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Air Transportation Degree

Bachelor's Degree Intelligence Report · CIP 49.01

Part of Transportation And Materials Moving · Data sourced from O*NET, U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard & IPEDS.

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Structural ROI Scorecard

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Bachelor's, 4yr post-grad)
💵 Median Earnings (4yr)
$85,825
Annual, 4 years post-graduation
🎓 Median Student Debt
$24,500
Debt-to-Earnings: 0.29x
⚡ Structural Leverage Score
80/100
Salary + debt relief + career autonomy

🏆 Deep Specialization

Air Transportation graduates flow into one concentrated career domain. This is a high-conviction major — if you love the field, the career pool is deep and specialized.

Transportation & Material Moving

6 occupations mapped

🤖 AI Resilience
81/100 AI-Resilient
💡 Creativity
52/100 Moderate Creativity
🎯 Work Autonomy
77/100 High Autonomy
🔥 Burnout Demand
67/100 High Demand
🌱 THRIVE Index
67/100 Moderate Thrive
🏠 Remote Work
17/100 On-Site Required
🤝 Social Impact
56/100 Moderate Impact
Social Battery
⚡ Social Energy Required

The Reality Check

You are entering a high-stakes, specialized field where the degree acts as a mandatory ticket to entry. With a median salary of $85,825 against a modest debt load of $24,500, the financial math is exceptionally favorable. This is a direct pipeline into the Transportation & Material Moving cluster, specifically flight operations and logistics management.

The Structural Leverage score of 80/100 indicates that your degree provides significant bargaining power. You aren't competing with generalist majors for these roles. However, this specialization is a double-edged sword: your skills are highly valuable within aviation but have limited portability if you decide to leave the sector. You are trading broad flexibility for high-floor stability.

The Vulnerability Audit

Your greatest shield is a JobPolaris AI Resilience score of 81/100. While algorithms can optimize routes, the physical and regulatory complexities of air travel require human intervention that current technology cannot replicate. You are safe from the immediate threat of automation that plagues many white-collar desk jobs.

The real risk is the Burnout Demand of 67/100. This reflects a high-pressure environment where mistakes have physical consequences. The industry operates on a 24/7 cycle, meaning your schedule will often be erratic. If you struggle with high-stakes decision-making under fatigue, the structural stability of the career won't save you from professional exhaustion.

The Thrive Verdict

Success here requires a specific social profile. Despite the technical nature of the work, you need significant social energy to coordinate with diverse teams and regulatory bodies. With an Autonomy score of 77/100, you will enjoy the freedom of making real-time operational calls, but you must be comfortable being the final authority.

The THRIVE Index of 67/100 suggests a solid quality of life for those who value technical mastery over creative expression. This path is for the disciplined operator who finds satisfaction in precision and protocol. To maximize this degree, focus on obtaining specialized ratings early to cement your position in the highest-earning tiers of the transportation cluster.

🌍 Live Job Market

Explore current Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers openings

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