Aviation Industry Careers - Air Traffic Control, Pilot, More
The air travel industry always slows a bit when the country is in a recession, but if you look at long-term trends, this is an industry that will only grow as more and more people begin traveling by plane.
Becoming a pilot isn't your only option either. Along with flying a plane or being a flight engineer, you can also become an air traffic controller. All of these jobs easily have $100K potential. In fact, the median pilot/co-pilot salary in 2007 was over $145,000, and the median air traffic controller salary that same year was over $112,000.
Most commonly, you need a bachelor's degree to get a $100k+ job in the air transportation industry, but that isn't always true. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that only 73.6% of all airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers have a bachelor's degree. Better yet, degree or not, when you become a pilot, copilot, engineer, or air traffic controller, you start out with a high salary. This isn't an industry where you need to climb the ladder for a decade or two before you'll see those six figures.
Think outside the box, too, if you've taken some flight lessons and want to make a career in the air transportation industry. Have you considered the following jobs?
- Private Flight Instructor: Depending on where you live and who you teach, you may be able to see a huge salary by teaching others to fly. With this type of career, you need experience, so this isn't something for beginners.
- Air Tour Guide: Start your own "flight-seeing" tour, and you definitely have $100k+ potential. There are some hurdles to jump here - you need to have a lot of money to start up, because you'll need your own plane or helicopter, you need to have a lot of experience, and you need to live in an area where people want tours by air, like Alaska or Hawaii. It's an option, though!
- Commercial Pilot: Commercial pilots are like truck drivers in the air. If you become a commercial pilot, you may not make over $100,000 at first, but the top 75% make six figures annually.
Don't overlook the airline and airport industry in your quest for a $100K+ job. Most people first think of flight attendants and baggage handlers when they think of air transportation, but there are absolutely more lucrative careers in this industry as well.
Utilizing $100KJobFinder you can be on top of the industry and the many job opportunities.