Aviation Management & Operations

Types of Degrees Aviation Management & Operations Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many aviation/airway management and operations graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	868
Associate’s Degree	255
Basic Certificate	139
Undergraduate Certificate	44

What Aviation Management & Operations Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to aviation/airway management and operations and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Aviation/Airway Management and Operations Majors

Aviation/Airway Management and Operations majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Transportation - Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Skills for Aviation/Airway Management and Operations Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to aviation/airway management and operations:

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• 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.

Abilities for Aviation/Airway Management and Operations Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a aviation/airway management and operations student include the following:

• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Aviation Management & Operations?

This major tends to be male dominated. About 76% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of aviation/airway management and operations majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	14
Black or African American	31
Hispanic or Latino	87
White	88
International Students	12
Other Races/Ethnicities	23

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Aviation/Airway Management and Operations, too. About 4.7% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Aviation Management & Operations Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Aviation/Airway Management and Operations majors often go into careers with median salaries of $102,850. This median refers to all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Aviation Management & Operations

Some careers associated with aviation/airway management and operations require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to aviation/airway management and operations have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	1.1%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	20.2%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	1.1%
Some College Courses	3.8%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	13.9%
Bachelor’s Degree	49.9%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	4.5%
Master’s Degree	5.6%

Online Aviation Management & Operations Programs

In the 2018-2019 academic year, 104 schools offered some type of aviation/airway management and operations program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	21	2
Certificate (1-2 years)	9	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	41	5
Bachelor’s Degree	0	0
Post-Baccalaureate	21	2
Master’s Degree	10	6
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	1	1
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Aviation Management & Operations Worth It?

The median salary for a aviation/airway management and operations grad is $102,850 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 158% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,259,000 after 20 years!

Trades Related to Aviation Management & Operations

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to aviation/airway management and operations.

Major	Number of Grads
General Aeronautics/Aviation/Aerospace Science & Technology	3,517
Airline/Commercial/Professional Pilot & Flight Crew	2,009
Air Traffic Controller	373
Other Air Transportation	343
Airline Flight Attendant	71
Flight Instructor	51

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.