10 of the Most Popular Types of Pilot Jobs in 2026

See what kind of roles similar to Pilot jobs are hiring now

Top Types Of Pilot Jobs

• Drone Pilot

  Salary range: $100,000 - $155,000

  The primary responsibilities of a drone pilot are to control and maintain an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). You can find drone pilot positions with both the military and other governmental organizations, as well as private companies, such as agricultural operations, film and television production companies, surveyors and mapping specialists, and environmental scientists. As a pilot, you perform a variety of duties, such as flying reconnaissance and taking aerial photography and aerial videography. In the military context, drone pilots operate UAVs which bomb targets from across the world.

• Corporate Pilot

  Salary range: $81,500 - $129,500

  A corporate pilot flies a company aircraft, carrying passengers for official work trips. As the corporate pilot, your duties include directing the flight crew, meeting with passengers on business travel, filing the itinerary and flight plans at the airport, and ensuring that all systems are functioning before taking off. Typically, corporate pilots work for a large business that owns corporate jets or for a private service that rents out planes when companies need them. Your responsibilities in this career also include leading safety audits and routine maintenance inspections.

• First Officer Pilot

  Salary range: $40,000 - $85,500

  On commercial flights, the first officer pilot is the second pilot on the plane. Your responsibilities in this career are to assist the captain to fly the plane. As the co-pilot, if the captain is incapacitated, you take command of the plane. On many flights, the first officer and the captain share the duties of piloting the plane, taking turns while the other one monitors controls and provides backup as needed. In commercial airline command structure, there is also a designation for the senior first officer, which is typically someone who qualifies as a captain, but the airline does not have enough flights to make that person a captain.

• 350 Pilot

  Salary range: $100,000 - $155,000

  350 Pilot is a more unusual job search query but still may give you interesting job results. Most salaries for 350 Pilot jobs pay between $100,000 (25th percentile) and $155,000 (75th percentile) annually. Take a look at the variety of open positions nationwide for 350 Pilot job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter.

• Part 135 Sic Pilot

  Salary range: $100,000 - $155,000

  Part 135 Sic Pilot is a typical job search query Most salaries for Part 135 Sic Pilot jobs pay between $100,000 (25th percentile) and $155,000 (75th percentile) annually. There are lots of open positions nationwide for Part 135 Sic Pilot job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter.

• Regional Airline Pilot

  Salary range: $57,000 - $62,000

  A regional airline pilot transports passengers to and from small and mid-sized airports with commuter planes. As a regional airline pilot, your responsibilities may also include flying people to a major airport to catch additional flights. Your duties are to check the aircraft before and after trips, review weather conditions, submit flight plans to traffic control, use the radio system, operate the plane during takeoffs, landings, and along the route, and monitor fuel consumption, engines, and other aircraft systems. You communicate with passengers and air traffic control as well as your copilot.

• 500 Hour Pilot

  Salary range: $100,000 - $155,000

  500 Hour Pilot is a common job search query. Most salaries for 500 Hour Pilot jobs pay between $100,000 (25th percentile) and $155,000 (75th percentile) annually. You’ll find many open positions nationwide for 500 Hour Pilot job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter.

• Aviation

  Salary range: $33,000 - $49,000

  Aviation is a popular job search query. Most salaries for Aviation jobs pay between $33,000 (25th percentile) and $49,000 (75th percentile) annually. Currently, there are not many open positions nationwide for Aviation job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter. You can take a look at what is available and find similar job searches in this list.

• Pilot Sic

  Salary range: $100,000 - $155,000

  Pilot Sic is a popular job search query. Most salaries for Pilot Sic jobs pay between $100,000 (25th percentile) and $155,000 (75th percentile) annually. There are lots of open positions nationwide for Pilot Sic job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter.

• Part 135 Pilot

  Salary range: $100,000 - $155,000

  Part 135 Pilot is a popular job search query. Most salaries for Part 135 Pilot jobs pay between $100,000 (25th percentile) and $155,000 (75th percentile) annually. You’ll find many open positions nationwide for Part 135 Pilot job searches hiring now on ZipRecruiter.