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Aircraft Pilots and Air Traffic Controllers

Aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers navigate and pilot aircraft, prepare flight plans, authorise flight departures and arrivals, maintain radio, radar and/or visual contact with aircraft to ensure the safe movement of air traffic, check, regulate, adjust and test engines and other equipment prior to take-off and give flying lessons.

Wages

New workers
AVERAGE
Experienced
£38,538
£67,049
£135,110

New workers start around £38,538. Normal pay is £67,049 per year.
Highly experienced workers can earn up to £135,110.

Available jobs

In the past year there were 29,148 vacancies for this type of job

3.07%

Projected job growth over the next 8 years

Related courses

People work towards these careers by taking these courses at college and uni.

What they do most days?

  • Accompanies pupil on training flights and demonstrates flying techniques.

  • Handles emergencies, unscheduled traffic and other unanticipated incidents.

  • Plans flight route, calculate fuel consumption and optimum flying height and obtains information on weather and other conditions, such as cargo distribution.

  • Gives landing Instructions to pilot and monitors descent.

  • Directs the movement of aircraft and maintains radio and/or radar or visual contact en-route to its destination, in and out of controlled airspace or into holding areas ready for landing.

  • Maintains radio contact and discusses weather conditions with air traffic controllers.

  • Monitors fuel consumption, air pressure, engine performance and other indicators during flight and advises pilot of any factors that affect the navigation or performance of the aircraft.

  • Directs or undertakes the operation of controls to fly airplanes and helicopters, complying with air traffic control and aircraft operating procedures.

  • Directs or undertakes checks on engines, instruments, control panels, cargo distribution, fuel supplies, aircraft's stability, response to controls and overall performance.

  • Studies flight plan and makes any necessary adjustments.

Hard Skills

Hard skills are specific, learnable, measurable, often industry or occupation-specific abilities related to a position.

Skills are ranked based on the number of job adverts that list them as required skills.

  • Data Entry

  • Housekeeping

  • Numeracy

  • Continuous Improvement Process

  • Air Traffic Control

  • Invoicing

  • Flight Planning

  • Operations Management

  • Safety Standards

  • Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Soft Skills

Soft skills can be self-taught and usually do not necessitate a certain completed level of education.

Skills are ranked based on the number of job adverts that list them as required skills.

  • Communication

  • Operations

  • Customer Service

  • Management

  • Detail Oriented

  • Administrative Functions

  • English Language

  • Computer Literacy

  • Microsoft Office

  • Planning

How do I get a job like this?

People in these types of job started their career paths after studying courses like the ones below.

Routes to this career

See all

Aircraft Engineering

University of the West of Scotland

MEng (Hon) · 1-5 Years · Full-time · Paisley · 08/09/2025

Tariff points: 114/114

General Engineering

Derby College

HNC · 1 Year · Full-time · Derby · 09/2025

Tariff points: N/A

Aerospace Engineering

University of Brighton

MEng (Hon) · 4 Years · Full-time · Brighton · 09/2025

Tariff points: 112/128

Engineering (General)

South Eastern Regional College

HNC · 1 Year · Full-time · Bangor · 09/2025

Tariff points: N/A

General Engineering

Grwp Llandrillo Menai

HNC · 2 Years · Part-time · Llangefni · 08/09/2025

Tariff points: 32/32

Global Design Engineering

The Engineering & Design Institute London

CertHE · 1 Year · Full-time · London · 22/09/2025

Tariff points: 112/120

Partnership Degree Programme

University of Portsmouth

BA/BSc (H) · 2-8 Years · Part-time · Portsmouth · 19/01/2026

Tariff points: N/A

Aviation and Tourism

Teesside University

FdA · 2 Years · Full-time · Stockton-on-Tees · 15/09/2025

Tariff points: 40/48

Sport Engineering

Nottingham Trent University

MEng (Hon) · 4 Years · Full-time · Nottingham · 15/09/2025

Tariff points: 112/120

Engineering (Two Pathways) HTQ

York College University Centre

HNC · 2 Years · Part-time · York · 09/2025

Tariff points: 32/32

Aeronautical Engineering

De Montfort University

MEng (Hon) · 4 Years · Full-time · Leicester · 09/2025

Tariff points: 120/120

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