The Air Transportation major builds core foundations in this discipline and prepares students with practical, career-relevant skills. Use RoEDU™ to find programs that match your goals.
Within Aviation, students often explore key subfields and specializations that provide targeted expertise.
Graduates translate classroom knowledge into real-world impact across sectors through hands-on projects and internships.
As part of Aviation, this major connects to diverse, high-demand fields and interdisciplinary pathways.
Typical starting pay soon after graduation.
Estimated after a decade of experience.
Seasoned professionals at ~20 years.
CAGR (compound annual growth rate) summarizes average yearly change across the observed period.
Employment-weighted across mapped SOCs; entry ≈ 85% of median; historical CAGR shown for last 5y; projections capped at 3% CAGR; lifetime is 40-year present value at 3% discount.
Data from Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024) • Median wages, employment, and growth projections
| Occupation | Median Wage | Total Jobs | Growth Rate | Education |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers SOC: 53-2011 Occupation: Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | $226,600 | 99,300 | N/A | N/A |
Commercial Pilots SOC: 53-2012 Occupation: Commercial Pilots | $122,670 | 51,830 | N/A | N/A |
Air Traffic Controllers SOC: 53-2021 Occupation: Air Traffic Controllers | $144,580 | 22,400 | N/A | N/A |
Flight Attendants SOC: 53-2031 Occupation: Flight Attendants | $67,130 | 130,110 | N/A | N/A |
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers SOC: 11-3071 Occupation: Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $102,010 | 213,000 | N/A | N/A |
Airfield Operations Specialists SOC: 53-2022 Occupation: Airfield Operations Specialists | $56,750 | 16,640 | N/A | N/A |
Historical data from Bureau of Labor Statistics (2020-2024) • Salary trends and employment growth over 5 years
| Year | Median Wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $226,600 | 99,300 |
| 2023 | $219,140 | 93,670 |
| 2022 | $211,790 | 89,580 |
| 2021 | $202,180 | 81,310 |
| 2020 | $160,970 | 83,550 |
| Year | Median Wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $122,670 | 51,830 |
| 2023 | $113,080 | 52,750 |
| 2022 | $103,910 | 48,750 |
| 2021 | $99,640 | 42,770 |
| 2020 | $93,300 | 37,120 |
| Year | Median Wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $144,580 | 22,400 |
| 2023 | $137,380 | 22,310 |
| 2022 | $132,250 | 21,250 |
| 2021 | $129,750 | 21,230 |
| 2020 | $130,420 | 22,190 |
| Year | Median Wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $67,130 | 130,110 |
| 2023 | $68,370 | 126,020 |
| 2022 | $63,760 | 108,480 |
| 2021 | $61,640 | 96,900 |
| 2020 | $59,050 | 116,260 |
| Year | Median Wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $102,010 | 213,000 |
| 2023 | $99,200 | 198,780 |
| 2022 | $98,560 | 169,910 |
| 2021 | $98,230 | 144,640 |
| 2020 | $96,390 | 132,210 |
| Year | Median Wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $56,750 | 16,640 |
| 2023 | $51,140 | 18,320 |
| 2022 | $49,600 | 14,760 |
| 2021 | $47,880 | 12,610 |
| 2020 | $51,330 | 10,590 |