In the Star Wars universe, what kind of pilots are there?
Luke wanted to get off the farm and join the Imperial academy as a pilot, so being a pilot in the military is one.
What others?
Of course there can be civilian pilots for shuttles, transports, freight ships up to a cruiser size vehicles. I doubt Luke was wanting to join the Empire or the Rebellion when he wanted to join the academy, just to get a pilot’s license or something and then gone off with that.