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Aircraft pilots

How to become an Airline Pilot

Also called: Captain, First Officer, Helicopter Pilot

Flies aircraft on domestic and international routes carrying passengers and cargo, or flies small planes and helicopters for aerial photography, sightseeing flights, aerial surveys and other work.

Main tasks

Workers in this job say university is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

To fly passenger aircraft you need an airline transport pilot licence. People usually get a private pilot licence first, then a commercial pilot licence, then the airline transport pilot licence. To work as an airline pilot you must hold an aviation competence certificate from the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. To gain these licences you can either join an airline and go through its training, or enter the Civil Aviation College. Airlines hire after written tests, interviews and pilot aptitude tests. The Civil Aviation College entrance exam includes academic tests, a medical, psychological tests, an oral exam and a flying aptitude test. Some universities also have pilot training courses. Some people study overseas for a period to get a pilot licence and then take a course to convert it to a Japanese licence. After joining an airline, new staff spend some time in ground roles, building experience as airline employees. After set training, pilots usually build flying experience as first officers from their late twenties and are promoted to captain between their late thirties and early forties. Pilots need emotional stability and calm judgement so they can handle any situation. Communication with air traffic control is in English, so English skills are also needed.

Ways in

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Questions people ask

How do I become an Airline Pilot?

To fly passenger aircraft you need an airline transport pilot licence. People usually get a private pilot licence first, then a commercial pilot licence, then the airline transport pilot licence. To work as an airline pilot you must hold an aviation competence certificate from the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. To gain these licences you can either join an airline and go through its training, or enter the Civil Aviation College. Airlines hire after written tests, interviews and pilot aptitude tests. The Civil Aviation College entrance exam includes academic tests, a medical, psychological tests, an oral exam and a flying aptitude test. Some universities also have pilot training courses. Some people study overseas for a period to get a pilot licence and then take a course to convert it to a Japanese licence. After joining an airline, new staff spend some time in ground roles, building experience as airline employees. After set training, pilots usually build flying experience as first officers from their late twenties and are promoted to captain between their late thirties and early forties. Pilots need emotional stability and calm judgement so they can handle any situation. Communication with air traffic control is in English, so English skills are also needed.

How much does an Airline Pilot earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥16,317,500 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare).

Do you need a degree to become an Airline Pilot?

Usually. In this job's census occupation group, 73% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of an Airline Pilot?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026