second officer
Second officers are responsible for monitoring and controlling various aircraft systems including fixed-wing and rotary wing. They work in close coordination with the two pilots during all phases of flight. They make pre-flight, inflight, and post flight inspections, adjustments, and minor repairs. They verify parameters such as passenger and cargo distribution, the amount of fuel, aircraft performance, and appropriate engine speed according to instructions of pilots.
second officer second officers are responsible for monitoring and controlling various aircraft systems including fixed-wing and rotary wing. They work in close coordination with the two pilots during all phases of flight. The role shows moderate AI exposure (0.50 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include geographic areas, airport planning, aircraft flight control systems, electrical systems used in transportation, electronics.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £82,746 a year for Aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 3511). ONS rates this estimate acceptable: it rests on a small sample, so treat it as a rough guide. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Technicians and associate professionals” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only second officer, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 3. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Transportation
- English Language
- Public Safety and Security
- Geography
- Mechanical
- Mathematics
- Computers and Electronics
- Physics
What you'd actually do
- Use instrumentation to guide flights when visibility is poor.
- Start engines, operate controls, and pilot airplanes to transport passengers, mail, or freight, adhering to flight plans, regulations, and procedures.
- Work as part of a flight team with other crew members, especially during takeoffs and landings.
- Respond to and report in-flight emergencies and malfunctions.
- Inspect aircraft for defects and malfunctions, according to pre-flight checklists.
- Contact control towers for takeoff clearances, arrival instructions, and other information, using radio equipment.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does second officer do?
Second officers are responsible for monitoring and controlling various aircraft systems including fixed-wing and rotary wing. They work in close coordination with the two pilots during all phases of flight. They make pre-flight, inflight, and post flight inspections, adjustments, and minor repairs. They verify parameters such as passenger and cargo distribution, the amount of fuel, aircraft performance, and appropriate engine speed according to instructions of pilots.
What skills does second officer need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include geographic areas, airport planning, aircraft flight control systems, electrical systems used in transportation, electronics, air transport law. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace second officer?
Our AI-durability model gives second officer a score of 0.50 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.