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Occupation · 2026 assessment

Pilot

A Pilot operates, coordinates or supports aircraft under strict safety and regulatory requirements. The assessment separates automation of individual tasks from accountability for the professional outcome.

Low risk level Search jobs ↗
How risk may change

A forecast estimate, not a guaranteed scenario.

22%2026
25%2028
29%2030
35%2035

Which tasks are exposed

Risk applies to individual tasks—not to a person or an entire occupation.

TaskRisk
pre-flight preparation40%
checking documentation and weather35%
monitoring technical condition31%
flight operation or coordination26%
radio communications20%
responding to deviations10%
post-flight checks3%
safety-event review3%

Task map

AI replaces ↔ AI augments

Each task is positioned by AI capability and the degree of human involvement still required.

  1. 1pre-flight preparationAI 40% · human 73%
  2. 2checking documentation and weatherAI 35% · human 79%
  3. 3monitoring technical conditionAI 31% · human 72%
  4. 4flight operation or coordinationAI 26% · human 76%
  5. 5radio communicationsAI 20% · human 76%
  6. 6responding to deviationsAI 10% · human 92%
  7. 7post-flight checksAI 3% · human 87%
  8. 8safety-event reviewAI 3% · human 87%

Why technology can change this work

  • digital tools reduce preparation and control time
  • repeatable physical operations can be mechanised or robotised in structured environments
  • many cases still require professional judgement
  • key information often emerges only through direct work

What protects the occupation

  • safety of people and equipment
  • fast decisions during disruptions
  • route or traffic accountability

United States · before tax

Average pay and outlook

Estimated nominal monthly pay. The scenario reflects sector, demand and task resilience; it is not a guarantee of income.

2026$6 150per month
2035$8 900scenario estimate
2026: $6 15020262027: $6 40020272028: $6 65020282029: $6 95020292030: $7 25020302031: $7 55020312032: $7 85020322033: $8 20020332034: $8 55020342035: $8 9002035
Find jobs ↗The partner link may contain referral parameters. Data benchmark: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ↗

Practical next step

Where to move next

Do not restart from zero: carry your experience forward and add scarce skills.

Electrician

Established resilient role
New role risk12%
DemandMediumDifficultyMediumTime6–12 monthsSkill fit62%

Autonomous Rail Supervisor

Emerging role
New role risk13%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit87%

Autonomous Ship Operations Specialist

Emerging role
New role risk14%
DemandHighDifficultyLowTime3–6 monthsSkill fit85%

Robotics Maintenance Planner

Emerging role
New role risk15%
DemandHighDifficultyMediumTime6–12 monthsSkill fit64%

Robot Fleet Manager

Emerging role
New role risk12%
DemandHighDifficultyMediumTime6–12 monthsSkill fit62%

Last-Mile Drone Coordinator

Emerging role
New role risk25%
DemandHighDifficultyMediumTime6–12 monthsSkill fit64%

Job search and transitions

Find work with a lower risk index

Compare adjacent paths and open a current search for the selected occupation.

Autonomous Ship Operations Specialist

Skill fit 85% · risk 14%

Search jobs ↗

Skills you already have

  • aviation regulations
  • human factors
  • navigation and communications
  • emergency procedures
  • technical diagnostics
  • crew resource management

Skills to build

  • AI decision support
  • autonomous-system monitoring
  • digital maintenance
  • flight-data analysis
  • avionics cybersecurity
  • uncrewed traffic management
CurrentPilot · 22%
→
Keepaviation regulations · human factors · navigation and communications
→
AddAI decision support · autonomous-system monitoring · digital maintenance

Sources and update

Updated: 2026-09-26 · Assessment confidence: Medium

International Labour Organization · 2025Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure

Nearly 30,000 tasks; a global assessment of GenAI exposure across detailed occupational groups.

World Economic Forum · 2025The Future of Jobs Report 2025

A survey of more than 1,000 employers representing over 14 million workers across 55 economies.

O*NET Resource Center · 2026O*NET Database

Occupational, task, skill and work-context structure.