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Aviation Inspectors: Career Profile
Inspect aircraft, maintenance procedures, air navigational aids, air traffic controls, and communications equipment to ensure conformance with Federal safety regulations.
The Daily Work of Aviation Inspectors Do?
Typical responsibilities of aviation inspectors include:
- Inspect work of aircraft mechanics performing maintenance, modification, or repair and overhaul of aircraft and aircraft mechanical systems to ensure adherence to standards and procedures.
- Examine maintenance records and flight logs to determine if service and maintenance checks and overhauls were performed at prescribed intervals.
- Inspect new, repaired, or modified aircraft to identify damage or defects and to assess airworthiness and conformance to standards, using checklists, hand tools, and test instruments.
- Approve or deny issuance of certificates of airworthiness.
- Prepare and maintain detailed repair, inspection, investigation, and certification records and reports.
- Examine landing gear, tires, and exteriors of fuselage, wings, and engines for evidence of damage or corrosion and the need for repairs.
- Recommend replacement, repair, or modification of aircraft equipment.
- Start aircraft and observe gauges, meters, and other instruments to detect evidence of malfunctions.
What Aviation Inspectors Need to Know
Effective aviation inspectors draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The competencies that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Other Aviation Inspectors Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- Aeronautical Inspector
- Aerospace Inspector
- Air Carrier Inspector
- Aircraft Inspector
- Aircraft Landing Gear Inspector
- Aircraft Maintenance Inspector
- Aircraft Quality Control Inspector (Aircraft QC Inspector)
- Aircraft Systems Inspector
How Many Aviation Inspectors Are There?
The U.S. employs around 304,236 aviation inspectors working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +10.2% over the projection horizon.
Aviation Inspectors Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $54,780 |
| Hourly median | $26.34 |
| 10th percentile | $34,672 |
| 25th percentile | $44,726 |
| 75th percentile | $64,834 |
| 90th percentile | $74,889 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
How Much Do Aviation Inspectors Make in Different U.S. States?
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $138,030 |
| Idaho | $107,440 |
| Hawaii | $105,650 |
| Oklahoma | $104,490 |
| North Dakota | $104,330 |
| District of Columbia | $103,970 |
| Kansas | $103,810 |
| Wisconsin | $100,310 |
| Georgia | $98,150 |
| Nevada | $97,880 |
| Washington | $97,360 |
| Maryland | $95,420 |
| Iowa | $94,990 |
| Massachusetts | $92,870 |
| Colorado | $91,660 |
| New York | $91,150 |
| Florida | $86,770 |
| Oregon | $85,450 |
| Delaware | $85,310 |
| Texas | $84,180 |
| Arkansas | $83,560 |
| Nebraska | $82,720 |
| Kentucky | $82,460 |
| Michigan | $81,470 |
| Connecticut | $80,130 |
| Ohio | $79,860 |
| Louisiana | $79,280 |
| South Carolina | $79,040 |
| Indiana | $78,100 |
| South Dakota | $76,960 |
| Mississippi | $76,820 |
| California | $75,590 |
| North Carolina | $75,570 |
| Pennsylvania | $75,420 |
| Tennessee | $74,450 |
| Virginia | $73,070 |
| Alabama | $70,550 |
| New Mexico | $63,730 |
| Utah | $62,960 |
| Missouri | $62,950 |
| Illinois | $57,590 |
| Maine | $55,220 |
| New Jersey | $54,860 |
| West Virginia | $50,770 |
| Puerto Rico | $49,880 |
| Montana | $49,010 |
| Arizona | $45,950 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Compensation for aviation inspectors differ across the country. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $86,433 | 13.8% | 1.02 |
| New England | $84,306 | 3.7% | 0.94 |
| Middle Atlantic | $84,005 | 24.3% | 2.13 |
| Southeast | $83,321 | 21.4% | 0.94 |
| Plains States | $82,798 | 4.3% | 0.91 |
| Southwest | $75,852 | 18.2% | 1.46 |
| Rocky Mountains | $75,797 | 4.4% | 1.44 |
| Great Lakes | $70,630 | 9.5% | 0.76 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma City, OK | OK | $134,410 | 90 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | FL | $125,040 | 260 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | GA | $123,780 | 370 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | OH | $122,920 | 120 |
| Wichita, KS | KS | $120,640 | 50 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $119,640 | 240 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | CO | $118,790 | 290 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | MI | $117,830 | 150 |
Industry Breakdown
Most aviation inspectors are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation and Warehousing | 7,520 | $79,860 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 1,800 | $40,830 |
| Manufacturing | 1,410 | $81,920 |
| Wholesale Trade | 640 | $45,960 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 350 | $76,780 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 310 | $66,560 |
| Retail Trade | 190 | $41,200 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 70 | $84,460 |
Aviation Inspectors work in the following industries:
Software Aviation Inspectors Use
- Desktop publishing software: Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: Microsoft Active Server Pages ASP (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)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
- Analytical or scientific software: SAS (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
Daily working conditions for aviation inspectors is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Frequency of Decision Making
- Consequence of Error
Education and Training
Most aviation inspectors positions require an associate’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Government Property Inspectors and Investigators (Supplemental)
- Aerospace Engineers (Supplemental)
- Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors (Primary-Long)
- Industrial Engineers (Supplemental)
- Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians (Primary-Short)
- Automotive Engineering Technicians (Supplemental)
- Occupational Health and Safety Specialists (Supplemental)
- Construction and Building Inspectors (Primary-Short)
Sources
Statistics shown above are sourced from 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: 53-6051.01 (Transportation Inspectors).
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