8 Best Side Hustles for Pilots to Earn Extra Income

Earning potential: $20 to $50 per hour

Requirements: You must hold the following licenses and certifications:

• Commercial Pilot License (CPL) or Airline Transport Pilot (ATP)
• Certified Flight Instructor (CFI)
• FAA Third Class Medical

Obtaining these qualifications will require you to have logged sufficient flight experience (at least 250 hours).

What the job is: Flight instructors provide practical and classroom training to aviation students in various settings, including flight schools, flying clubs, airlines, and the military. Their duties involve:

• Training student pilots in proper flying and safety procedures through live flying, simulation, and classroom instruction
• Ensuring students are familiar with aviation regulations
• Providing in-air and on-the-ground support

How to get started: As noted above, aside from your CPL, you must also hold several other formal qualifications, including a valid Certified Flight Instructor certificate approved by the Federal Aviation Academy (FAA).

After you get the necessary qualifications and experience, you can look for jobs on sites like Indeed or ZipRecruiter. You may also be able to land work through your professional network or by searching on aviation job boards, including:

• FlightSchoolList.com
• AVJobs.com
• JSfirm.com

Why this gig suits pilots: Your extensive practical and technical knowledge of aviation makes you the perfect candidate to teach student pilots. Many flight instructor positions are part-time, so this can be a great side hustle.

Earning potential: $20 to $50 per hour

Requirements: You must hold the FAA’s Aviation Mechanic certification.

What the job is: Aircraft maintenance technicians (AMTs) and repairmen are responsible for the maintenance of aircraft, with their core tasks including:

• Inspecting aircraft and performing rigorous safety checks
• Installing parts
• Conducting repairs
• Performing regular preventative maintenance

AMTs need to stay informed about developments in aviation technology, so continual education is an important facet of the job.

How to get started: As with most jobs in aviation, working as an AMT or repairman requires FAA certification. The FAA’s AMT certificates have three ratings:

• Airframe (A), certifying you in body work.
• Powerplant (P), certifying you in engine work.
• Airframe and powerplant (A&P), qualifying you for both.

Once you’re certified, you can apply to internships or entry-level positions to get your initial work experience. You can then decide whether to look for a salaried position with an aviation maintenance company or become an independent contractor (the latter is a good option if you plan on pursuing this on a part-time basis while also working as a professional pilot).

Why this gig suits pilots: You already have extensive knowledge of aircraft systems and mechanics, making you well-suited to an AMT position. Having hands-on experience as a mechanic will also make certain aspects of your primary job easier (e.g., performing your pre-flight inspections).

Earning potential: $50 to $150 per hour

Requirements: You’ll need extensive experience in aviation, an understanding of the industry’s trends and regulations, and strong analytical skills.

What the job is: Aviation consultants offer expert advice and guidance to airlines, aviation companies, and individuals on topics related to:

• Aviation safety
• General and technical operations
• Compliance with FAA regulations

Depending on your focus, you might find yourself advising airlines on how to keep their staff up to date on their certifications, conduct routine safety checks more efficiently, save costs on fuel, or something else entirely.

To do this job, in addition to being deeply familiar with aviation, you also need to be able to communicate your knowledge clearly and effectively.

How to get started: To set up an aviation consulting gig, you need years of flying experience. This is a good side hustle for veteran pilots, but generally not one for fresh graduates.

To find opportunities, leverage your network within the aviation industry. You can reach out to airlines, aerospace manufacturers, or flight schools (not necessarily the one you graduated from, although that’s a good place to start).

Be sure to update your CV and highlight how your experience qualifies you to be an aviation consultant.

Why this gig suits pilots: Aviation consultancy is a lucrative way to make money from your knowledge of the industry. Most consulting work is also done on an independent basis, which gives you the flexibility to work exactly as much as you want, without compromising your full-time position.

Earning potential: Varies widely

Requirements: You’ll need entrepreneurial skills, a long history and a strong reputation in the aviation industry, and potentially other certificates or licenses (depending on what type of aircraft you fly and what jobs you take on).

What the job is: Most commercial pilots work for airlines, but there are other options. You can also work for yourself, operating as a self-employed or freelance pilot. In the aviation industry, this is referred to as being a contract pilot.

With this business model, you’ll fly either your own plane or one you lease, working for private clients directly. You may transport cargo or fly passengers to their destinations (in other words, you’ll fly a private charter jet).

In some cases, you may also have the chance to bid on contracts for more niche services, such as aerial photography or survey work, although these spaces are increasingly dominated by drones.

How to get started: If you want to start your own business, you’ll need to start by doing market research to identify a promising niche in the industry and create a solid business plan. You’ll also a suitable aircraft or the means to lease one. That will be a big financial burden, but unfortunately, there’s no way around it—aviation is expensive.

Why this gig suits pilots: This is a job you’re obviously qualified to do. What’s more, if you’ve chosen to spend your career as a pilot, you probably have your thumb on the pulse of the industry. This is a challenging side hustle, but you’re well-positioned to get into it. Good luck!

Earning potential: $30 to $70 per hour (depending on the industry you work in)

Requirements: To fly drones commercially, you need to have a Remote Pilot Certificate issued by the FAA. You’ll also need the requisite equipment, including—obviously—a drone.

What the job is: As a drone operator, your core tasks will often revolve around aerial photography and videography, but you can find work in a wide variety of industries. For instance, drone photography is often useful for:

• Event coverage (e.g., shooting concert footage)
• Home and property inspections
• Mapping and surveying
• Real estate marketing

How to get started: As mentioned, before you can start this side hustle, you need to get certified as a remote pilot.

To get into drone photography and videography, it’s also important to have a strong portfolio that showcases your skills. If you’re a relative novice, spend a few weeks assembling one (this will also give you extra practice with your drone, which is always a good thing).

You can look for work on all the usual job boards, such as Indeed. You may also be able to find opportunities on online freelance marketplaces, including:

• Upwork
• Freelancer
• Fiverr

Why this gig suits pilots: You’re already aware of aviation regulations and flight principles, so learning to operate drones safely and efficiently should be a cinch.

With so many industries using drones in some capacity, there’s always demand for drone operators. What’s more, a lot of drone gigs are freelance, so this makes a great, low-key side hustle.

Earning potential: $15 to $30 per hour, plus commissions

Requirements: No formal qualifications, but you’ll need customer service experience, knowledge of booking systems, good organizational skills, and familiarity with popular tourist destinations.

What the job is: Travel agents assist clients with planning trips, booking accommodation and flights, and other travel-related tasks.

You’ll be responsible for providing tailored advice to people who are planning their itineraries and doing everything you can to ensure their trips go smoothly.

How to get started: Again, you don’t need any formal qualifications to start working as a travel agent, but getting one may improve your chances and make your clients feel more confident in you. Look into these certificates:

• Certified Travel Associate (CTA)
• ASTA Verified Travel Advisor (VTA)

Once you’re ready to start working, you can find opportunities as a part-time, virtual travel agent through these companies:

• ADTRAV Travel Management
• CWT (formerly Carlson Wagonlit Travel)
• Ovation Travel Group
• Tripadvisor

Why this gig suits pilots: Almost nobody travels more than pilots, with their only competition being other airline industry workers, such as flight attendants. You’re probably familiar with many different destinations and would be more than capable of introducing them to other travelers.

Working as a pilot also requires strong interpersonal skills, which you can lean on to provide high-quality customer service.

Moreover, as alluded to above, a surprising number of travel agencies offer remote positions, which means you can fit this job in around your demanding schedule as a pilot.

Earning potential: Varies depending on your channel and content

Requirements: No formal qualifications, but you’ll need good storytelling skills, creativity, and a passion for travel.

What the job is: As a travel content creator (e.g., a blogger, podcaster, or YouTuber), you’ll create engaging and informative content related to some aspect of traveling. This can consist of:

• Stories of your experiences
• Reviews of hotels and other destinations
• Tips and advice for travelers
• Any other travel-related content you can think of

Once you build an appreciable audience, you can monetize your content by placing ads on it or pursuing affiliate relationships and sponsorships.

How to get started: Before you start, look at other creators occupying a similar niche and see what makes their content engaging.

Pick a type of content that matches your skills. If you’ve always considered yourself a bit of a writer, blogging might be a good fit, whereas if your favorite part of each flight is addressing your passengers over the PA system, consider podcasting or starting a YouTube channel.

Why this gig suits pilots: Many people find pilots fascinating, and not just airplane and aviation geeks. You have an unusual lifestyle that many people would be interested in hearing or reading about. If you’re able to tap into that, you have a bright future ahead of you as a content creator.

That said, be aware that in the beginning, you probably won’t get much attention at all. Even if you’re lucky and talented, it could be a year or more before your content starts to take off. Stick with it, post consistently, and keep your expectations modest—this is a competitive space, and there are no guarantees.

Earning potential: Varies

Requirements: First and foremost, you need to own property (either spare space or possessions) that you’re willing to rent out. You also need to be familiar with rental regulations and have good customer service skills.

What the job is: You can make money by renting out your property while you’re not there. There are several platforms and apps that will facilitate this, including Airbnb or Vrbo (for renting out your home) and Turo (for renting out your car).

If you’d prefer not to have strangers actually enter your house or use your things, you can also rent out a spare room as storage space on platforms like StoreAtMyHouse.

How to get started: Before you begin renting out your property, check that doing so is legal in your area. Some jurisdictions have regulations limiting or banning the use of websites like Airbnb, for instance.

Assuming you’re able to move forward, make sure the space or items you’re planning on renting are well-prepared. If you’re leasing out a room to vacationers or short-term renters, this means cleaning it and keeping it stocked with amenities. If you’re renting your car, get it regularly serviced and keep it in good condition, and so on.

Once you’re ready, the next step is to list the property or space for rent on your chosen platform. Keep in mind that the platforms we listed above will take a cut of your profits (Airbnb typically charges 3%, Vrbo charges 5%, and Turo charges between 15% and 40%, depending on the protection plan you choose).

Why this gig suits pilots: As a pilot, you probably spend a lot of time away from home. Renting out your car or property is a good way to generate passive income during those periods. After all, why not use your property to make some money rather than just leaving it to gather dust?

As a pilot, choosing a related side hustle is a safe choice, but there are also good reasons to pick other ideas beyond your profession.