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Pilot careers in Federal And State government

Though pilot positions in the government aren't heavily advertised or even widely known, there is a tremendous opportunity available for pilots in both federal and state government.

Government agencies use airplanes in a variety of different ways. Some pilots consider a career flying for the U.S. or a state government the pinnacle of
success.

Lets look at some of the governmental agencies that hire pilots.

On the state side, some of the agencies that hire pilots are state marine patrols, fishery departments, wildlife departments,and park departments. Pilots who fly for these agencies perform a number of vital functions that range from law enforcement duties to scientific surveys.

On the federal side there are a number of agencies that use aircraft to accomplish their respective missions. Among them are the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Border Patrol, Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Park Service, and the U.S. Marshall service.

The missions that pilots fly are as different as the agencies themselves. A pilot for NOAA might fly hurricane hunter aircraft into hurricanes to gather crucial data or
transport scientists to a remote area to collect samples or conduct a survey.

DEA and FBI pilots perform a number of law enforcement functions to include
surveillance and reconnaissance missions as well as transporting personnel between locations.

Customs pilots perform a number of missions in defense of our borders while pilots for the National Park service fly a variety of scientific, observation and search and rescue missions.

One of the more interesting government flying careers is being a pilot for the the U.S. Marshalls service. Like in the movie "Con Air", Marshall Service pilots transport prisoners from locations around the country.

If you're interested in a career flying with the government you should know that different agencies have different requirements when hiring pilots. For instance the FBI and DEA require their pilots to be special agents for a period of time before they’re eligible to apply for pilot positions while other agencies such as Customs and NOAA don’t have this requirement.

Pilot salaries who fly for the government start at around $50,000 and max out at about $112,000.

Time spent away from home varies depending on the agency.