Commercial Pilot Career Assessment

2What is a Commercial Pilot?

A commercial pilot holds an FAA Commercial Pilot certificate and is paid to fly. This job is different from an airline pilot, who must hold an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate. Many people start as a commercial pilot and flight instructor, build flight hours, and then move to the airlines.

The Reality: Two hard truths. First, training costs a lot — often well over $80,000 at a university program — and much of it is paid before you earn anything. Second, you must hold at least an FAA Second-Class medical certificate, and some conditions block it. Get an FAA medical exam before you pay for flight training.

Your Responsibilities:

• Plan flights, routes, fuel, and weight and balance
• Check weather and decide whether it is safe to fly
• Do a pre-flight inspection of the aircraft
• Fly the aircraft and talk with air traffic control
• Follow checklists exactly, every single time
• Handle emergencies calmly
• Keep logbooks and required records
• Stay current with check rides and training

You are the last line of safety for everyone on board.

3A Day in the Life

6:00 AM — Check weather, winds, and icing along your route.

6:30 AM — File the flight plan and figure fuel, weight, and balance.

7:00 AM — Pre-flight the aircraft. Walk around and check everything.

7:30 AM — Fly a charter from Bismarck to Minneapolis.

10:00 AM — Wait for your passengers. Refuel. Re-check weather.

1:00 PM — Fly the return leg through some rough air.

3:00 PM — Post-flight, secure the aircraft, and log the flight.

4:00 PM — Paperwork, then home — unless you are on an overnight trip.

A lot of planning and waiting around the actual flying. Schedules change with the weather.

4Training in North Dakota

You build certificates in steps: student, private, instrument, commercial. You do not start with the commercial certificate. You earn a private pilot certificate, add an instrument rating, then the commercial certificate. Most people also add a flight instructor certificate so they can get paid to build hours. North Dakota has one of the largest and most respected collegiate flight programs in the country.

Training Pathways:

• University program (4 to 5 years): A bachelor's degree plus all your flight training. Costs the most, but it can qualify you for a restricted ATP with fewer hours, which matters if you want the airlines.
• Local flight school, pay as you go: Train part time at a local airport while you work. Slower, more flexible, and often cheaper up front.
• Instruct to build hours: Get your flight instructor certificate, teach students, and get paid while your hours climb toward 1,000 to 1,500.

Where to Train in North Dakota:

• University of North Dakota, John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences (Grand Forks) — Commercial Aviation, B.S. Aero, 120 credits, about 4 to 5 years. You earn the FAA commercial pilot certificate with instrument and multi-engine ratings plus a flight instructor certificate with instrument rating, and fly a jet transition simulator course. UND runs one of the largest civilian aircraft fleets in North America — und.edu/programs/commercial-aviation-bsaero
• University of North Dakota — Aviation Studies, B.S., an online degree for people already flying or working in aviation — und.edu/programs/aviation-studies-bs
• Fargo Jet Center (Fargo, Hector International Airport) — flight training operated by Fargo Wings at the airport — fargojet.com/flight-school
• Local fixed-base operators at other North Dakota airports also offer private and instrument training. Call the airport manager and ask who is currently instructing there

Before You Start: You must be at least 18 for the commercial certificate, read, speak, write, and understand English, hold at least a private pilot certificate, and hold an FAA medical certificate. Get a Third-Class medical (or better, go straight for the Second-Class) from an FAA Aviation Medical Examiner before you spend money.

Tip: Start with financial aid, scholarships, and any help an employer offers — that is where the money starts. After that, ask a career counselor or Job Service North Dakota whether WIOA or other programs can help with what is left over, like training, tools, work boots, or exam fees. What can be paid for depends on the program and on your own situation, so ask before you sign up rather than after. Registered apprenticeships let you earn a paycheck while you learn — see jobsnd.com/job-seeker/apprenticeships for ND programs.

5Certification & Licensing

FAA Commercial Pilot certificate plus at least a Second-Class medical certificate. All of this is federal, through the FAA. There is no separate North Dakota pilot license. Medical standards are in 14 CFR Part 67 and the medical exam is done by an FAA-designated Aviation Medical Examiner.

What You Must Get:

• Student pilot certificate, then Private Pilot certificate
• Instrument rating — flying by instruments in cloud and low visibility
• Commercial Pilot certificate — at least 18 years old, pass a knowledge test and a practical check ride, and meet the flight experience in 14 CFR 61.129 (generally about 250 hours of flight time for airplanes)
• Second-Class medical certificate — required to exercise commercial pilot privileges. Valid 12 months for commercial flying, at any age (14 CFR 61.23)
• Multi-engine rating and flight instructor certificate — not required, but most working pilots get them
• To fly for an airline: an Airline Transport Pilot certificate, normally 1,500 hours of flight time and age 23. A restricted ATP lowers that: 1,000 hours with a qualifying bachelor's degree in aviation from an FAA-authorized school, 1,250 hours with a qualifying associate degree, and 750 hours for eligible military pilots (14 CFR 61.160). This is the main reason people choose a university program
• Vision (Second-Class, 14 CFR 67.203): 20/20 or better in each eye separately, with or without glasses; near vision 20/40 at 16 inches, and at 32 inches too if you are 50 or older; normal fields of vision; and you must be able to tell apart the colors needed for safe flight
• Hearing (14 CFR 67.205): understand a conversational voice at 6 feet, or pass a speech discrimination test at 70% or better, or pass a pure tone hearing test
• Epilepsy or seizures, or any unexplained loss of consciousness: disqualifying under 14 CFR 67.209
• Bipolar disorder, psychosis, and severe personality disorder: disqualifying under 14 CFR 67.207. Substance dependence is disqualifying without at least 2 years of documented recovery, and substance abuse within the last 2 years is disqualifying
• Anything else the Federal Air Surgeon decides makes flying unsafe can be denied under 14 CFR 67.213 — this catch-all is why you get the medical first
• There are paths back. The FAA can issue a Special Issuance medical for many conditions once they are stable and documented. It takes time and paperwork. Talk to an FAA Aviation Medical Examiner before you assume you are out

The Exams: A written knowledge test and a practical check ride with an FAA examiner for each certificate and rating. The check ride includes an oral exam and a flight.

Cost: This is the honest part. Flight training from zero to commercial pilot commonly runs well into five figures, and a four- or five-year university aviation degree with flight costs far more. Ask each school for its current published flight course costs in writing before you commit.

Keeping It Current: Certificates do not expire, but the medical certificate does — every 12 months for commercial flying. You also need a flight review every 24 months and currency requirements to carry passengers.

6Salary & Job Outlook

North Dakota Commercial Pilot Pay (May 2025) — annual figures; hourly is estimated:

• Starting out (bottom 10–25%): $31.55–$44.65/hour ($65,630–$92,870/year)
• Middle (median — half earn more, half earn less): $63.95/hour ($133,010/year)
• Experienced (top 25–10%): $112.98–$113.97/hour ($234,990–$237,050/year)

What that means: The federal government does not publish an hourly wage for pilots, because pilots are paid by flight hour, by the trip, or on salary — not by the clock. The hourly numbers above are simply the yearly pay divided by a normal full-time year, so treat them as a rough guide only. The yearly figures are the real data. Also know that pay at the start of a flying career is much lower than the middle number here. New flight instructors and entry-level charter pilots earn near the bottom of this range or less, and pay climbs a lot as your hours and ratings climb.

Jobs in North Dakota: About 250 people do this work in ND today. By 2034, that should be about 280 (about 11% growth). Expect about 30 job openings every year in ND from growth and people retiring or changing jobs. Across the U.S., the change is about 5% growth — faster than average.

Outlook: Good growth but a small job. About 30 openings a year in North Dakota. Nationally, pilot demand is strong as older pilots retire.

Who Hires in ND: Charter and air taxi operators, air ambulance and medical flight services, cargo operators, agricultural aviation (crop spraying) companies, aerial survey and pipeline patrol firms, corporate flight departments, and flight schools hiring instructors. Grand Forks, Fargo, Bismarck, and Minot have the most aviation employers.

Work Setting: Airports and cockpits. Early starts, late finishes, and overnights away from home. Weather runs your schedule. North Dakota flying means real winter operations, icing, and strong wind, plus seasonal ag flying in the summer.

Physical Demands: Moderate. Sitting for long periods with high concentration, plus pre-flight inspections outdoors in all weather, climbing on and around aircraft, and handling bags. The real demand is mental: sustained focus and calm decisions.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, North Dakota, May 2025 (SOC 53-2012); North Dakota and U.S. long-term employment projections 2024–2034, via O*NET OnLine. Numbers are rounded.

7Where This Leads

Path 1: Flight Instructor — Get paid to build your hours.

Path 2: Charter or Air Taxi Pilot — Fly people and cargo on demand.

Path 3: Air Ambulance Pilot — Fly medical crews and patients.

Path 4: Agricultural Pilot — Seasonal crop spraying work.

Path 5: Corporate Pilot — Fly a business aircraft for one company.

Path 6: Airline Pilot — Move to a regional airline once you have ATP hours.

8The Real Talk

What's Great:

• Real skill and real responsibility
• Pay climbs a lot with hours and ratings
• Strong national demand as pilots retire
• North Dakota has a top flight school
• Many kinds of flying to choose from
• A clear ladder from instructor to airline

What's Hard:

• Training costs a great deal up front
• The FAA medical blocks some people
• Low pay for the first few years
• Long days, overnights, and weather delays
• Constant testing and check rides
• You carry heavy safety responsibility

Be Honest: Can you pass an FAA medical exam? Can you fund or finance expensive training and accept low pay at the start? Can you stay calm and follow checklists exactly, even when tired?

9Part 1: What Attracts You?

10Part 2: Are You Ready?

11Part 3: Your Next Move

Your Commercial Pilot Assessment Results