59% Of US Workers Prefer 10% Pay Cut For Job Security: Thrust Flight Report

According to a recent Thrust Flight report, nearly 6 in 10 full-time US workers would accept a 10% pay cut in exchange for guaranteed long-term job security amid rising AI fear.

The aviation training company’s 2026 AI Career Security Report, based on a survey of 750 full-time US workers aged 18 to 80 conducted through Pollfish in August 2026, found that 73% believe most people will need a completely different skill set within the next 10 years because of AI. Nearly half, or 49%, said they were at least somewhat worried about AI changing their own jobs.

Job security is increasingly competing with conventional career priorities. While 32% of respondents ranked flexibility and work-life balance as their top career consideration, 27% prioritised job security and 23% chose pay.

According to the communique, the survey also found that 60% would be interested in or curious about exploring a well-paying career perceived as safe from AI. However, workers’ perceptions of which occupations are resistant to automation varied. Construction trades ranked highest at 29%, followed by police and firefighter roles at 27%. Airline pilots were selected by 13% and aircraft mechanics by 11%.

For aviation, the findings point to potential interest in careers that require practical skills, technical training and human judgement. Yet barriers to switching careers remain. Age-related concerns were cited by 37% of respondents considering hands-on work, while 31% pointed to training costs and 30% to the time required to retrain.

“People tend to picture aviation as a career you have to start at 18, and that picture keeps a lot of capable adults from ever looking into it,” said Patrick Arnzen, CEO of Thrust Flight. He said skills such as staying calm under pressure and following established processes could transfer from existing jobs to aviation roles.

The report comes amid long-term demand projections for aviation workers. Boeing’s 2026 Pilot and Technician Outlook estimates that the global aviation industry will need 674,000 pilots and 728,000 maintenance technicians over the next 20 years.

Thrust Flight says its Zero Time to Airline programme can take students with no flight experience to professional pilot certification in as little as 2 years. Its aviation maintenance training arm, the Thrust Institute of Maintenance, offers a pathway to Federal Aviation Administration Airframe and Powerplant mechanic certification in about a year.

The findings suggest that workers may be open to changing careers as AI advances, but interest alone may not translate into a transition without clearer information about training costs, duration and eligibility.