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Air Transportation

Instructional content for this group of programs is defined in codes 49.0101 - 49.0199.

Types of Degrees Air Transportation Majors Are Earning

Those studying Air Transportation have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	158
Associate’s Degree	1,812
Bachelor’s Degree	6,865
Master’s Degree	2,083
Doctor’s Degree	28

What Air Transportation Majors Need to Know

Programs in Air Transportation emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Air Transportation graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Air Transportation emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Transportation — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Public Safety and Security — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Air Transportation program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Air Transportation careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Air Transportation graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.6 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.4 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.3 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Air Transportation professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Visio	Process mapping and design software	—
SBS International Maestro Suite	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	✓
Nimblefeet Technologies Captain’s Keeper	Data base user interface and query software	—
Pilot Navigator Software Load Balance	Analytical or scientific software	—
AeroPlanner	Information retrieval or search software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Air Transportation graduates include:

• Copilot
• Check Airman
• Airplane Pilot
• Captain
• Pilot
• Helicopter Pilot
• Line Pilot
• First Officer Pilot (FO Pilot)
• Jet Pilot
• Airbus Captain
• Airline Pilot Flight Instructor
• Airline Captain
• Army Helicopter Pilot
• Co-Pilot
• Air Force Pilot

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Air Transportation graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	46.1%
High school diploma or equivalent	23.8%
Postsecondary certificate	8.9%
Some college courses	6.7%
Less than a high school diploma	5.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	4.8%
Master’s degree	2.6%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.6%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Air Transportation?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 82.2% of Air Transportation degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,968	17.8%
Men	9,102	82.2%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Air Transportation graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	6,451	58.3%
Asian	456	4.1%
Hispanic or Latino	1,354	12.2%
Black or African American	679	6.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	50	0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	37	0.3%
Two or More Races	479	4.3%
Race Unknown	502	4.5%
International Students	1,062	9.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Air Transportation Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Air Transportation graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$54,735
4 years	$69,369
5 years	$80,156

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $80,156 — roughly 46% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Air Transportation Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for Air Transportation. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	8	8
Bachelor’s	23	21
Master’s	20	3
Doctoral (Research)	4	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Air Transportation Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Air Transportation graduates earn a median of $69,369 four years after completion — roughly 83% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Transportation Materials Handling	35,230
Ground Transportation	22,968
Marine Transportation	1,158
Transportation and Materials Moving, Other	34

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.