Community Sentiment
Do you agree?
Do you agree with the AI automation risk score calculated for this occupation?
AI Automation Index
Will AI Replace Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers?
Task-level automation exposure for Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers: 24 O*NET tasks scored against their work activities, plus the simulator.
E-E-A-T Verified
Developed & audited by Gini Loh Automation Exposure
33%
weighted task index
24 of 24 tasks scored
Median Salary
$232,140 / year
BLS OEWS, May 2025 — this exact occupation
Employment Level
High
103,560 people hold this job — size, not growth
Projected 2025–35
+8.3%
employment change
11,200 openings a year · BLS line item
Pay by state
BLS OEWS publishes 38 state estimates for this occupation. Each is its own survey estimate, not the national median adjusted for local prices.
$97,680 – $618,090
Highest medians
Georgia $618,090
Idaho $507,640
Michigan $428,570
California $353,900
Kentucky $350,950
Lowest medians
Missouri $97,680
New Hampshire $99,280
Louisiana $120,740
Nebraska $131,650
Iowa $131,730
State figures come from the 53-2011 row in the May 2025 state panel. States where the estimate was suppressed or too small to publish are absent.
What the score is made of
Each task is mapped to its work activities, scored for AI automation potential, and weighted by how important those activities are to the job. These are the components.
Automation potential 33%
Importance-weighted mean of the scored tasks. This is the headline index.
Physical work 24%
Share of weighted tasks in hands-on or machine-operating work activities.
Judgment & influence 26%
Share in analysis, decisions, teaching, directing, advising, or caring for others.
Routine administration 6%
Share in documenting, recording, and administrative activities.
Rewritten by O*NET 0%
Share of weighted tasks O*NET rewrote in a recent update. Reported, not folded into the score.
Consequence of error 77/100
High
O*NET's own rating of how serious an uncorrectable mistake would be here — respondents, not us. Deliberately not in the index: the score measures what AI can do with the task content, and multiplying it by stakes would be our judgment dressed as data.
Constituent Task Mix
24 tasks for this occupation, weighted by work-activity importance. Shares below are of total task weight, not task count.
High exposure (≥ 60% of the task is automatable) 10%
3 tasks
Medium exposure (≥ 35%) 39%
10 tasks
Low exposure (below 35%) 51%
11 tasks
How would you survive?
Move your week away from the high-exposure tasks and toward the ones that need judgment. The simulator recalculates the index as you shift the mix.
Simulate Upskilling →Constituent Tasks
#10562 · Core · 8% automatable
Use instrumentation to guide flights when visibility is poor.
situated mobility — Piloting aircraft demands real-time physical control
Pilot aircraft.
#10568 · Core · 8% automatable
Start engines, operate controls, and pilot airplanes to transport passengers, mail, or freight, adhering to flight plans, regulations, and procedures.
situated mobility — Piloting aircraft demands real-time physical control
Pilot aircraft.
#10564 · Core · 8% automatable
Work as part of a flight team with other crew members, especially during takeoffs and landings.
situated mobility — Piloting aircraft demands real-time physical control
Pilot aircraft.
#10563 · Core · 43% automatable
Respond to and report in-flight emergencies and malfunctions.
text generation — Reporting malfunctions is structured information relay
Report vehicle or equipment malfunctions. Notify others of emergencies, problems, or hazards. Respond to transportation emergencies.
#10569 · Core · 18% automatable
Inspect aircraft for defects and malfunctions, according to pre-flight checklists.
visual inspection — Physical aircraft inspection needs hands-on access and judgment
Inspect aircraft or aircraft components.
#10565 · Core · 35% automatable
Contact control towers for takeoff clearances, arrival instructions, and other information, using radio equipment.
situated mobility — Vehicle movement coordination is real-time physical
Communicate with others to coordinate vehicle movement.
#10571 · Core · 25% automatable
Monitor engine operation, fuel consumption, and functioning of aircraft systems during flights.
visual inspection — Engine monitoring requires on-machine sensing
Monitor engine operation or functioning.
#10567 · Core · 30% automatable
Monitor gauges, warning devices, and control panels to verify aircraft performance and to regulate engine speed.
visual inspection — Gauge reading requires physical presence
Monitor equipment gauges or displays to ensure proper operation.
#10566 · Core · 8% automatable
Steer aircraft along planned routes, using autopilot and flight management computers.
situated mobility — Piloting aircraft demands real-time physical control
Pilot aircraft.
#10570 · Core · 40% automatable
Check passenger and cargo distributions and fuel amounts to ensure that weight and balance specifications are met.
visual inspection — AI can review footage; human inspects physical workplace
Monitor work environment to ensure safety or adherence to specifications.
#10572 · Core · 35% automatable
Confer with flight dispatchers and weather forecasters to keep abreast of flight conditions.
situated mobility — Vehicle movement coordination is real-time physical
Communicate with others to coordinate vehicle movement.
#10574 · Core · 42% automatable
Order changes in fuel supplies, loads, routes, or schedules to ensure safety of flights.
decision support — AI suggests fixes; human resolves in operations
Resolve issues affecting transportation operations.
#10577 · Core · 50% automatable
Brief crews about flight details, such as destinations, duties, and responsibilities.
interpersonal — Work-order meetings are live coordination
Meet with coworkers to communicate work orders or plans.
#10575 · Core · 70% automatable
Choose routes, altitudes, and speeds that will provide the fastest, safest, and smoothest flights.
data analysis — Route optimization computational; human confirms
Choose optimal transportation routes or speeds.
#10576 · Core · 25% automatable
Direct activities of aircraft crews during flights.
interpersonal — Flight control coordination is real-time human safety work
Coordinate flight control or management activities.
#10578 · Core · 82% automatable
Record in log books information, such as flight times, distances flown, and fuel consumption.
text generation — Record travel operational details from provided info
Record operational details of travel.
#10582 · Core · 30% automatable
Instruct other pilots and student pilots in aircraft operations and the principles of flight.
interpersonal — Hands-on transport equipment training is physical and human
Train transportation or material moving personnel.
#10579 · Core · 55% automatable
Make announcements regarding flights, using public address systems.
information retrieval — Transport info lookup automatable; live assistance human
Provide transportation information to passengers or customers.
#10573 · Supplemental · 25% automatable
Coordinate flight activities with ground crews and air traffic control and inform crew members of flight and test procedures.
interpersonal — Flight control coordination is real-time human safety work
Coordinate flight control or management activities.
#10583 · Supplemental · 30% automatable
Conduct in-flight tests and evaluations at specified altitudes and in all types of weather to determine the receptivity and other characteristics of equipment and systems.
physical manipulation — Physical test setup and hands-on equipment operation required
Test performance of aircraft equipment.
#10580 · Supplemental · 35% automatable
File instrument flight plans with air traffic control to ensure that flights are coordinated with other air traffic.
situated mobility — Vehicle movement coordination is real-time physical
Communicate with others to coordinate vehicle movement.
#10581 · Supplemental · 37% automatable
Perform minor maintenance work, or arrange for major maintenance.
data analysis — AI schedules maintenance; human coordinates execution
Arrange maintenance activities. Maintain locomotives or other rail equipment in good working condition.
#10584 · Supplemental · 55% automatable
Evaluate other pilots or pilot-license applicants for proficiency.
decision support — Applicant evaluation needs interviews and judgment
Evaluate performance of applicants, trainees, or employees.
#10586 · Supplemental · 64% automatable
Plan and formulate flight activities and test schedules and prepare flight evaluation reports.
text generation — Record travel operational details from provided info
Plan flight operations. Record operational details of travel.
Embed this calculator on your site ↓
Bloggers & authors: Embed this interactive calculator directly in your articles or comparison guides. It loads dynamically via a responsive iframe (auto-resizing to prevent double scrollbars) and provides a direct, high-value tool for your audience.
<div class="giniloh-calculator-embed" data-calculator="airline-pilots-copilots-and-flight-engineers"></div>
<script src="https://giniloh.com/embed.js" async></script> Method
How this was scored
- 1. Tasks. O*NET task statements for this occupation, from a release whose newest record is dated 08/2026.
- 2. Work activities. Each task maps to 1–5 Detailed Work Activities; each activity belongs to one of 41 Generalized Work Activities that O*NET rates for importance (1–5) in this occupation.
- 3. Automation potential. Every work activity carries one score for how far current AI can perform it end-to-end. Tasks inherit the mean of their activities.
- 4. Weighting. Task weight = 0.35 + 0.65 × (importance − 1)/4, scaled by how often the task is performed and by 0.7 for Supplemental tasks. Importance is the task's own O*NET rating where it exists (18,369 of 18,838 tasks); the rest inherit their work activities' importance. The index is the weighted mean.
Check: across the 910 occupations where O*NET also rates how far machine speed sets the pace, this index moves opposite to it (Spearman ρ = -0.49). The more a job is paced by equipment, the less of its task content AI can address — the relationship you would expect if the scoring is working.
Sources · O*NET 31.0 (task records to 08/2026) · BLS OEWS May 2025 · BLS projections 2025-2035 · rubric v2.1 · tasks for O*NET, not a forecast
See the full method →Related Article
Best AI Proof Jobs in a Changing Market
Worried robots are coming for your paycheck? You’re not alone—but the real story is far more hopeful. This guide cuts through the scare headlines to reveal exactly where smart, sustainable career opportunities exist right now. We’ve curated a list of true ai proof jobs—roles in healthcare, skilled trades, and cybersecurity that not only survive automation but thrive because of human judgment and empathy. You’ll get specific, money-making data on projected growth (the BLS says wind turbine technicians, for instance, will grow 44% by 2032), real salary ranges from active job listings, and a simple self-assessment quiz to identify your own most resilient path. Plus, we name companies hiring today and the niche job boards they use. Stop worrying and start planning—your secure career is closer than you think.
Read Article ->