The median pay for Airfield Operations Specialists is $56,850 a year ($27.33/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 7.8% through 2035, with about 1,500 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 53-2022
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Airfield Operations Specialist in four numbers
- Median pay
- $56,850a year, or $27.33/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $36KTop 10% $102K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +7.8%Much faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+7.8%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +7.8% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 1,50015,300 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202515.3K
- Projected 203516.5K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 15.3K Projected 2035 16.5K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- High school33.8%
- Some college14.7%
- Associate's0.6%
- Bachelor's50.9%
Highest education held by airfield operations specialists Segment Value High school 33.8% Some college 14.7% Associate's 0.6% Bachelor's 50.9%
Also advertised as: Airfield Operations Specialist, Airport Operations Agent, Airport Operations Coordinator, Airport Operations Officer, Airport Operations Specialist, Flight Follower.
Pay
How much do Airfield Operations Specialists make?
Every airfield operations specialist in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$56,850
Middle half earn $42,000 to $77,340
- 10th
- $35,870
- 25th
- $42,000
- 75th
- $77,340
- 90th
- $102,120
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $35,870 |
| 25th | $42,000 |
| Median | $56,850 |
| 75th | $77,340 |
| 90th | $102,120 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $56,850
- Median hourly wage
- $27.33/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $63,610
- People employed
- 15,190
Versus all US occupations
At $56,850, Airfield Operations Specialists earn 12% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $5,870 a year.
Versus transportation and material moving occupations
Inside the Transportation and Material Moving group, where the middle occupation pays $62,840, this is 10% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $102,120 or more while the bottom 10% earn $35,870, a gap of 2.8×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 28% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Kentucky pays the most at $123,290, and still leads at $136,747 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Airfield Operations Specialists 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Kentucky | $123,290 | $136,747 | 290 |
| 2Washington | $84,050 | $78,542 | 150 |
| 3Alabama | $78,590 | $88,479 | N/A |
| 4Arizona | $77,570 | $77,048 | 160 |
| 5Colorado | $77,500 | $75,205 | 70 |
| 6Oregon | $75,130 | $72,687 | 50 |
| 7Virginia | $72,250 | $71,461 | 280 |
| 8Alaska | $71,510 | $69,862 | 160 |
| 9New Mexico | $69,090 | $74,925 | 50 |
| 10Georgia | $66,790 | $69,361 | 340 |
Job outlook
Is Airfield Operations Specialist a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Much faster than average. +7.8% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Airfield Operations Specialists | +7.8% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Airfield Operations Specialists to change 7.8% over 2025–2035, roughly 2.2× the 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 1,200 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 1,500 openings are projected each year, 9.8% of the 15,300 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become an Airfield Operations Specialist
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Long-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 airfield operations specialists.
- Bachelor's Degree50.9%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)33.8%
- Some College Courses14.7%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree0.6%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 50.9% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 33.8% |
| Some College Courses | 14.7% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 0.6% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does an Airfield Operations Specialist do?
Ensure the safe takeoff and landing of commercial and military aircraft. Duties include coordination between air-traffic control and maintenance personnel, dispatching, using airfield landing and navigational aids, implementing airfield safety procedures, monitoring and maintaining flight records, and applying knowledge of weather information.
Day-to-day tasks
- Inspect airfield conditions to ensure compliance with federal regulatory requirements.
- Implement airfield safety procedures to ensure a safe operating environment for personnel and aircraft operation.
- Conduct inspections of the airport property and perimeter to maintain controlled access to airfields.
- Manage wildlife on and around airport grounds.
- Assist in responding to aircraft and medical emergencies.
- Perform and supervise airfield management activities, including mobile airfield management functions.
- Monitor the arrival, parking, refueling, loading, and departure of all aircraft.
- Train operations staff.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather at least weekly.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-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 dayHandling conflict situations at least monthly.
Cost 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
- Active Listening4.0
- Monitoring4.0
- Reading Comprehension3.8
- Speaking3.8
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Writing3.4
- Active Learning3.3
- Learning Strategies3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 4.0 |
| Monitoring | 4.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.8 |
| Speaking | 3.8 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.8 |
| Writing | 3.4 |
| Active Learning | 3.3 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Coordination3.8
- Complex Problem Solving3.4
- Instructing3.3
- Judgment and Decision Making3.3
- Social Perceptiveness3.1
- Systems Analysis3.1
- Systems Evaluation3.1
- Time Management3.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Coordination | 3.8 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.4 |
| Instructing | 3.3 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.3 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.1 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.1 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.1 |
| Time Management | 3.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Accounting software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise application integration software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Graphics or photo imaging software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Spreadsheet 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 Airfield Operations Specialist?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Airfield Operations Specialist |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 5 |
| Investigative | 4 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 4 |
| Conventional | 5 |
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.
- Conventional4.9
- Realistic4.6
- Enterprising4.5
- Investigative3.5
- Social2.5
- 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 Airfield Operations Specialist
O*NET related occupations
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Transportation and Material Moving
- Management
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Manager
$107,230median a year
Most earn $65K to $195K
+6.1%High school
- First-Line Supervisor of Passenger Attendants · $62,840 median
- First-Line Supervisor of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators · $62,840 median
More transportation and material moving careers
Median annual pay, with airfield operations specialists highlighted
- Airline Pilot$232,140
- Commercial Pilot$123,220
- Locomotive Engineer$81,410
- Railroad Conductor and Yardmaster$78,000
- Crane and Tower Operator$68,080
- Flight Attendant$63,580
- Truck Driver$58,640
- Airfield Operations Specialist$56,850
- Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector$49,690
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Airline Pilot | $232,140 |
| Commercial Pilot | $123,220 |
| Locomotive Engineer | $81,410 |
| Railroad Conductor and Yardmaster | $78,000 |
| Crane and Tower Operator | $68,080 |
| Flight Attendant | $63,580 |
| Truck Driver | $58,640 |
| Airfield Operations Specialist | $56,850 |
| Refuse and Recyclable Material Collector | $49,690 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Specialty careers within airfield operations specialist
Distinct careers BLS counts inside this occupation, each with its own profile.
Lists Airfield Operations Specialist appears on
Questions
Airfield Operations Specialist: frequently asked questions
How much do Airfield Operations Specialists make?
Airfield Operations Specialists earn a median of $56,850 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 12% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. That works out at $27.33/hr. The middle half earn between $42,000 and $77,340. The top 10% earn $102,120 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Airfield Operations Specialist?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Airfield Operations Specialists. BLS also lists long-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 50.9% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Airfield Operations Specialist a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 7.8% over 2025–2035, more than double the 3.5% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 1,500 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Airfield Operations Specialist do?
Ensure the safe takeoff and landing of commercial and military aircraft. A core O*NET task: inspect airfield conditions to ensure compliance with federal regulatory requirements. Employers most often ask for Accounting software, Data base user interface and query software, Document management software.
Which states pay Airfield Operations Specialists the most?
The highest state medians for Airfield Operations Specialists are Kentucky ($123,290), Washington ($84,050), Alabama ($78,590) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits an Airfield Operations Specialist?
O*NET scores Airfield Operations Specialists highest on the Conventional, Realistic and Enterprising 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 the closest types are ISTJ, ESTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.