Commercial pilots fly about 75 hours a month, and work about 225.
Airline pilots fly an average of 75 hours a month and work an additional 150 or so hours a month on nonflying duties like checking weather, planning flights, and preflighting the airplane, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The flying itself is legally capped: FAA Part 117 limits an airline pilot to 100 flight hours in any 28 days and 1,000 in any 365, so a 75-hour month is close to a full schedule, not a light one.
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The job
flight hours a month, plus roughly 150 hours of other duties
about 90% of the legal ceiling
Why 75 flying hours is a full-time job
Only the flying counts toward the 75. The other half of the job, and by BLS's numbers it is the bigger half, is duty time: weather briefings, flight planning, preflight inspections, sitting reserve, and riding as a passenger to reposition for a trip. A pilot who logs 75 block hours in a month has typically been on duty for well over 200.
The ceiling is law, not stamina. Part 117 caps airline flying at 100 hours in any 28 consecutive days and 1,000 hours in any 365, with rest requirements layered on top. That is why pilots cannot simply fly more to earn more, and why airlines staff around the cap.
This is a different number from the 250 hours it takes to qualify for the commercial certificate in the first place. That one is a training requirement you pay for; these are the working hours the certificate eventually earns you. Schedules also vary enormously with seniority: new hires often sit reserve waiting for a call, while senior pilots bid the lines they want.
The 75-hour figure is a BLS average for airline pilots. Charter, cargo, corporate, agricultural, and other Part 91 and 135 flying run on different schedules and different duty rules, and an individual month swings with seniority, bidding, and the operation.
Cite or share this stat
PilotBound, "How many hours do commercial pilots work?" Airline pilots fly about 75 hours a month plus roughly 150 hours of nonflying duties, per BLS; FAA Part 117 caps flying at 1,000 hours a year. https://pilotbound.app/data/commercial-pilot-work-hours
Free to reuse with credit. A link back to this page is appreciated.
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Sources for this figure
This number is anchored to public, citable data, not flight-school marketing. Here is what backs it.
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Airline and Commercial Pilots
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
How working pilots actually spend their time: airline pilots fly about 75 hours a month and put in roughly another 150 hours a month on nonflying duties like flight planning, preflight, and paperwork. Also the salary medians used on the ROI page.
- 14 CFR Part 117, Flight and Duty Limitations (eCFR)
U.S. FAA
The legal ceilings on airline flying: no more than 100 flight hours in any 672 consecutive hours (28 days) and no more than 1,000 flight hours in any 365-day period, which is why ~75 block hours a month is close to a full schedule.
Common questions
How many hours do airline pilots fly per month?
About 75 block hours a month on average, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, plus roughly 150 additional hours of nonflying duties like flight planning and preflight checks.
What is the maximum number of hours an airline pilot can fly?
FAA Part 117 caps airline pilots at 100 flight hours in any 28 consecutive days and 1,000 flight hours in any 365-day period, with mandatory rest requirements on top.
Is this the same as the 250 hours needed for a commercial license?
No. The 250 hours is a one-time training requirement to qualify for the commercial certificate. The 75 hours a month is what the job looks like after you are hired, and it is capped by law rather than by training minimums.
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