💡 Why it matters: Airlines always need new pilots as older ones retire and more people fly. It is a demanding but well-paid career built on training, discipline and calm decisions.
🌍 Around the world
- Nigeria: Airlines in Nigeria need new pilots as older ones retire and more people fly.
- United States: Jobs for airline and commercial pilots are projected to grow 7% from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average (US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
💰 What it can pay
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Starting out
- ₦8M – ₦18M
- Mid-career
- ₦20M – ₦50M
- Senior
- ₦50M – ₦120M
≈ ₦1.7M – ₦4.2M a month mid-career. Indicative estimate by Incusim.
🇺🇸 United States
Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers. Median pay (the page gives no combined low and high). US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025
🇨🇦 Canada
Hourly wage low and high x 2,080 hours; Job Bank shows no national median.. Job Bank (Government of Canada), 2023-2024
Yearly pay before tax. UK, US and Canada figures come from the official sources named on each card. Nigeria has no official salary survey, so those are our indicative estimates. Real pay depends on the employer, the place, your skills and experience.
🛠️ What you actually do
- Plan each flight with weather and fuel checks
- Fly the aircraft safely from take-off to landing
- Talk to air traffic controllers by radio
- Work closely with the co-pilot and cabin crew
- Make quick, calm decisions if something goes wrong
⚡ Skills you'll need
- Decision making
- Staying calm
- Maths and physics
- Teamwork
- Discipline
Get ready at school
🇳🇬 Nigeria
- Approved flight school to earn a commercial pilot licence (CPL), then an airline hiring cadet scheme
- Airline cadet programmes for school leavers with strong grades
- Entry is through WAEC or NECO (secondary school exam) results and JAMB (UTME, the national university entrance exam)
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Approved flight school (integrated full-time course or modular training)
- Airline cadet schemes, and forces pilot training in the RAF or Royal Navy
🇺🇸 United States
- College aviation programs or a flight school
- Military pilot training, or working as a flight instructor to build hours
🇨🇦 Canada
- College or university aviation programs, or a flight training unit
- Military pilot training, or instructing to build hours
🗺️ Your path to this career
- 1Get strong Maths, Physics and English grades
- 2Pass the aviation medical check
- 3Train at a flight school for your pilot licences
- 4Build flying hours as an instructor or first officer
- 5Become a captain and later a senior or training captain
⏰ A day in the life
You arrive early to check the weather, route and fuel with your co-pilot. After a safety briefing you fly your passengers to another city, talking with controllers on the way. After landing you finish your reports and rest.