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Small Aircraft Pilot Jobs in Oregon (NOW HIRING)

Merlin Labs

Staff Engineer, Core Flight Controls

OR · On-site +1

$200K - $265K/yr

The Merlin Pilot autonomy system powers a growing range of aircraft and mission profiles and has ... Being part of the Merlin team allows you to become part of a small team that supports professional ...

Merlin Labs

Senior Systems Engineer, Integration

OR · On-site +1

$165K - $215K/yr

The Merlin Pilot autonomy system powers a growing range of aircraft and mission profiles and has ... Being part of the Merlin team allows you to become part of a small team that supports professional ...

Merlin Labs

Autonomy Software Engineer

OR · On-site +1

$130K - $175K/yr

The Merlin Pilot autonomy system powers a growing range of aircraft and mission profiles and has ... Being part of the Merlin team allows you to become part of a small team that supports professional ...

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Small Aircraft Pilot information

See Oregon salary details

$50.8K

$92.1K

$140.6K

How much do small aircraft pilot jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 1, 2026, the average yearly pay for small aircraft pilot in Oregon is $92,137.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $75,100.00 and $107,800.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a small aircraft pilot?

A Small Aircraft Pilot operates and navigates small planes, typically for personal, business, charter, or instructional purposes. They may transport passengers, cargo, or perform specialized tasks like aerial surveying or photography. Pilots must follow flight plans, monitor weather conditions, and ensure the aircraft's safety and performance. They typically hold a private or commercial pilot license, depending on the type of work they perform.

What are the typical daily responsibilities of a small aircraft pilot?

A Small Aircraft Pilot's daily responsibilities often include conducting pre-flight inspections, reviewing weather conditions, filing flight plans, and ensuring payload and weight balance meet safety regulations. Once in flight, pilots navigate the aircraft, communicate with air traffic control, and continuously monitor systems and instruments to maintain a safe flight. After landing, they complete post-flight checks, document flight logs, and may oversee minor aircraft maintenance tasks. Collaboration with ground crew and sometimes passengers or clients is common, making professionalism and clear communication essential in the day-to-day role.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a small aircraft pilot?

To thrive as a Small Aircraft Pilot, you need excellent aeronautical knowledge, hand-eye coordination, problem-solving abilities, and a valid pilot's license such as a Private or Commercial Pilot Certificate. Familiarity with aviation navigation systems, flight planning software, radio communication tools, and compliance with FAA regulations is essential. Strong situational awareness, effective communication, and the ability to stay calm under pressure are standout soft skills. These abilities ensure safety, efficiency, and professionalism during all stages of flight operations in diverse and often changing environments.

How to become a small aircraft pilot?

To become a small aircraft pilot, you need to obtain a private pilot license (PPL) by completing flight training at a certified flight school, passing written and practical exams, and accumulating a minimum of 40 flight hours. Additional certifications, such as an instrument or commercial pilot license, require further training and flight hours. Maintaining a valid medical certificate from an FAA-approved aviation medical examiner is also essential.

What are the most commonly searched types of Small Aircraft Pilot jobs in Oregon?

The most popular types of Small Aircraft Pilot jobs in Oregon are:

What are popular job titles related to Small Aircraft Pilot jobs in Oregon?

For Small Aircraft Pilot jobs in Oregon, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Small Aircraft Pilot jobs in Oregon look for?

The top searched job categories for Small Aircraft Pilot jobs in Oregon are:

What cities in Oregon are hiring for Small Aircraft Pilot jobs?

Cities in Oregon with the most Small Aircraft Pilot job openings:

Small Aircraft Pilot jobs near you
Infographic showing various Small Aircraft Pilot job openings in Oregon as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 81% Full Time, 16% Part Time, 2% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 93% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $92,137 per year, or $44.3 per hour.

Staff Engineer, Core Flight Controls

Merlin Labs

OR • On-site, Remote

$200K - $265K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 2 days ago

Job description

About Merlin:
Merlin (NASDAQ: MRLN) is a publicly traded aerospace and defense company building a non-human pilot to deliver full-stack autonomy for any aircraft from takeoff to touchdown. The Merlin Pilot autonomy system powers a growing range of aircraft and mission profiles and has been proven through hundreds of autonomous flights from Merlin's global flight test facilities, including Kerikeri, New Zealand; Quonset Point, Rhode Island; and soon, Bedford, Massachusetts. Headquartered in Boston, Merlin is expanding its organization to accelerate the development and deployment of its autonomy platform, helping customers solve some of aviation's most pressing challenges, from pilot shortages to improving flight safety. Backed by some of the world's leading investors prior to its public listing, Merlin continues to advance the certification and commercialization of autonomous flight across commercial and defense aviation. 

About you:
You are an experienced flight controls engineer passionate about autonomous flight who wants to contribute to making airplanes fly themselves. You are familiar with fixed wing aircraft and the classical and modern methods used to control them automatically. You know how to use industry standard tools for this work, and you are excited to work on novel applications.

Responsibilities:
  • Design and implement flight controls for our aircraft automation system.
  • Decompose system requirements into low level flight controls requirements
  • Help create and use the simulation tools needed for development and testing including
  • Simulink control law modeling, analysis using MATLAB and Python.
  • Participate in flight testing for system identification and verification of control law performance on multiple aircraft types.
  • Own the flight control system from end-to-end and be responsible for product delivery to programs and customers
  • Collaborate across Merlin to develop novel, certifiable systems to solve the toughest problems in aviation and autonomy.
Qualifications:
  • BS in Aerospace/Mechanical/Electrical Engineering
  • 10+ years of experience developing control systems for fixed wing aircraft, with demonstrated understanding of fixed wing aircraft dynamics, classical and modern control design / analysis
  • Experience decomposing systems requirements into high level requirements for both outer loop and inner loop control design
  • Experience working in Model Based Development and certification of flight control systems, including proficiency in MATLAB/Simulink or another model-based development toolset
  • Experience designing, implementing, and testing software for real-time systems
  • Experience with linear model development, linear analysis and frequency domain gain tuning techniques
Nice to Haves:
  • MS/PhD in Aerospace Engineering and/or Controls
  • Experience developing never-before-flown control systems
  • Experience extracting linear state space models from flight test data
  • Experience working directly with customers and being a company representative
  • Pilot license
  • Proficiency in C/C++ or Python
$200,000 - $265,000 a year
The compensation range provided is a good-faith estimate based on a wide range of factors, inclusive of base salary only. The actual offer will be determined by a variety of factors including the candidate's qualifications, skills, experience, education, and training. Highly competitive equity grants are considered part of Merlin's total compensation package. Additionally, Merlin offers top-tier benefits for full-time employees.
Merlin Labs offers an innovative, entrepreneurial, and team-focused startup environment. We also offer a top-notch benefits package (health, dental, life, unlimited vacation, and 401k with match) and work/life integration. Being part of the Merlin team allows you to become part of a small team that supports professional development while working together to achieve our mission.
 
Merlin Labs is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, genetic information, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, military service or obligation or disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law. All job offers are contingent upon the candidate passing background and reference checks.
 
At this time, we are unable to provide visa sponsorship or consider candidates who require visa transfers. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship now or in the future. 
 
In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.
 
If you require reasonable accommodation in completing an application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to: [email protected]
 
Merlin Labs does not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than directly from candidates.
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