How to become a pilot
Official title: Pilot
Also called: Airline pilot, Aeroplane pilot, Charter pilot, Agricultural pilot, Domestic pilot, International pilot
Pilots fly and navigate aircraft to domestic and international destinations. They transport passengers and cargo, and may specialise in agricultural, recreational and emergency response flights.
Main tasks
- Navigate and fly aircraft safely
- Communicate with air traffic control
- Check weather, fuel, load and equipment
- Calculate fuel needed for flight
- Prepare and review flight plans
- Use flight management systems
- Write reports and maintain flight logs
- Communicate with crew and passengers
How to become one
You need a qualification and training to become a pilot. You need NCEA Level 3 to do the study or training for this job. Required: to be over 16 years old; a New Zealand Private Pilot Licence OR New Zealand Commerical Pilot Licence; to pass the ADAPT pre-pilot screening test; 50 hours flying experience for private pilots OR 200 hours flying experience for commercial pilots; a New Zealand Diploma in Aviation (Level 6) or similar OR a Bachelor of Aviation; a NZCAA medical certificate. Other requirements: experience in the Young Eagles flying programme; to join the Royal Air New Zealand Force; Flight Instructor Training (C Category).
Ways in
- Certificates and diplomas: Advanced certificates and diplomas in aircraft operation. TEC links this job to study in aerospace engineering and technology. Qualifications: NZ Dip in Aviation (General Aviation), NZ Dip in Aviation, NZ Dip in Aviation (Aeroplane Airline Preparation). Usually 1.5 to 2 years. Graduates of these qualifications earn a median $51,000 a year one year after study and $71,000 five years after; 73% are employed one year after (TEC, from Stats NZ IDI data).
- Registration or licence: A New Zealand Private Pilot Licence OR New Zealand Commerical Pilot Licence.
Pay · Past change · AI and this job
- Most common pay: $92,000 to $246,000 a year (median $150,000), a TEC estimate before tax.
- Lower: $61,000 a year · Upper: $389,000 a year
- TEC's pay figures are estimates only. TEC says they must not be used to set pay, in pay negotiations or in visa applications.
- Change in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses: Steady (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.
- People employed in the group Air Transport Professionals: 4,332 at the 2018 Census and 4,587 at the 2023 Census (+5.9%). Past change, not a forecast.
- Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Who does this work
- About 2,400 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).
- In the group Air Transport Professionals, 20% of workers are female (sex at birth, 2023 Census).
- Where people in the group Air Transport Professionals work (2023 Census): Auckland 30.5%, Canterbury 17.9%, and Wellington 7.8%.
Related jobs
Not sure this is for you? Take the 2-minute career quiz
Questions people ask
How do I become a pilot?
You need a qualification and training to become a pilot. You need NCEA Level 3 to do the study or training for this job. Required: to be over 16 years old; a New Zealand Private Pilot Licence OR New Zealand Commerical Pilot Licence; to pass the ADAPT pre-pilot screening test; 50 hours flying experience for private pilots OR 200 hours flying experience for commercial pilots; a New Zealand Diploma in Aviation (Level 6) or similar OR a Bachelor of Aviation; a NZCAA medical certificate. Other requirements: experience in the Young Eagles flying programme; to join the Royal Air New Zealand Force; Flight Instructor Training (C Category).
How much does a pilot earn in New Zealand?
The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $150,000 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $92,000 to $246,000 a year.
Has the number of people working as a pilot grown in New Zealand?
It has held steady: TEC records the number of people doing this job as steady between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses. This is past change, not a forecast.
Will AI change the work of a pilot?
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Sources
- Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatu Career Navigator): Tahatu career ideas: descriptions, tasks, pay estimates, people employed, employment change 2018 to 2023, entry requirements, registration, interest scores (Site scrape 2026-10 (816 career ideas, sitemap lastmod 2026-10-01)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
- Stats NZ (via Figure.NZ): Census totals by topic for individuals 2013, 2018, 2023 (CEN23_TBT_004): employed by occupation, ANZSCO V1.3, summed to unit group (2023 Census (CEN23_TBT_004)), CC BY 4.0 (Stats NZ), CC BY 3.0 NZ (Figure.NZ), retrieved 4 October 2026
- Stats NZ (via Figure.NZ): Census 2023: employed by regional council, occupation (ANZSCO V1.3 unit group) and sex at birth (2023 Census), CC BY 4.0 (Stats NZ), CC BY 3.0 NZ (Figure.NZ), retrieved 4 October 2026
- International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
This content is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahatu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. All or some of the information has been modified by Peernovo. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this content.
Qualification information from NZQA, used under CC BY 3.0 NZ.
This work is based on/includes Stats NZ's data which are licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Census data via Figure.NZ.
Includes information from O*NET OnLine 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. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Sources: Tertiary Education Commission, Tahatū Career Navigator (career ideas, pay estimates, entry requirements and study options, CC BY 4.0, modified by Peernovo); Stats NZ, 2023 Census (via Figure.NZ) and the National Occupation List (CC BY 4.0); NZQA qualification information (CC BY 3.0 NZ); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Links between career ideas and ANZSCO groups, degree fields and broad job groups are Peernovo's.
These results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Graduate outcomes: these results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Updated 4 October 2026