What Does it Take to Be an Airfield Operations Specialist?
Position 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.
Life As an Airfield Operations Specialist: What Do They Do?
- Manage wildlife on and around airport grounds.
- Procure, produce, and provide information on the safe operation of aircraft, such as flight planning publications, operations publications, charts and maps, or weather information.
- Provide aircrews with information and services needed for airfield management and flight planning.
- Conduct departure and arrival briefings.
- Use airfield landing and navigational aids and digital data terminal communications equipment to perform duties.
- Coordinate changes to flight itineraries with appropriate Air Traffic Control (ATC) agencies.
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What Every Airfield Operations Specialist Should Know
When polled, Airfield Operations Specialists say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
Related Job Titles for this Occupation:
- Airfield Manager
- Assistant Manager Airside Operations
- Flight Operation Coordinator
- Operations Agent
- Operations Supervisor
Are There Job Opportunities for Airfield Operations Specialists?
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 8,900 jobs in the United States for Airfield Operations Specialist. New jobs are being produced at a rate of 9% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 800 new jobs for Airfield Operations Specialist by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 900 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Airfield Operations Specialist are Nevada, Utah, and Iowa. Watch out if you plan on working in Nebraska, Minnesota, or Kentucky. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
How Much Does an Airfield Operations Specialist Make?
Airfield Operations Specialists make between $27,760 and $91,730 a year.

Airfield Operations Specialists who work in Arizona, Nevada, or New Jersey, make the highest salaries.
How much do Airfield Operations Specialists make in different U.S. states?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $56,490 |
Alaska | $71,290 |
Arizona | $75,610 |
California | $58,300 |
Colorado | $60,190 |
Connecticut | $58,870 |
Florida | $53,920 |
Georgia | $56,620 |
Hawaii | $50,490 |
Indiana | $46,880 |
Iowa | $50,570 |
Kansas | $45,630 |
Kentucky | $52,480 |
Louisiana | $54,460 |
Massachusetts | $53,970 |
Michigan | $53,660 |
Minnesota | $57,040 |
Missouri | $39,120 |
Montana | $44,530 |
Nebraska | $49,150 |
Nevada | $80,320 |
New Jersey | $68,270 |
New Mexico | $56,350 |
New York | $58,630 |
North Carolina | $37,070 |
Ohio | $41,360 |
Oklahoma | $45,750 |
Oregon | $50,400 |
Pennsylvania | $69,280 |
South Carolina | $42,260 |
Tennessee | $39,790 |
Texas | $62,920 |
Utah | $48,910 |
Washington | $66,660 |
Wisconsin | $38,320 |
What Tools & Technology do Airfield Operations Specialists Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Airfield Operations Specialists:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Access
- Data entry software
- Word processing software
- SAP
- Microsoft Windows
- Microsoft SharePoint
- Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
- Linux
- FileMaker Pro
- Extensible markup language XML
- Intuit QuickBooks
- Oracle software
- Microsoft operating system
- Apache Webserver
How do I Become an Airfield Operations Specialist?
Individuals working as an Airfield Operations Specialist have obtained the following education levels:

How many years of work experience do I need?

Where Airfield Operations Specialists Are Employed

The table below shows the approximate number of Airfield Operations Specialists employed by various industries.

Similar Careers
Career changers with experience as an Airfield Operations Specialist sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
References:
Image Credit: Tech. Sgt. Scott T. Sturkol via U.S. Air Force photo
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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