As of June 2026, Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers has an AI-exposure score of 67/100 (High exposure) on the AI-Safe Careers index, blending O*NET tasks, the Anthropic Economic Index, the Penn/OpenAI study, and BLS data. This is an estimate of task exposure, not a prediction of job loss.
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
More exposed than 86% of the roles we track. Median pay ~US$232,140. About 11,700 projected openings a year (BLS 2024–34 — growth plus replacement).
Pay & demand figures are US medians (BLS, in USD) — your local figures will differ. Your exposure score applies broadly.
How you compare to similar Transportation roles
Your tasks, by AI exposure
- Record in log books information, such as flight times, distances flown, and fuel consumption.
- Order changes in fuel supplies, loads, routes, or schedules to ensure safety of flights.
- Coordinate flight activities with ground crews and air traffic control and inform crew members of flight and test procedures.
- Direct activities of aircraft crews during flights.
- Start engines, operate controls, and pilot airplanes to transport passengers, mail, or freight, adhering to flight plans, regulations, and procedures.
- Conduct in-flight tests and evaluations at specified altitudes and in all types of weather to determine the receptivity and other characteristics of equipment and systems.
- Instruct other pilots and student pilots in aircraft operations and the principles of flight.
- Steer aircraft along planned routes, using autopilot and flight management computers.
- Contact control towers for takeoff clearances, arrival instructions, and other information, using radio equipment.
- Work as part of a flight team with other crew members, especially during takeoffs and landings.
- Use instrumentation to guide flights when visibility is poor.
- Brief crews about flight details, such as destinations, duties, and responsibilities.
- Check passenger and cargo distributions and fuel amounts to ensure that weight and balance specifications are met.
- Choose routes, altitudes, and speeds that will provide the fastest, safest, and smoothest flights.
- Confer with flight dispatchers and weather forecasters to keep abreast of flight conditions.
- Respond to and report in-flight emergencies and malfunctions.
- Monitor engine operation, fuel consumption, and functioning of aircraft systems during flights.
- Make announcements regarding flights, using public address systems.
- Monitor gauges, warning devices, and control panels to verify aircraft performance and to regulate engine speed.
- Inspect aircraft for defects and malfunctions, according to pre-flight checklists.
No augmentable tasks identified for this role — its real, individually-assessed tasks consistently read as automatable (100%).
No durable tasks identified for this role — its real, individually-assessed tasks consistently read as automatable (100%).
Safer adjacent roles
Your AI-Safe Career Report
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AI was the most-cited reason for U.S. layoffs through mid-2026 — the workers who adapt earliest fare best. — Challenger, Gray & Christmas, 2026The upside: Workers with AI skills earn a roughly 62% wage premium — adapting pays. — PwC Global AI Jobs Barometer, 2026
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