1 0 Reply
luhenba (Low) 3 months ago
the reason why i have voted 'low' because anyone will not be willing to sit in a plane operated by computer or A.I without any human input and will you be comfortable to travel in a plane with only A.I inputs?
0 0 Reply
Anonymous (Low) 6 months ago
People would not trust robots, which are feared, to fly them, especially when flying is also feared by most people. They would much rather trust humans who can reassure them and are experienced. Also, companies would also be hesitant to incorporate robots as many of them do not have the money required and any lawsuits following a crash would be devastating and would end the whole industry potentially.
0 0 Reply
Rip (Low) 7 months ago
No flight is the same. No robot could do what sully did.
0 0 Reply
LeftE81 (No chance) 8 months ago
They can't handle emergencies
0 0 Reply
Autofill (No chance) 8 months ago
I can’t even trust robots driving my car let alone flying my airplane. It might also be easier to hack a robot.
0 0 Reply
Sumik Chhaliwal (Low) 9 months ago
I don't think robots will fully take over the "Commercial Pilot" job 'cause you always need human intelligence instead of artificial intelligence for a safe journey.
0 0 Reply
Sai rithwik (Low) 12 months ago
I don't believe robots can take on the role of commercial pilots due to the potential risks involved.

Allowing robots to operate planes that carry varying numbers of passengers, such as smaller regional jets accommodating around 50 to 100 passengers, and larger airliners like the Boeing 737 or Airbus A320 series carrying between 140 to 240 passengers, or wide-body aircraft like the Boeing 777 or Airbus A380 with capacities ranging from around 300 to over 800 passengers, could pose significant risks to people's lives.

The possibility of robot malfunctions raises concerns about placing full trust in their abilities.
0 0 Reply
Etienne (Low) 1 year ago
While yes there is an auto pilot in the cockpit now a days that is not ai this is a program at this stage AI is trying to guess what will come next. So while automation will be of assistance it will not be able to handle emergencies well. Meaning there is still human intervention needed at some point
0 0 Reply
Eli (Low) 1 year ago
Most passengers feel like they need at least 1 human pilot to be safe. you can program a robot to do something but it has no clue what to do if something goes wrong.
0 0 Reply
Michael pare (Highly likely) 1 year ago
It’s only FAA approval and public acceptance that are in the way.
0 1 Reply
Guilermo (No chance) 1 year ago
Safety and safety perception will make this area to be delayed decades to be fully automated. Government regulations and risk main factors.
0 0 Reply
Sky World (No chance) 1 year ago
As a student pilot, I need to learn to analyze a chart and do geometry for navigation. (Even tho we have an iPad) Learn air physics, phraseology etc. Make real time critical decision. Probably the last job but AI will enhance us!. Might as well replace 99% of the office workers with automation.

And IT/Engineers? We need them. But 80% less people.
0 0 Reply
Rhys (Moderate) 1 year ago
Because automation will likely be able to fully automate most systems with human oversight
0 0 Reply

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