Pilot Career Earnings Top $13M, According to Flight School

Commercial pilot pay is on par with doctors, lawyers, engineers, according to a Southern California flight school.

Meg Godlewski

Tuesday, January 10, 2023 at 04:33 PM ET

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Pilots in an aircraft flight deck. [Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

Airline pilots can achieve higher career earnings (over $13 million) and a faster return on investment compared to doctors, lawyers, or engineers, due to substantially shorter training periods.
Major airlines have dropped the requirement for a four-year college degree, enabling aspiring pilots to complete necessary training in months rather than years.
The ongoing pilot shortage has significantly increased airline pilot salaries, improved career prospects, and transformed the profession into a highly lucrative and respected career path.

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When it comes to career earnings, airline pilots can bring in a salary comparable to a doctor, lawyer, or engineer. That’s according to Torrance, California-based Sling Aviation Academy, a flight school that specializes in accelerated training for persons who want careers as airline pilots.

In a video called “Millionaire by 25 Without College,” Sling Aviation Academy co-CEOs Matt Liknaitzky and Wayne Toddun compare the path to becoming a doctor, lawyer, engineer to that of becoming an airline pilot.