FSFlight Surgeon
FS
Career

Flight Surgeon

By the numbers
Typical pay
$265,930 / yr
Education to start
Doctoral or professional degree
Future demand
+2.5% by 2034
People in this job
343K
Figures shown for ·closest of 3 O*NET occupations
The work
A day, hour by hour
06:30
Readiness review

Scan overnight reports; flag any aircrew with health concerns before flights launch.

07:00
Flight physicals

Run head-to-toe exams on three pilots — eyes, heart, reflexes, the works.

09:00
Grounding call

One pilot reports dizziness; decide on the spot whether he flies or stays grounded.

09:30
Crew safety brief

Walk aircrew through hypoxia, ejection survival, and what to do at altitude.

11:00
Backseat flight

Strap into a jet and fly with a pilot — feel the G-forces firsthand.

13:30
Clinic & sick call

Treat altitude headaches, fatigue complaints, and one suspected G-LOC episode.

15:00
Records & compliance

Update medical files and sign off on aviation certification paperwork.

16:00
Research block

Analyze fatigue data from last week's long-haul missions; draft findings.

17:15
Ops debrief

Sit with commanders; flag crew fatigue as a medical issue, not just a scheduling one.

Things you do
  • Clear or ground pilots based on their physical and mental health.
  • Run head-to-toe medical exams to certify aircrew as fit to fly.
  • Diagnose and treat problems caused by altitude, G-forces, and hypoxia.
  • Fly in military aircraft to experience firsthand what pilots go through.
  • Brief crews on how to survive ejection, decompression, or oxygen loss.
Decisions you’ll make
  • Is this pilot safe to fly today, or do I ground them?
  • Is this symptom a real medical risk at altitude, or fine on the ground?
  • Should I clear them for the mission now, or push for more tests first?
  • Is the crew's fatigue a medical problem I need to flag, or their commander's call?
  • Does this pilot know I'm also their doctor, not just the mission's gatekeeper?
Education Pathways · how you get there
100 in 100 went the college route · 0 in 100 found another way in None, typically
Education mapped from O*NET:Preventive Medicine Physicians · 72% related
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