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Commercial Pilots
Flies passengers and cargo safely from place to place.
Read the full guide
Pilots plan flights, check the aircraft and weather, fly, and handle problems in the air. Airline pilots start as first officers and become captains; other pilots fly cargo, charters, medical helicopters or teach flying.
The guide checks the courses against your plan, with things to try each year. Free account needed.
High school courses that build toward it
- English 10 · English
Builds reading and writing, which this job uses.
- Computer Science Principles · Computer Science
Builds computers and electronics, which this job uses.
- Human Geography · Social Studies
Builds geography, which this job uses.
- Business Law · Career and Technical
Builds law and government, which this job uses.
- Physics · Science
Builds physics, which this job uses.
- Physical Education · Health and PE
Builds working with customers and clients, which this job uses.
Ranked by how much the job relies on what each course teaches, from O*NET's knowledge ratings. Your school's own courses and the counselor have the final word.
Commercial Pilots on O*NET OnLine · O*NET 31.0 (U.S. Department of Labor, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections 2025.