General Air Transportation

Types of Degrees General Air Transportation Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many general aeronautics/aviation/aerospace science & technology graduations there were in 2021-2022 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	4,231
Associate Degree	494
Basic Certificate	126
Undergraduate Certificate	14

What General Air Transportation Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, general aeronautics/aviation/aerospace science & technology majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for General Aeronautics/Aviation/Aerospace Science & Technology Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these 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.
• Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Skills for General Aeronautics/Aviation/Aerospace Science & Technology Majors

When studying general aeronautics/aviation/aerospace science & technology, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

• 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.
• 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.
• Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.

Abilities for General Aeronautics/Aviation/Aerospace Science & Technology Majors

General Aeronautics/Aviation/Aerospace Science & Technology majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• 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 General Air Transportation?

This major attracts more men than women. About 87% of the graduates in this field are male.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of general aeronautics/aviation/aerospace science & technology majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	27
Black or African American	33
Hispanic or Latino	79
White	281
International Students	28
Other Races/Ethnicities	46

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in General Aeronautics/Aviation/Aerospace Science & Technology, too. About 5.7% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do General Air Transportation Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

The median salary for someone in a career related to general aeronautics/aviation/aerospace science & technology is $102,850. This median refers to all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

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 General Air Transportation

Some careers associated with general aeronautics/aviation/aerospace science & technology 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.

Find out what the typical degree level is for general aeronautics/aviation/aerospace science & technology careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	1.7%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	28.9%
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)	1.7%
Some College Courses	4.0%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	17.7%
Bachelor’s Degree	44.7%
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.	1.7%

Online General Air Transportation Programs

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)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	8	1
Certificate (2-4 Years)	1	0
Associate’s Degree	25	2
Bachelor’s Degree	3	2
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	12	8
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	6	3
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in General Air Transportation Worth It?

The median salary for a general aeronautics/aviation/aerospace science & technology 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 General Air Transportation

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to general aeronautics/aviation/aerospace science & technology.

Major	Number of Grads
Airline/Commercial/Professional Pilot & Flight Crew	2,262
Aviation/Airway Management & Operations	1,797
Other Air Transportation	303
Air Traffic Controller	228
Remote Aircraft Pilot	91
Airline Flight Attendant	81
Flight Instructor	77

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.