Airfield Operations Specialists: Job Description
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.
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What Tasks Do Airfield Operations Specialists Do?
The core tasks performed by airfield operations specialists span:
- 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.
- Assist in responding to aircraft and medical emergencies.
- Initiate or conduct airport-wide coordination of snow removal on runways and taxiways.
- Manage wildlife on and around airport grounds.
- Coordinate communications between air traffic control and maintenance personnel.
- Perform and supervise airfield management activities, including mobile airfield management functions.
What Airfield Operations Specialists Need to Know
Successful airfield operations specialists rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Airfield Operations Specialist
- Airfield Services Officer
- Airline Agent
- Airline Dispatcher
- Airport Agent
- Airport Operations Agent
- Airport Operations Coordinator
- Airport Operations Crew Member
Job Outlook
There are roughly 1,118,207 airfield operations specialists working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +12.9% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Airfield Operations Specialists Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $54,884 |
| Hourly median | $26.39 |
| 10th percentile | $37,907 |
| 25th percentile | $46,396 |
| 75th percentile | $63,372 |
| 90th percentile | $71,860 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $82,540 |
| Arizona | $80,260 |
| Alabama | $78,270 |
| Texas | $77,460 |
| Oregon | $75,710 |
| Oklahoma | $74,290 |
| Colorado | $72,720 |
| Alaska | $66,250 |
| Maryland | $64,480 |
| Florida | $62,600 |
| Montana | $61,550 |
| Utah | $61,400 |
| California | $61,100 |
| Michigan | $60,990 |
| Nevada | $60,250 |
| Pennsylvania | $59,480 |
| Arkansas | $58,280 |
| Nebraska | $57,610 |
| Ohio | $56,750 |
| Idaho | $50,050 |
| North Dakota | $49,970 |
| Puerto Rico | $48,830 |
| Mississippi | $48,570 |
| Missouri | $48,130 |
| Iowa | $47,990 |
| Georgia | $46,670 |
| Tennessee | $45,630 |
| Louisiana | $45,360 |
| New Mexico | $45,140 |
| South Dakota | $44,860 |
| Indiana | $43,420 |
| New Jersey | $41,450 |
| New York | $40,980 |
| Virginia | $39,860 |
| West Virginia | $38,470 |
| Wisconsin | $37,480 |
| North Carolina | $36,050 |
| South Carolina | $33,490 |
Where Airfield Operations Specialists Earn the Most
Earnings for airfield operations specialists vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest | $76,349 | 12.4% | 0.96 |
| Far Western US | $64,124 | 11.3% | 0.98 |
| Rocky Mountains | $61,870 | 3.3% | 1.14 |
| Southeast | $54,666 | 41.5% | 2.50 |
| Great Lakes | $52,203 | 7.8% | 0.80 |
| Other U.S. Territories | $48,830 | 4.0% | 5.81 |
| Plains States | $47,130 | 2.7% | 1.74 |
| Middle Atlantic | $45,591 | 17.0% | 1.18 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $82,360 | 150 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | OR | $76,550 | 40 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | MO | $76,190 | 40 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $73,280 | 130 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | CO | $69,990 | 50 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | TN | $63,170 | 160 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | CA | $62,720 | 80 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | MI | $62,640 | 250 |
Top Industries Employing Airfield Operations Specialists
The largest employers of airfield operations specialists are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation and Warehousing | 10,560 | $49,360 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 800 | $112,730 |
| Educational Services | 220 | $43,750 |
| Manufacturing | 180 | $86,270 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 150 | $59,500 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 70 | $57,710 |
Below are examples of industries where airfield operations specialists work:
Software Airfield Operations Specialists Use
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Enterprise application integration software: Extensible markup language XML (hot technology)
- Accounting software: Intuit QuickBooks (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Linux (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Document management software: Microsoft SharePoint (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
Daily working conditions for airfield operations specialists is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Contact With Others
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Consequence of Error
- Freedom to Make Decisions
How to Become Airfield Operations Specialists
Entry-level airfield operations specialists positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers (Primary-Long)
- First-Line Supervisors of Firefighting and Prevention Workers (Supplemental)
- First-Line Supervisors of Security Workers (Supplemental)
- Dispatchers, Except Police, Fire, and Ambulance (Supplemental)
- Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors (Primary-Short)
- First-Line Supervisors of Helpers, Laborers, and Material Movers, Hand (Supplemental)
- First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators (Primary-Long)
- First-Line Supervisors of Passenger Attendants (Primary-Short)
Degree Programs
Aspiring airfield operations specialists typically earn programs in:
Transportation and Materials Moving
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 53-2022.00 (Airfield Operations Specialists).
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