How does one become a cargo/commercial airline pilot?

I am in the Marines and have a strong interest in become a pilot. But not exactly sure where to start. Right now I am a UAV Mechanic. So, I already work with planes. I just need some advice on where to go from here. Help please. Thank you.How does one become a cargo/commercial airline pilot?
1) You'll need a college degree or your chances of being hired go way down since 95% of all major airline pilots (passenger or cargo) have at least Bachelor's degree.





2) Obviously, you go through formal training to become a commercial pilot. First you get a private certificate, then an instrument rating, then perhaps a multi-engine rating. Then you build up your flight time to qualify for the Commercial Pilot certificate, then most pilots opt for an instructor's rating since teaching is one of the few jobs you can get straight out of flight school with only 200-300 hours of flight time.





3) In the civilian world, the standard path is to progress from flight instructor to air taxi or charter work, then to a regional airline, then to a major airline.





4) An accelerated flight school that takes you through commercial, instrument, multi-engine and flight instructor takes about a year to complete going at it full time and costs anywhere from $35,000 to $80,000 depending on where you learn to fly, what planes you fly, and what licenses you get beyond commercial-instrument in a single engine aircraft.





5) The GI Bill will pay for some of your flight training AFTER you earn a private pilot license, but far from all of it. Loans will also pay for part of it, but money for training loans is pretty tight right now.





6) The pay early in the professional flying game is atrocious. A new-hire co-pilot flying a 70-seat jet for a regional airline starts out at about $20,000 per year. (shocking isn't it?) and the pay doesn't rise quickly.





7) Flight school, college, and time building flying jobs can easily consume 10 years of your life before you will be considered ';major airline material';. Some folks do it quicker, but it's a long haul for a lot of aspiring airline pilots, and some never make it at all (in fact only about 50% do).





8) If you're serious, get and read this book. It lays it all out pretty plain and simple and will help you decide if it is really the career for you: http://www.aviationcareercounseling.com/鈥?/a>





9) Being ex-military, even though you aren't a pilot, helps since most airlines give a nominal hiring preference to veterans under the Equal Opportunity Act.How does one become a cargo/commercial airline pilot?
By joining the military. 99% of commercial or cargo pilots started out in the Army Air Force or Navy.
By getting a commercial pilot license and also by having a certain # of hours.