Aviation Careers

While there aren't many colleges offering an undergraduate degree in aviation, you may still want to consider this field.If you are not afraid of heights and are willing to spend a lot of time in flight training, then an undergraduate career in aviation may be for you. There are many types of aviation careers from which to choose. Aviation careers do not pay particularly well at first, but depending on the level of experience and the size of the aircraft you intend to fly, salaries can increase over time.

A college degree is not necessarily a requirement for most aviation careers, but it doesn’t hurt and some major airlines do require it. College gives pilots the background in math and physics that is often employed, and very important, when flying. For those who want to skip the college route, there are many flight schools that can give aspiring pilots the training they need. The most important requirement is a pilot’s license.

Aviation careers include flight instructor, crop duster, banner tower, power line inspector, small freight/commuter plane pilot, major-airline pilot and military pilot. Flight instructors are often paid on commission, so their pay depends on how often they fly. Crop dusters, banner towers and power line inspectors are usually paid hourly and often work seasonally. These jobs are done typically as side jobs, since it can be difficult to make a living doing these jobs. Aviation careers for small freight companies are good ways to start a career in this field. The pay is not that great; in fact, some pilots actually pay the companies in order to work for them and acquire experience. The high-paying aviation careers are found with the major airlines. Although the average starting salary is $25,000, more experience will result in increasing salaries, with some captains making $250,000. Experience in the military is probably the best experience you can receive; all training is free, you earn while you learn and salaries are fairly respectable, ranging from $30,000 to $100,000.