FAA publishes number of US pilots.
FAA Publishes Numbers of U.S. Pilots
The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Regulatory Support Division (AFS-600) published the following statistics regarding how many pilots there are in the U.S. The grand total is 598,217 pilots. Of these, there are 132,305 airline transport pilots; 120,875 commercial pilots; 255,835 private pilots; 88,857 student pilots; and 345 recreational pilots. Additionally, there are 78,182 certified flight instructors; 1,200 designated pilot examiners; and 400 training center evaluators.