Description

• The captain's primary job is to guide his passenger airplane through a safe flight from airport to airport. He commands both the crew and passengers on his airline.
  
  

Education

• Most airlines require at least two years of college and prefer to hire college graduates. Over and above their FAA pilot's license, captains must have an air transport pilot's license, which requires a minimum of 1,500 hours of flight.
  
  

Experience

• Most captains start as first officers and flight engineers. Typically, after one to five years, engineers advance according to seniority to first officer. After five to 15 years, one becomes a captain.
  
  

Outlook

• The Bureau of Labor Statistics sees all airline pilot positions growing about as fast as has been averaged in the past. However, job growth is directly related to the growth of the airline, measured by an increase in traffic and passenger miles.
  
  

Salary

• Top salaries at the higher-paying carriers can approach $200,000 a year for about 85 hours of flying per month. However, most captains start out as a first officer or co-pilot with a regional airline and initially earn $15,000 to $20,000 a year.