How to become an airline pilot

1. 1Get a first-class medical and start flight training

   Time: A few weeks to startCost: Aviation medical exam feeSources 5, 12, 1

   Airline captains must hold a first-class FAA medical certificate, so get one from an aviation medical examiner before spending heavily on training; a disqualifying condition is far better found early. Then choose a route: a university aviation program, a Part 141 or Part 61 flight school, or military pilot training. The private pilot certificate comes first and requires at least 40 hours of flight time, including 20 with an instructor and 10 solo.

2. 2Add the instrument rating, commercial certificate and multiengine rating

   Time: About 1-2 years total, depending on paceCost: Flight training feesSources 6, 1

   The instrument rating teaches flying in clouds by reference to instruments alone. The commercial pilot certificate requires at least 250 hours of flight time, including 100 hours as pilot in command, and lets you be paid to fly. Add a multiengine rating, since airliners all have two or more engines. Each credential has its own FAA knowledge test and checkride with an examiner.

3. 3Build flight time toward the ATP minimums

   Time: 1-2 yearsCost: Usually paid workSources 2, 3

   The standard ATP requires 1,500 hours, including 500 hours of cross-country, 100 hours at night and 75 hours of instrument time. Most civilian pilots build these hours as flight instructors, which requires a separate CFI certificate, or by flying charters, banner tows, skydivers or survey flights. Graduates of FAA-authorized aviation bachelor's programs can apply at 1,000 hours, and associate graduates at 1,250.

4. 4Complete the ATP Certification Training Program and knowledge test

   Time: About 1-2 weeksCost: Course and test fees (vary by provider)Sources 4

   Before you can take the ATP knowledge test for a multiengine airplane, federal rules require an approved ATP Certification Training Program from a Part 121, 135, 141 or 142 training provider. It includes at least 30 hours of classroom instruction on aerodynamics, weather, air carrier operations and crew leadership, and at least 10 hours in simulators, including 6 hours in a full flight simulator of a multiengine turbine airplane of at least 40,000 pounds, practicing stalls, upset recovery and bad-weather operations.

5. 5Get hired and pass airline training

   Time: Several weeks to a few monthsCost: Paid as a new hireSources 3, 7, 1

   Most new airline pilots start as first officers at regional carriers. New-hire training, which BLS describes as several weeks of ground school and flight training, covers company procedures, aircraft systems and simulator sessions. It ends with the ATP practical test and a type rating for the airplane, both required to sit in either seat. You must be at least 23 for a full ATP or 21 for a restricted one.

6. 6Upgrade to captain or move to a larger airline

   Time: Several years, set by senioritySources 7, 8

   To act as captain at a Part 121 airline you need 1,000 hours as a Part 121 first officer or in certain other qualifying roles, plus a type rating for the aircraft. When you upgrade depends on your seniority number and the airline's hiring and retirements. Many pilots later move to major or cargo carriers, starting again at the bottom of that airline's seniority list. All airline flying ends at 65.

Programs, tuition and graduates’ earnings

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15). Scorecard groups programs by 4-digit field, so a row can include related programs. Tuition is the median published undergraduate tuition and fees of the colleges offering the program (shown only for undergraduate credentials); debt is the median of programs’ median federal loan debt at completion; earnings are the national median for the field and credential four years after completion.

Requirements differ by state. Check your state’s rules in the CareerOneStop License Finder (U.S. Department of Labor) before you enroll.

Crew coordination

Airline flying is a two-pilot job, and safe operations depend on clear callouts, cross-checking each other and speaking up when something looks wrong.

Procedural discipline

Checklists, standard operating procedures and ATC clearances must be followed exactly, flight after flight, even when a crew is tired or behind schedule.

Decision-making under pressure

Weather, mechanical problems and medical emergencies demand fast choices about diverting, holding or returning, with limited fuel and time.

Systems and automation knowledge

Modern jets are flown through flight management computers and autopilots, and pilots must know what the automation is doing and when to take over by hand.

Clear radio communication

Busy airports require pilots to hear, read back and act on rapid ATC instructions in standard English phraseology without mistakes.

Resilience to irregular schedules

Early reports, red-eyes, reserve duty and time-zone changes are routine, and pilots must manage fatigue to stay legal and safe.

O*NET 31.0 rates these skills as most important for the occupation: active listening, critical thinking, monitoring, reading comprehension, speaking.

Training cost

$37.9K–$129K

Before financial aid

Time

4-6 years

Typical path

Median pay

$232,140

All US jobs: $50,980

Payback once qualified

Under 1 year

Pay above the all-jobs median vs. cost

Low: 4 years x $9,472, the College Scorecard median published in-state tuition at public colleges for air transportation bachelor's programs, which covers the degree airlines prefer but no flying (the case for military-trained pilots, whose flight training the service provides). High: the same tuition plus $90,827, South Dakota State University's official 2026-27 estimate of flight costs for its aviation degree (private, instrument, commercial single and multiengine, CFI and CFII), which it bills on top of tuition, room and board. Flight costs vary widely by school and region. Excludes housing, FAA test and examiner fees, medical exams and the ATP CTP course. Graduates' median federal loan debt is $21,136.

Rough guide only: ignores taxes, aid, interest and earnings given up during training. How we calculate it.

• Captain

  First officers upgrade when seniority allows and they have 1,000 hours of qualifying Part 121 or equivalent time, then complete captain training and a type rating checkride.

• Major or cargo airline pilot

  Regional pilots with turbine time and a clean record apply to larger passenger or cargo carriers, which usually means starting over as a junior first officer on a bigger aircraft.

• Check airman or simulator instructor

  Experienced line pilots can train and evaluate other pilots for their airline, which requires the airline's and the FAA's approval.

• Chief pilot or flight operations manager

  Senior captains move into management roles overseeing a pilot base, training department or flight operations.

• Corporate or charter pilot$123,220 median

  Some pilots move to business aviation or charter flying for different schedules; see our commercial pilot page for that path.