First Officer
Also known as: Co-pilot · Junior First Officer · Airline Pilot
Co-pilots an airliner alongside the captain after a type rating and airline selection.
Starting salary: not added yet.
What you’d do
A first officer is the co-pilot of an airliner, sharing flying and checklist duties with the captain. Airlines hire them for a specific aircraft type. A typical day involves flight planning, briefings, flying one or more sectors, and working within duty-time limits.
- Share flying and monitoring duties
- Complete pre-flight checks and planning
- Handle radio calls with air traffic control
- Follow airline procedures and checklists
How you get in
A Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) from DGCA is the requirement, not a degree. It needs Class 12 with Physics and Maths (these can be added later through NIOS), a DGCA Class 1 medical, passes in the DGCA ground exams (Air Navigation, Meteorology, Air Regulations, Technical) plus a radio telephony licence, and about 200 hours of flying at a DGCA-approved flying school. Airlines then select pilots through tests and interviews, and a type rating on the aircraft (often paid for by the trainee) is needed before flying the line. Some airlines run cadet programmes that combine training and selection.
Salary in India
Salary data isn’t added for this role yet. When it is, every figure points to its source.
Skills you’ll use
From our guide · a curated list is coming
- Aircraft handling and instrument flying
- Crew coordination with the captain and cabin crew
- Radio communication with air traffic control
- Weather and flight planning
- Following procedures and checklists precisely
About this field · for freshers
Job openings by year
Is demand growing?
Not added yet.
Competition2
How many graduates enter each year?
B.Sc (all subjects) graduates in 2023-24 at institutions that reported to AISHE — everyone finishing that degree, not only those entering this role.
Who hires
IT firms, banks, government, startups?
Not added yet.
Where the jobs are
Which cities?
Not added yet.
Women in the field2
Is it diverse?
Share of women among B.Sc (all subjects) graduates in 2023-24 — the entry degree, not people already working in this role.
At a glance
- Training is expensive, and a CPL does not guarantee an airline job.
- The usual next step is command (captain) after meeting hours and airline requirements.
- Regular medicals and simulator checks continue throughout the career.
- Schedules include early mornings, nights and holidays.
Stay safe
No legitimate employer ever asks you to pay to get a job.