FAA Pilot Jobs (2026): Flight Test, Aviation Safety Inspector & the AOPA Expo Hiring Event

Why now: Phoenix hiring event Nov 13–14

The FAA is recruiting and interviewing pilots in person at the AOPA Aviation Career Expo, Hyatt Regency Phoenix, 122 N 2nd St, Phoenix, AZ 85004. Hours: Nov 13, 9am–4pm MST and Nov 14, 9am–3pm MST (FAA hiring events, last updated Fri Nov 6, 2026). Create and share your profile and resume for interview consideration; the FAA says sharing a resume helps match you to open vacancies and “highly encourage[s] adding your flight hours to your resume.” You must attend the event in person for interview consideration.

Three FAA pilot career paths

Path	Duties (FAA summary)	Medical	Key hours / certs	Published salary
Flight Test Pilot	Flight tests of new and modified aircraft for FAA certification; evaluates performance, handling, systems and safety; analyzes engineering data	1st or 2nd class to qualify; 1st class before appointment	Commercial or ATP; 1,750 TT; 1,150 PIC; 75 night; 100 in last 12 months; 500 multi; 75 instrument	$111,779–$192,093 (location & experience)
ASI – Operations (GA / Air Carrier / Rotorcraft-Helicopter)	Ramp inspections, observing pilot procedures, overseeing training and qualification, investigating violations	Valid 2nd-class medical (all three ops paths)	Typically 1,500 TT; path-specific certificates and instruction hours (see below)	Not published on the events page for Ops ASIs
ASI – Flight Oversight (GA / Air Carrier / Rotorcraft-Helicopter)	Enforces safety regs and standards; oversees pilot competency and airman qualifications; no pilot testing or required crewmember duties	No medical required	Typically 1,500 TT; ATP or Commercial with instrument (path-specific); 3 years organizational experience	$62,660–$145,876 (location & experience)

Source for all rows: FAA hiring events. Flight Oversight detail also on FAA Flight Oversight ASI careers.

Flight Test Pilot detail

Duties per the FAA events page: conducts flight tests of new and modified aircraft to support FAA certification; evaluates aircraft performance, handling, flight controls, systems and safety under challenging conditions; analyzes engineering data for compliance with airworthiness standards and provides technical expertise for certification decisions, manufacturer oversight and continued safety (FAA hiring events).

Category	Flight hours required
Total flight time	1,750
Pilot-in-command	1,150
Night flying	75
Flying time within last 12 months	100
Multi-engine	500
Instrument	75

Certificate: Commercial Pilot Certificate or Airline Transport Pilot (ATP). Medical: 1st or 2nd class to qualify; 1st class must be obtained before appointment. Published salary: $111,779–$192,093 depending on location and experience (FAA hiring events).

ASI Operations paths (medical required)

These inspectors ensure safe flight operations and regulatory compliance by conducting ramp inspections, observing pilot procedures, overseeing pilot training and qualification programs, and investigating violations (FAA hiring events). All three paths below require a valid second-class medical and “not more than 2 flying accidents in the last 5 years in which the applicant’s pilot error was involved.”

General Aviation Operations

• Valid, unexpired Flight Instructor Certificate with single- and multi-engine airplane and instrument airplane ratings; minimum 200 hours of flight instruction given in an aircraft
• Professional flying skill demonstrated in a flight check to Commercial Pilot Certificate with an instrument rating
• ATP or Commercial with instrument airplane rating; single- and multi-engine land airplane ratings
• Minimum 1,500 total flight hours; minimum 100 flight hours within the last 3 years
• Valid second-class FAA medical

Air Carrier Operations

• At least 1 year of pilot experience in multi-engine aircraft of more than 12,500 lb maximum certificated takeoff weight
• Professional flying skill demonstrated in a simulator check to ATP standard
• ATP or Commercial with instrument airplane rating (Department of Navy positions have additional large multi-engine / helicopter performance notes on the page)
• Minimum 1,500 total flight hours; minimum 100 flight hours during the last 3 years
• Valid second-class medical (Navy observer / mishap-investigation physical notes on the page)

Rotorcraft-Helicopter Operations

This is the path that matters most for helicopter pilots in our audience (FAA hiring events):

• ATP with Rotorcraft-Helicopter rating, or Commercial with Rotorcraft-Helicopter and Instrument-Helicopter ratings
• Valid, unexpired Flight Instructor Certificate with Rotorcraft-Helicopter and Instrument-Helicopter ratings
• Minimum 1,500 total flight hours as PIC or SIC, of which 1,000 must be in helicopters
• Minimum 200 hours of flight instruction given in a helicopter
• Minimum 100 helicopter hours as PIC or SIC, or 100 hours as pilot in a Level D helicopter simulator, or any combination, during the last five years
• Valid 2nd-class medical

Ops ASI salary is not published on the events page (unlike Flight Test and Flight Oversight).

Flight Oversight ASI (no medical required)

No medical certification required. The role enforces aviation safety regulations and standards, oversees pilot competency and airman qualifications, and applies aviation expertise in FAA laws, regulations and policies. There is no pilot testing or required crewmember duties; participation in the FAA Flight Program would be in a simulator only (FAA hiring events; FAA Flight Oversight ASI careers). Published salary: $62,660–$145,876 depending on location and experience.

All three Flight Oversight paths (GA, Air Carrier, Rotorcraft-Helicopter) share a pattern: ATP or Commercial (path-specific ratings), typically 1,500 total hours (Rotorcraft-Helicopter: 1,500 PIC/SIC with 1,000 in helicopters), instructor experience (valid or expired CFI, or approved-program instructor experience, with 200 hours of instruction given), three years of organizational aviation experience, and the same two-accident rule. Full lists are on FAA hiring events and FAA Flight Oversight ASI careers.

The Flight Oversight careers page also notes current incentives: an On-the-Spot (OTS) alternative hiring process for entry-level Flight Oversight ASIs that eliminates the competitive application process, and a $10K Permanent Change of Station (PCS) for candidates whose permanent residence is 100 miles or more from the offered duty location (service agreement; remain one year). U.S. citizenship, a valid state driver’s license, a security background investigation and an initial drug screening are required (FAA Flight Oversight ASI careers, last updated Dec 30, 2024).

How to apply / hiring event logistics

• Event: AOPA Aviation Career Expo, Hyatt Regency Phoenix, 122 N 2nd St, Phoenix, AZ 85004
• When: Nov 13, 9am–4pm MST; Nov 14, 9am–3pm MST
• In person required for interview consideration
• Create and share your profile and resume; put your flight hours on the resume
• Ongoing: watch FAA hiring events and FAA jobs / USAJOBS for announcements (we do not invent open-count figures here)

How this compares to CBP AMO

Another federal flying career is CBP Air and Marine Operations (Air Interdiction Agent). That listing covers CBP’s published minimums, duty locations (including Texas) and GS pay from CBP/USAJOBS sources. FAA Flight Test and ASI roles are civil-service safety and certification careers; CBP AMO is federal law-enforcement aviation. See our government & law enforcement directory for both.

Sources (checked Nov 7, 2026)

• FAA hiring events (last updated Friday, November 6, 2026)
• FAA Flight Oversight ASI careers (last updated Monday, December 30, 2024)
• Related listing: CBP Air and Marine Operations

What we couldn’t verify

We did not fetch individual USAJOBS announcements for this guide, so we do not quote open vacancy counts, GS grades, locality pay tables or duty-station lists beyond what the events and Flight Oversight pages publish. Ops ASI salary is not on the events page. Aircraft types flown by FAA Flight Test Pilots are not listed on the events page. AOPA’s own Expo page was not used as a source (FAA events page only). Corrections? Tell us.

Next steps

Browse the new FAA Flight Test & ASI directory listing, compare CBP AMO, read PIC authority and duty & rest rules, or check hours to ATP and 2026 airline hiring.