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Pilots in Minnesota
17,714 active pilots lived in Minnesota at the end of 2025, making it the 16th largest pilot population in the country and 2.0% of the US total. Of those, 6,417 were student pilots and 3,629 held a flight instructor certificate.
Active pilots
17,714
#16 nationally
Students
6,417
36% of pilots here
Instructors
3,629
one per 1.8 students
By certificate
Where in Minnesota
Pilots by city of residence, from the August 2026 releasable file. That file omits airmen who decline address release, so treat these as relative weight between cities rather than counts — see methodology.
- Minneapolis426
- Lakeville307
- Saint Paul252
- Duluth246
- Rochester168
- Woodbury138
- Prior Lake134
- Eden Prairie133
- Eagan127
- Bloomington109
- Plymouth102
- Edina101
The people who keep them flying
Minnesota is home to 5,513 certificated mechanics — one for every 3.2 pilots in the state.
- Flight Attendant8,089
- Mechanic5,513
- Ground Instructor1,526
- Dispatcher580
- Flight Engineer559
- Repair men543