Do you have a teen who’s interested in exploring a career in aviation? If so, they’re in for a real treat. The aviation industry is exciting, ever-changing, and full of exceptional career opportunities.
Big Benefits of a Career in Aviation
While movies such as ‘Top Gun’ have romanticized aviation careers to some degree, the truth is that jobs in the aviation sector do come with many benefits. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular ones so you can see if pursuing such a career is a great idea.
1. Expand Your Horizons and Travel the World
Admittedly, one of the most popular reasons to pursue a career in aviation is the ability to travel. If you’re someone who likes to explore, go on adventures, and see the world, the sky is pretty much the limit!
Individuals who end up working for a major airline can enjoy flight benefits for themselves as well as for a designated travel companion or other family members. These include “buddy passes” or non-revenue tickets that can be used for air travel when there are seats available on the flight. In addition to non-rev travel, airline employees such as pilots or flight attendants are often able to fit in some sightseeing when traveling to more distant destinations where an overnight stay is required.
2. Multiple Aviation Career Paths Available
In the aviation industry, there are so many career options available, far more than the usual jobs like pilot, air traffic controller, or aircraft mechanic that typically come to mind. When you pursue a career in aviation, a whole new world opens up with a plethora of job opportunities at your disposal:
- Licensed Drone Operator
- Commercial Airline Pilot
- Flight Attendant
- Aircraft Maintenance Engineer
- Airport Operations Manager
- Avionics Technician
- Aircraft Safety Inspector
- Aerospace Engineer
- …And so many more!
3. Demand For Aviation Employees Is High
Air travel has returned to and in some cases, exceeded pre-pandemic levels. With more travelers comes the need for every employee and occupation that supports those travelers. Major airlines such as American and Southwest have indicated that they have high hiring goals for 2022 and beyond. There’s never been a more promising time to pursue a career in aviation!
4. Aviation Careers Can Be High Paying
Just like any other industry, overall pay is dictated by a variety of factors including education, experience, and demand. The aviation industry as a whole, however, boasts several careers where individuals can make well over $100,000 per year. For example, US News reported the median salary of pilots to be $130,440 in 2020 with many making over $200,000 per year. Similarly, the median salary of aerospace engineers in 2021 was $122,270 per year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
5. Flexible Work Schedules
A career in aviation often means you have access to a variety of different work schedules, mostly dependent on the type of work chosen. Someone working in airport operations management or airline marketing, for example, could have a typical 9 to 5 job. In contrast, pilots may work only a few days out of the week, depending on the length and frequency of the flights they operate. While they may be away from their families for several days at a time (for example, for an overseas trip), they may enjoy several days of uninterrupted time off during each month.
6. Room For Advancement
Regardless of your choice of aviation career, there’s always room to go up! Pilots may start out operating small private planes but with time, experience, and additional education, can move toward becoming a commercial airline pilot and eventually a captain. The same is true for other aviation careers – individuals may start out in an entry level position but can move up into management roles as they gain experience and seniority. With higher level positions, of course, there’s typically higher pay and greater benefits.
Pursue a Career In Aviation At a Young Age
At Rising Aviation High School in Addison, TX, Dallas area teens have the opportunity to learn about and experience aviation first hand. A strong STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Aviation, Mathematics) curriculum combined with hands-on flight experience makes it easier than ever for kids to make their aviation dreams come true.
Students at Rising Aviation graduate with an accredited high school diploma, a STEM endorsement, and can even get their private or remote pilot’s license prior to graduation. In addition, they’re fully prepared to pursue a career in aviation whether that’s with further education, opportunities with the military or even direct employment with a major airline.
If you have a teeninterested in an aviation career, we invite you to learn more about our aviation centric academic program. Contact us today to enroll or to explore all of the options available to your high school student!
