25 of the Highest Paying Aviation Jobs in 2024

The best Aviation jobs can pay up to $225,500 per year.

High Paying Aviation Jobs

• Thermodynamics Engineer

  Salary range: $117,000-$225,500 per year

  A thermodynamics engineer is a type of aerospace engineer whose duties involve constructing, designing, and testing missiles, aircraft, and spacecraft. As a thermodynamics engineer, you research materials and use computer simulations to test equipment. Problem-solving, computer, and creativity skills are vital for this career. Qualifications begin with a bachelor’s degree which qualifies you to pursue graduate-level mechanical engineering or certificate programs. Earning a master’s degree can pave the way to job advancement in this field. Employers typically prefer five years of relevant job experience. Some companies may require you to have certain clearance levels.

• Chief Pilot

  Salary range: $122,000-$207,000 per year

  A chief pilot manages the daily operations of an aviation department for an airline. As a chief pilot, your job is to oversee all pilots, ground personnel, and flight attendants. Your duties involve scheduling flights, coordinating aircraft maintenance, and ensuring the department meets all local and federal regulations. Some chief pilots monitor all day-to-day logistics for their department. This career requires a bachelor’s degree in aviation or a similar discipline. Additional qualifications include between 2,000 and 5,000 hours of flight time, current FAA certification, and excellent management skills.

• Aeronautical Engineer

  Salary range: $89,000-$172,000 per year

  An aeronautical engineer works with aircraft and their propulsion systems. As an aeronautical engineer, your job is to design, develop, and implement new procedures and technologies for the creation and maintenance of aircraft components. Specific duties involve testing new designs and materials, assessing parts that were damaged or malfunctioned during flight, and collaborating with designers, pilots, and other engineers. You play an essential role in the aircraft manufacturing process. Aeronautical engineer positions are typically available with aircraft and aerospace manufacturers, government agencies, defense contractors, and aerospace engineering firms.

• Flight Test Engineer

  Salary range: $105,500-$160,000 per year

  As a flight test engineer, your job is to oversee testing the operations and performance of aircraft in line with FAA regulations and guidelines from the manufacturer. This job frequently involves planning, managing, coordinating, and executing a full spectrum of aircraft testing, including tests on all mechanical and electronic systems. Some details of this job vary based on the kinds of aircraft with which you work. Flight test engineers may work with everything from single-engine civilian aircraft to large, military planes. Fulfilling the responsibilities and duties of a flight test engineer often requires meeting the qualifications for a security clearance, studying guides and technical manuals, contacting part manufacturers, and excellent communication skills.

• Private Pilot

  Salary range: $100,000-$155,000 per year

  As a private pilot, you can use a private pilot license (PPL) to operate a non-commercial aircraft and fly yourself or passengers around. This is essentially the recreational level of flying, and private pilots often support community events through volunteer activities like taking children on short flights to help them experience the joy of flying. Private pilots are not allowed to charge passengers, transport freight for money, or perform any other tasks that could qualify as a job. To get paid for flying an aircraft, you need at least a commercial pilot's license, and many trainees obtain a private pilot license while working toward professional licensure.

• Pilot

  Salary range: $100,000-$155,000 per year

  Pilots operate aircraft, flying people and cargo all over the world. Their job duties vary, depending on their industry. They conduct pre-flight checks to ensure the plane is in good order, coordinate with air traffic control, and assess and adjust flight paths as needed. Commercial plots update passengers on commercial flights or transport products on cargo flights. Some may even perform specialized duties, such as crop dusting in the farming industry.

• Aerospace Stress Engineer

  Salary range: $80,000-$137,000 per year

  The job duties of an aerospace stress engineer include working to test and analyze exterior aircraft structures and airplane systems. Your responsibilities in this career include performing stress tests and working to model flight conditions to assess materials and structural designs for stability, performance, and ability to meet safety standards. You work with an aerospace engineering team to modify configurations to improve performance, safety, and efficiency. You then present the results of your tests and simulations to lead engineers or other management-level employees.

• Avionics Engineer

  Salary range: $87,500-$136,500 per year

  An avionics engineer designs, programs, and implements electrical systems for aircraft and aerospace vehicles, such as satellites. These technical professionals specialize in providing computer system support for various onboard communication and navigation systems. As an avionics engineer, your job duties include developing navigation system specifications, designing electronic communication equipment, and troubleshooting systems after installation. You must also validate that the newly installed systems and any repaired equipment meet all Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) guidelines and manufacturer specifications.

• Fixed Wing Pilot

  Salary range: $110,500-$135,500 per year

  A fixed-wing pilot operates an aircraft that generates lift through a combination of airspeed and the wings’ shape, like a glider or airplane. A helicopter is an example of a rotary wing aircraft. As a commercial fixed-wing pilot, your job duties include operating a plane, using controls to fly and navigate, conducting pre-flight safety checks, monitoring fuel consumption, and transporting cargo or people between destinations. You must also be able to safely navigate through unfavorable weather conditions, respond appropriately to emergency situations, and maintain good physical and mental health.

• Air Traffic Control Specialist

  Salary range: $73,000-$135,000 per year

  The duties of an air traffic control specialist include guiding pilots, planes, and their passengers safely from and onto each runway during takeoff and landing. As an air traffic control specialist, you monitor using radar and computers and direct movement of aircraft in the air and while on land, communicating clearly with the pilots to ensure they stay a safe distance apart. Other responsibilities include working with ground traffic to coordinate vehicles, providing weather updates and runway closures to pilots, and alerting airport response staff of any airplane emergencies. When working at large airports, shifts include days, nights, weekends, and holidays. Small facilities are typically open from sunrise to sunset.

• Aerospace Engineer

  Salary range: $88,500-$132,500 per year

  Aerospace Engineers manufacture and design aircraft, satellites, missiles, aeronautical and astronautical products and technologies for development, research, defense, and commercial use. They document and evaluate the production of aircraft and aircraft technologies, including commercial and military airplanes, propulsion systems, navigation systems, instrumentation, communication, and thermodynamic and aerodynamic materials used in flight. Aerospace Engineers use highly complex computer systems and software to model, design, evaluate, and simulate parts, products, and vehicles in order to determine if proposals are financially feasible and whether designs will meet regulatory and safety standards. They confer with each other on large-scale projects that require group input, completing a multitude of tasks on a single project through the shared duties of many engineers.

• Corporate Pilot

  Salary range: $81,500-$129,500 per year

  A corporate pilot flies a company aircraft, carrying passengers for official work trips. As the corporate pilot, your duties include directing the flight crew, meeting with passengers on business travel, filing the itinerary and flight plans at the airport, and ensuring that all systems are functioning before taking off. Typically, corporate pilots work for a large business that owns corporate jets or for a private service that rents out planes when companies need them. Your responsibilities in this career also include leading safety audits and routine maintenance inspections.

• Corporate Aircraft Mechanic

  Salary range: $75,000-$127,500 per year

  The job duties of a corporate aircraft mechanic are to maintain and repair aviation equipment and systems on private or company-owned aircraft. In this career, your primary responsibilities revolve around working to inspect aircraft to ensure that it can fly safely. You also need to make sure that the planes or helicopters meet FAA standards every time they take off. You may use computer and handheld diagnostic tools to assess the condition of each company-owned aircraft.

• Airport Engineer

  Salary range: $69,500-$126,500 per year

  As an airport engineer, your primary duties include planning and designing the construction of aviation facilities so that they are safe and functional. Airport engineers, like civil engineers, study maps, survey reports, and blueprints as part of the planning and design process. You may also evaluate construction materials, job equipment, and labor costs associated with building airports. This career deals with legal responsibilities, and you must take into account government regulations and requirements to ensure airport facilities are up to code.

• Propulsion Engineer

  Salary range: $82,500-$118,000 per year

  A propulsion engineer helps build propulsion systems for aircraft, spacecraft, or missiles. Their job duties include designing, building, and testing propulsion systems. They may also develop assessment tools to determine if equipment will work in practice. A propulsion engineer often works on a large team along with other aerospace and mechanical engineers.

• Airport Planner

  Salary range: $59,000-$115,500 per year

  Airport planners contribute to the design and layouts for aviation facilities. As an airport planner, your duties may include researching and studying the area to decide the best placement for runways, terminals, maintenance buildings, and roads within the airport. You may work for non-commercial airlines and help determine where to build cargo terminals and non-commercial airports. Airport planners are also involved in large-scale projects for airport improvements and expansions, or targeted projects to reduce noise or improve traffic flow.

• Flight Engineer

  Salary range: $95,000-$115,000 per year

  As a flight engineer, it is your job to monitor an airplane’s instrument systems during flight. Your main duties are to regulate cabin pressure, communicate with dispatchers, oversee fuel use, and assist the pilot. The career requires aviation experience as well as a flight engineer (FE) license from the Federal Aviation Administration. Most commercial airlines require additional qualifications such as a bachelor’s degree in aviation. You must receive regular training throughout your career to keep your license.

• Helicopter Pilot

  Salary range: $90,000-$112,000 per year

  As a helicopter pilot, you fly a helicopter aircraft to transport passengers or cargo or gather information on the ground from a bird’s-eye view, like traffic data. Your job duties as a helicopter pilot include conducting pre-flight checks such as ensuring aircraft controls and instruments are working properly and checking weather forecasts for the flight path and then creating a flight plan. Your responsibilities are to communicate with dispatchers and air traffic controllers and to operate the helicopter properly, ensuring a safe flight.

• Avionics Manager

  Salary range: $76,500-$110,000 per year

  An avionics manager oversees the avionics department of an aviation company, airline company, or military branch, ensuring the proper function of the electronic devices and electrical systems in aircraft. As an avionics manager, your responsibilities are to plan, direct, and coordinate all departmental activities. Your duties are to implement policies and procedures, negotiate contracts, maintain relationships with vendors, supervise avionics technicians and inspectors, and evaluate staff performance. You oversee the installation and repair of avionics devices, assign tasks for scheduled maintenance and unexpected repairs, and work closely with the Chief Inspector on testing of precision equipment.

• Test Pilot

  Salary range: $84,500-$107,500 per year

  A test pilot flies new and modified aircraft to evaluate performance and safety features. Job duties include gathering observational data during test flights, documenting whether an aircraft is operating properly, and making recommendations for improvements. You can find test pilot jobs in the commercial transportation industry and with the government, through the military or the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). You must be a fully qualified pilot with some additional training for this career.

• Helicopter Mechanic

  Salary range: $45,000-$106,000 per year

  A helicopter mechanic performs maintenance service on helicopter engines and systems. As a helicopter mechanic, you use a range of tools, including sophisticated diagnostic equipment, to identify and repair mechanical and technical issues on helicopters. Making sure aircraft are safe to fly is an essential function of your job. You need certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to work as a helicopter mechanic, and you must follow FAA regulations in your day to day routine.

• Aircraft Avionics Technician

  Salary range: $55,500-$102,000 per year

  An aircraft avionics technician tests, inspects, and repairs different pieces of avionics equipment, such as fuel system gauges, radar and navigation systems, radios, and other technical equipment necessary for flying an aircraft. In this career, your duties and responsibilities include keeping careful documentation and logs of your maintenance work, adjusting or replacing components and systems that are malfunctioning, installing electrical systems, and setting up test equipment and operational support tools for ground crews. You use many different hand tools as an aircraft avionics technician, including soldering irons, voltmeters, oscilloscopes, and circuit testers.

• Airline Pilot

  Salary range: $71,000-$102,000 per year

  An airline pilot captains a commercial aircraft that carries passengers and cargo from one location to another. As an airline pilot, your duties include conducting pre-flight instrument checks, taxiing aircraft to and from airport gates and around runways, handling takeoffs and landings, and flying aircraft safely between destinations. To captain a plane, you must be capable and confident in your aviation abilities in any weather conditions and at all times of day and night.

• Aviation Program Manager

  Salary range: $88,000-$100,500 per year

  An aviation program manager is supposed to plan projects, assess the cost and schedule, find solutions to engineering problems, and oversee the project from beginning until final delivery. Your duties as an aviation program manager require you to understand many different aspects of aviation and aerospace engineering. You must also be well-versed in the business and revenue side of aviation, as well as the regulations around air transport. As a program manager, your responsibilities also include recruiting teams for projects, managing deadlines and schedules, reviewing technical specifications, and ensuring that your team finishes the deliverables on time.

• Aircraft Maintenance Manager

  Salary range: $83,000-$100,000 per year

  An aircraft maintenance manager is responsible for evaluating, performing, and managing aircraft maintenance. In this career, you oversee the repair of an aircraft and ensure the plane is ready for flight. You service the airplane’s engine, ensure the aircraft meets aviation compliance regulations, and oversee technical and engineering support. Other duties include communicating with the airline and maintaining relationships with vendors. Your responsibilities also include troubleshooting technical discrepancies and performing regular inspections. An aircraft maintenance manager controls the maintenance schedule and manages the aircraft maintenance technicians.

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