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General Air Transportation

Types of Degrees General Air Transportation Majors Are Earning

People majoring in General Air Transportation have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	15
Associate’s Degree	437
Bachelor’s Degree	4,986
Master’s Degree	864
Doctor’s Degree	24

What General Air Transportation Majors Need to Know

Programs in General Air Transportation develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that General Air Transportation graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in General Air Transportation emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Transportation — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Personnel and Human Resources — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a General Air Transportation program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Coordination — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Time Management — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to General Air Transportation careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, General Air Transportation graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.2 / 7
Developing and Building Teams	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Working with Computers	4.0 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.0 / 7
Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by General Air Transportation professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Warehouse management system WMS	Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software	✓
Microsoft SQL Server	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Dynamics	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Oracle E-Business Suite Financials	Financial analysis software	—
NetSuite ERP	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for General Air Transportation graduates include:

• Supply Chain Logistics Manager
• Logistics Supervisor
• Material Requirements Planning Manager
• Supply Chain Program Manager
• Supply Chain Strategy Manager
• Replenishment Manager
• Demand Planning Manager
• Supply Chain Design Manager
• Parts Manager
• Inventory Supervisor
• Manufacturing Supply Chain Manager
• Auto Parts Manager (Automotive Parts Manager)
• Supply Chain Operations Director
• Supply Chain Product Manager
• Supply Chain Director

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to General Air Transportation graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	66.7%
Master’s degree	19.1%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	9.5%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	4.8%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in General Air Transportation?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 83.7% of General Air Transportation degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,031	16.3%
Men	5,296	83.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of General Air Transportation graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	3,664	57.9%
Asian	250	4.0%
Hispanic or Latino	659	10.4%
Black or African American	365	5.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	22	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	20	0.3%
Two or More Races	283	4.5%
Race Unknown	305	4.8%
International Students	759	12.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do General Air Transportation Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of General Air Transportation graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$54,735
4 years	$69,369
5 years	$80,156

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $80,156 — roughly 46% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online General Air Transportation Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for General Air Transportation. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	3	1
Bachelor’s	6	11
Master’s	11	2
Doctoral (Research)	3	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in General Air Transportation Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, General Air Transportation graduates earn a median of $69,369 four years after completion — roughly 83% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Air Transportation	49.01
Air Traffic Controller	49.0105
Air Transportation, Other	49.0199
Airline Flight Attendant	49.0106
Airline/Commercial/Professional Pilot and Flight Crew	49.0102
Aviation/Airway Management and Operations	49.0104
Flight Instructor	49.0108
Remote Aircraft Pilot	49.0109

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.