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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.
What Tasks Do Airfield Operations Specialists Do?
Typical responsibilities of airfield operations specialists include:
- 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.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Successful airfield operations specialists rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
These are the skills that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Types of Airfield Operations Specialists Jobs
Common job titles for this role include:
- Airfield Operations Specialist
- Airfield Services Officer
- Airline Agent
- Airline Dispatcher
- Airport Agent
- Airport Operations Agent
- Airport Operations Coordinator
- Airport Operations Crew Member
Employment and Demand
There are about 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.
Salary for Airfield Operations Specialists
| 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 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Airfield Operations Specialists Make in Different U.S. States?
| 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. Top regions by median wage:
| 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 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Airfield Operations Specialists
| 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 |
Industry Breakdown
The bulk of airfield operations specialists work in 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 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tools and Technology
- 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)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The work environment for airfield operations specialists reflects 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
Typical airfield operations specialists positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
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)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Students preparing for airfield operations specialists typically earn programs in:
Transportation and Materials Moving
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
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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