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Helicopter Pilots

ANZSCO ID 231114

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Overview

Snapshot

Employed
1,100
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
89%
Female Share
4%
Average age
40
About this data

Summary

Helicopter Pilots fly helicopters to transport passengers, mail or freight, or provide agricultural, aviation or aerial surveillance services.

Tasks

  • Prepares and submits flight plans giving consideration to factors such as weather conditions and aircraft performance.

  • Flies aircraft in accordance with established air traffic control and aircraft operating procedures.

  • Provides flight information for flight crews and air traffic services staff.

  • Completes cockpit preparations and external inspections to determine that aircraft are acceptable for flight.

  • Monitors aircraft performance and reports on mechanical condition.

Characteristics

Job Type
Professionals
Skill Level
Very high skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
2311 Air Transport Professionals
Unemployment Rate
n/a
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • University
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Practical
  • Analytical
  • Enterprising
Physical Demand
  • Sedentary
  • Light

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Air Transport Professionals, under the outlook section.

Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 89% of people employed as Helicopter Pilots work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 23 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 48 hours per week in their main job. This is 4 hours more than the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.

Industries

Main industries

1
Transport, Postal and Warehousing
51.9%
2
Public Administration and Safety
25.3%
3
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
9.6%
4
Education and Training
2.9%
5
Other industries
8.9%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

22.6% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

14.1% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

39.0% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

3.0% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

10.4% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

1.6% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

7.8% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

1.5% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Helicopter Pilots All Jobs Average
NSW 22.6 31.6
VIC 14.1 25.6
QLD 39.0 20.0
SA 3.0 7.0
WA 10.4 10.8
TAS 1.6 2.0
NT 7.8 1.0
ACT 1.5 1.9


  • Around 67% of Helicopter Pilots live outside of capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 38%.

    Queensland and the Northern Territory have a large share of employment relative to their population size.

    The region with the largest share of workers is Sunshine Coast.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.

Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
40
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
4%
All Jobs Average is 48%

  • The median age of Helicopter Pilots is 40 years. This is the same as the all jobs average.

    A large share of workers are aged 35 to 44 years.

    Females make up 4% of the workforce. This is 44 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Helicopter Pilots All Jobs Average
15-19 0.4 5.0
20-24 4.0 9.3
25-34 28.1 22.9
35-44 32.1 22.0
45-54 24.8 21.6
55-59 6.0 9.0
60-64 3.2 6.0
65 and Over 1.4 4.2
Median Age 40 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.

Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

Helicopter Pilots need a pilot licence, issued by the Civil Aviation Authority. Practical and theoretical training is usually required. Flight training is available through private flying schools. Some Helicopter Pilots also have Vocational Education and Training (VET) or university qualifications. Some Helicopter Pilots train with the Australian Defence Force.

Registration with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority is required.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Aviation Industry VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Helicopter Pilots All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 5.6 10.1
Bachelor degree 21.8 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 36.0 11.6
Certificate III/IV 17.3 21.1
Year 12 13.8 18.1
Year 11 0.5 4.8
Year 10 and below 5.1 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.

Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Air Transport Professionals who work well in a team, can communicate clearly and are reliable.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 75%

    Operation and control

    Controlling equipment or systems.

  • 63%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • 57%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 57%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 57%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 57%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 55%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 54%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 52%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 52%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 52%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 52%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 48%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 45%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 45%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 43%

    Science

    Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

  • 43%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 43%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.

  • 41%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 37%

    Troubleshooting

    Figuring out why a machine or system went wrong and working out what to do about it.

Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 86%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.

  • 70%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 63%

    Geography

    Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.

  • 60%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 54%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 53%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 51%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 47%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 47%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 46%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 45%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.

  • 43%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 39%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 38%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 36%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 35%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 35%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 34%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • 29%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 24%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 70%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 68%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 63%

    Control precision

    Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

  • 63%

    Response orientation

    Quickly choose the right movement of the hand, foot, or other body part when there are two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures).

  • 61%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 61%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 59%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 57%

    Depth perception

    Decide which thing is closer or further away from you, or decide how far away it is.

  • 57%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 57%

    Multilimb coordination

    Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.

  • 57%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 57%

    Reaction time

    Quickly move your hand, finger, or foot when a sound, light, picture or something else appears.

  • 57%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 57%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 57%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 55%

    Perceptual speed

    Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

  • 55%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 54%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 52%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 43%

    Manual dexterity

    Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 93%

    Driving vehicles or equipment

    Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.

  • 81%

    Controlling equipment or machines

    Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).

  • 76%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

  • 75%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 75%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 71%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 70%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 70%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 68%

    Handling and moving objects

    Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.

  • 67%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 67%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 66%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 63%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 62%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 62%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 60%

    Working with the public

    Greeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.

  • 59%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

  • 56%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 50%

    Training and teaching others

    Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.

  • 47%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 95%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 62%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 62%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 52%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 33%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

  • 14%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.

  • 95%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 90%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 86%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 81%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 67%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 67%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:

  • 93%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 93%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 93%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 92%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 90%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 89%

    In an enclosed vehicle or equipment

    Work in a closed vehicle (e.g., car).

  • 88%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 88%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 87%

    Outdoors, exposed to weather

    Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.

  • 86%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 86%

    Loud or uncomfortable sounds

    Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.

  • 86%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 85%

    Consequence of error

    Work where mistakes have serious consequences.

  • 85%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 85%

    Health and safety of others

    Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.

  • 84%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 84%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

  • 81%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 79%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 77%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 53-2012.00 - Commercial Pilots.

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