Helicopter Pilot

A helicopter pilot operates rotorcraft aircraft in Australian airspace under Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) regulations, conducting passenger transport, emergency services, cargo operations, or aerial work missions. They are responsible for aircraft safety, navigation, fuel management, and compliance with flight plans and airspace restrictions from pre-flight checks through landing.

Conduct pre-flight inspections of helicopter systems including engine, rotor, hydraulics, avionics, and fuel capacity in accordance with maintenance logs. File flight plans with air traffic control and obtain weather briefings relevant to planned route and destination. Operate helicopter flight controls to achieve safe takeoff, cruising, and landing within operational and environmental limits. Monitor engine performance, fuel consumption, and aircraft systems during flight using cockpit instruments and displays. Navigate using GPS, VOR, NDB, and visual reference techniques while adhering to designated airways and altitude restrictions. Communicate with air traffic control centres, other aircraft, and ground personnel using standardised aviation phraseology. Manage emergency procedures including engine failure, system malfunctions, and unscheduled landing scenarios. Operate specialist equipment such as external cargo hooks, winches for rescue operations, or aerial survey cameras depending on mission type.

The standard entry pathway requires a bachelor degree or higher (ABS Skill Level 1). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

You'll also face unpredictable rosters with early starts, on-call shifts, and time away from home, especially in remote rescue or mining work.

Remote area medical services (RFDS) and emergency helicopter rescue need pilots across regional Australia. Practically speaking, stable full-time roles cluster around major metros and mining hubs rather than small regional towns.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 2311, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Active Listeningcore
• Adaptability and Flexibilitycore
• Attention to Detailcore
• Incident Reportingcore
• Multitaskingcore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Problem Solvingcore
• Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
• Risk Identificationcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Workload Self-Managementcore
• Continuous Learning and Upskilling
• Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity
• Delivery Scheduling
• Dispatch Documentation
• Goal Setting and Planning
• Record Management
• Report Writing
• Stakeholder Communication

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

Last updated: 30 October 2026