How to become a pilot in Australia
Aeroplane Pilots fly aeroplanes to transport passengers, mail and freight, or provide agricultural, aerial surveillance or other aviation services.
Pay and growth are for the wider air transport professionals group, which is as fine as the data goes. The all-jobs median is $1,852 a week. Jobs in the air transport professionals group are projected to grow 13.7% between May 2025 and May 2035, about the same as the 13.3% projected for all jobs. Projections are indicative, not forecasts, and JSA says they don't yet reflect generative AI.
What the job involves
- Prepares and submits flight plans giving consideration to factors such as weather conditions and aircraft performance.
- Flies aircraft in accordance with established air traffic control and aircraft operating procedures.
- Provides flight information for flight crews and air traffic services staff.
- Completes cockpit preparations and external inspections to determine that aircraft are acceptable for flight.
- Monitors aircraft performance and reporting on mechanical condition.
How to get there
What it usually takes. A bachelor degree or higher. This is the skill level Jobs and Skills Australia gives the air transport professionals group, and some roles differ.
What people in the job have. Highest qualification held: 38% a degree or higher, 33% a diploma, 9% a Certificate III or IV.
Many jobs also need registration, a licence or a specific accredited course. Check the professional body or regulator before you choose.
Courses that can lead here
Estimate your ATAR and this page shows the gap to each course. Your marks stay on your device.
Victoria12 matches
VTAC lowest selection ranks, December 2025 offer round.
Aviation · RMIT, City77.80 Aviation (Pilot Training) · RMIT, City / Point Cook / Bendigo75.05 Aviation Management · Swinburne, Hawthorn66.85Diplomas and other ways in
Aviation (Professional Pilots) (Associate Degree) · RMIT, Point Cook60.30Showing 9 of 12 matches. Search every course.
NSW and ACT9 matches
UAC lowest selection ranks, December Round 2, 2025-26 admissions.
Bachelor of Aviation (Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems) · UNSW81.60 Bachelor of Aviation (Management) · UNSW80.45 Bachelor of Aviation Management · Griffith80.10 Bachelor of Aviation · CQUniversity68.15 Bachelor of Aviation · Griffith66.55Showing 8 of 9 matches. Search every course.
Queensland15 matches
QTAC course pages, ATAR/Selection Rank profile for semester 1, 2026.
Bachelor of Aviation Management · Griffith, Brisbane South (Nathan)68.80 Bachelor of Aviation · CQUniversity, Online68.15 Bachelor of Aviation · UniSQ, Springfield68.00 Bachelor of Aviation · Griffith, Brisbane South (Nathan)65.50 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)/Bachelor of Aviation · Griffith, Brisbane South (Nathan)73.15Diplomas and other ways in
Showing 10 of 15 matches. Search every course.
Western Australia2 matches
TISC Course Search: lowest ATAR offered for 2026 entry and guaranteed offer ATARs.
Bachelor of Aviation · ECU, Joondalup63.25Diplomas and other ways in
Matched on course names, 38 across four admissions centres. A lowest selection rank includes adjustment points and moves every year. Check prerequisites and whether the course is accredited for this job.
Graduate outcomes, national
Undergraduates surveyed about four to six months after finishing, in 2025, across all providers. Full-time work is among those available for it. All graduates: 75.4% and $77,000. These are national figures for the study area, not for this course or uni, and a first-year salary says little about later pay. Source: QILT Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025.
Does it fit your interests?
Strongest interest areas for this kind of work: Realistic, Conventional, Enterprising.
From O*NET ratings for "Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers", the closest US occupation in JSA's correspondence (a acceptable match). US ratings are a guide to Australian jobs, not a measurement of them.
Careers with similar interests
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Share your storyJob data: © Commonwealth of Australia, Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profiles, February 2026 and Employment Projections, May 2025 to May 2035 (Victoria University), CC BY 4.0. Jobs and Skills Australia, ANZSCO 2013 Version 1.2 to O*NET-SOC 2019 Taxonomy correspondence.
Graduate outcomes: QILT Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025, National Report Tables (Social Research Centre, for the Australian Government).
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Curve ATAR has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.