Examines aircraft crash sites, wreckage, recorders and records to determine why an accident happened and recommend changes that prevent the next one. BLS does not publish separate figures for aviation inspectors; it counts them within aviation inspector (SOC 53-6051), whose median pay is $92,100 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 53-6051
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Aircraft Accident Investigator in four numbers
- Median pay
- $92,100a year, or $44.28/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $40KTop 10% $139K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +2.2%Slower than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+2.2%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +2.2% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 2,30025,100 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202525.1K
- Projected 203525.6K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 25.1K Projected 2035 25.6K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- High school29.2%
- Certificate19.7%
- Some college13.5%
- Associate's33.7%
- Bachelor's3.9%
Highest education held by aviation inspectors Segment Value High school 29.2% Certificate 19.7% Some college 13.5% Associate's 33.7% Bachelor's 3.9%
Also advertised as: Air Safety Investigator, Aviation Accident Investigator, NTSB Investigator, Air Crash Investigator.
Pay
How much do Aviation Inspectors make?
Every aircraft accident investigator in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$92,100
Middle half earn $58,780 to $108,890
- 10th
- $40,330
- 25th
- $58,780
- 75th
- $108,890
- 90th
- $138,670
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $40,330 |
| 25th | $58,780 |
| Median | $92,100 |
| 75th | $108,890 |
| 90th | $138,670 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $92,100
- Median hourly wage
- $44.28/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $88,540
- People employed
- 24,500
Versus all US occupations
At $92,100, Aviation Inspectors earn 81% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $41,120 a year.
Versus transportation and material moving occupations
Inside the Transportation and Material Moving group, where the middle occupation pays $62,840, this is 47% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $138,670 or more while the bottom 10% earn $40,330, a gap of 3.4×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 67% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
Alaska posts the highest raw median ($123,120), but once local prices are taken into account Iowa leads at $133,144 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Aviation Inspectors the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Alaska | $123,120 | $120,283 | 170 |
| 2Iowa | $116,850 | $133,144 | 60 |
| 3Oklahoma | $111,070 | $126,441 | 470 |
| 4Hawaii | $108,270 | $98,471 | 150 |
| 5Alabama | $108,140 | $121,748 | 670 |
| 6North Dakota | $106,330 | $119,527 | 60 |
| 7Washington | $104,250 | $97,418 | 490 |
| 8Kansas | $103,380 | $114,780 | 210 |
| 9Florida | $101,470 | $98,120 | 1,630 |
| 10Texas | $101,440 | $104,516 | 2,290 |
Job outlook
Is Aircraft Accident Investigator a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Slower than average. +2.2% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Aviation Inspectors | +2.2% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Aviation Inspectors to change 2.2% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 600 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 2,300 openings are projected each year, 9.2% of the 25,100 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become an Aircraft Accident Investigator
Investigators usually come with deep aviation experience: pilots, aerospace engineers, maintenance technicians or air traffic controllers, often with a bachelor's degree in an engineering or aviation field. NTSB air safety investigator postings on USAJOBS ask for specialized experience in aviation operations or engineering.
Formal training is available through courses such as the USC Aviation Safety and Security Program's accident investigation course, the NTSB Training Center, and the Transportation Safety Institute. The International Society of Air Safety Investigators is the professional body and runs seminars and student chapters.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Some preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as aviation inspectors.
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree33.7%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)29.2%
- Post-Secondary Certificate19.7%
- Some College Courses13.5%
- Bachelor's Degree3.9%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 33.7% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 29.2% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 19.7% |
| Some College Courses | 13.5% |
| Bachelor's Degree | 3.9% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does an Aircraft Accident Investigator do?
Aircraft accident investigators find out why aircraft crash or have serious incidents. At the National Transportation Safety Board, regional air safety investigators handle general aviation cases on their own, traveling to the site, documenting wreckage, interviewing witnesses and gathering maintenance and pilot records, then writing the factual report and proposing probable cause.
On major accidents, specialists form groups for operations, structures, powerplants, systems, human performance and survival factors, working with flight recorder and materials labs. Manufacturers, airlines, pilot unions and insurers employ their own investigators who take part as parties to the official investigation. Investigators also brief families, the press and industry and draft safety recommendations.
Day-to-day tasks
- Travel to accident sites to document and examine wreckage
- Interview pilots, witnesses, controllers and maintenance personnel
- Collect and review maintenance logs, pilot records and weather data
- Coordinate examination of engines, components and flight recorders
- Write factual reports and propose probable cause
- Draft safety recommendations for regulators and industry
- Brief families, the media and investigation parties on findings
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Investigators split time between offices and accident sites that can be in fields, mountains, water or airports, in any weather. Field work is physical and can involve hazardous materials and distressing scenes. Being on call and traveling at short notice is standard, and report writing and review take up long stretches of office time.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely importantDealing with customers or the public is very important.
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely seriousMistakes carry very serious consequences.
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Reading Comprehension3.9
- Active Listening3.9
- Speaking3.9
- Writing3.6
- Monitoring3.4
- Active Learning3.1
- Science2.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.9 |
| Active Listening | 3.9 |
| Speaking | 3.9 |
| Writing | 3.6 |
| Monitoring | 3.4 |
| Active Learning | 3.1 |
| Science | 2.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Operations Monitoring3.8
- Quality Control Analysis3.8
- Complex Problem Solving3.4
- Troubleshooting3.3
- Judgment and Decision Making3.3
- Time Management3.3
- Social Perceptiveness3.0
- Service Orientation3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 3.8 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.8 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.4 |
| Troubleshooting | 3.3 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.3 |
| Time Management | 3.3 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 |
| Service Orientation | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Cloud-based management software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Desktop publishing software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Web platform development software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits an Aircraft Accident Investigator?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code IRC) built on O*NET's Aviation Inspector profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Aircraft Accident Investigator |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 6 |
| Investigative | 5 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 1 |
| Enterprising | 3 |
| Conventional | 6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors.
- Conventional5.7
- Realistic5.6
- Investigative4.7
- Enterprising2.6
- Social1.4
- Artistic1.0
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Aircraft Accident Investigator
O*NET related occupations
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Transportation and Material Moving
Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspector, Except Aviation
$92,100median a year
Most earn $40K to $139K
+2.2%High school - Transportation and Material Moving
- Construction and Extraction
- Architecture and Engineering
Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologist and Technician
$82,890median a year
Most earn $59K to $125K
+11.9%Associate's - Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
More transportation and material moving careers
Median annual pay, with aviation inspectors highlighted
- Airline Pilot$232,140
- Commercial Pilot$123,220
- Aircraft Accident Investigator$92,100
- Locomotive Engineer$81,410
- Railroad Conductor and Yardmaster$78,000
- Crane and Tower Operator$68,080
- Flight Attendant$63,580
- Truck Driver$58,640
- Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector$49,690
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Airline Pilot | $232,140 |
| Commercial Pilot | $123,220 |
| Aircraft Accident Investigator | $92,100 |
| Locomotive Engineer | $81,410 |
| Railroad Conductor and Yardmaster | $78,000 |
| Crane and Tower Operator | $68,080 |
| Flight Attendant | $63,580 |
| Truck Driver | $58,640 |
| Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector | $49,690 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Aircraft Accident Investigator appears on
Questions
Aircraft Accident Investigator: frequently asked questions
How much do Aviation Inspectors make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for aviation inspectors. It counts them within aviation inspector, whose median pay is $92,100 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $58,780 and $108,890, and the top 10% earn $138,670 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Aircraft Accident Investigator?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Aviation Inspectors, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as some preparation. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 33.7% hold associate's degree or other 2-year degree.
Is Aircraft Accident Investigator a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 2.2% over 2025–2035 against 3.5% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 2,300 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Aircraft Accident Investigator do?
Aircraft accident investigators find out why aircraft crash or have serious incidents. A typical task: travel to accident sites to document and examine wreckage. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Cloud-based management software, Data base user interface and query software.
Which states pay Aviation Inspectors the most?
The highest state medians for Aviation Inspectors are Alaska ($123,120), Iowa ($116,850), Oklahoma ($111,070) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Iowa moves to the top at $133,144.
What personality type suits an Aircraft Accident Investigator?
O*NET scores Aviation Inspectors highest on the Conventional, Realistic and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.