53
Airfield Operations Specialists is a notable career in the 53 category. This page provides verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0 (2024), helping you compare Airfield Operations Specialists against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
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| soc | 53-2022 |
| title | Airfield Operations Specialists |
| onet code | 53-2022.00 |
| 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. |
| job zone | 3 |
| major group | 53 |
| tot emp | 16,640 |
| a mean | 67,120 |
| a median | 56,750 |
| a pct10 | 35,200 |
| a pct25 | 41,220 |
| a pct75 | 78,320 |
| a pct90 | 111,030 |
| h mean | 32 |
| h median | 27 |
The day-to-day work of a airfield operations specialists typically centers on inspect airfield conditions to ensure compliance with federal regulatory requirements. Every task listed below is classified as Core in O*NET — they collectively define the role. Task descriptions below are quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET 29.0 occupation profile.
Workers in this occupation rely most on Monitoring, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension. Across the top 10 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.63 out of 5 — highly rated for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working airfield operations specialists, the most common entry qualification is a Bachelor's Degree (50.9%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 51% of incumbents. Entry pathways are mixed; a meaningful minority enters without a four-year degree.
Median annual pay is highest in Washington at $82,540 and lowest in South Carolina at $33,490 — a 2.5× spread. The top five states (Washington, Arizona, Alabama, Texas, Oregon) average $78,848. Figures reflect BLS OEWS May 2024 state-level wage estimates; percentiles shown are for full-time wage-earners in each state.
| State | Median | Mean | 10th % | 90th % | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $82,540 | $84,060 | $49,620 | $117,290 | 160 |
| Arizona | $80,260 | $75,320 | $48,990 | $99,480 | 150 |
| Alabama | $78,270 | $74,230 | $59,660 | $81,820 | 120 |
| Texas | $77,460 | $83,890 | $46,220 | $144,460 | 1,550 |
| Oregon | $75,710 | $71,340 | $47,860 | $90,490 | 60 |
| Oklahoma | $74,290 | $71,250 | $36,160 | $100,310 | 60 |
| Colorado | $72,720 | $71,100 | $51,360 | $93,960 | 90 |
| Alaska | $66,250 | $67,360 | $47,500 | $98,880 | 160 |
| Maryland | $64,480 | $74,320 | $36,290 | $133,390 | 50 |
| Florida | $62,600 | $82,220 | $35,660 | $143,370 | 3,670 |
| Montana | $61,550 | $57,810 | $40,400 | $66,960 | 40 |
| Utah | $61,400 | $60,110 | $38,970 | $80,730 | 290 |
| California | $61,100 | $69,750 | $46,080 | $98,450 | 1,150 |
| Michigan | $60,990 | $63,810 | $40,470 | $77,500 | 430 |
| Nevada | $60,250 | $66,400 | $45,320 | $105,030 | 130 |
| Pennsylvania | $59,480 | $57,410 | $36,870 | $82,940 | 550 |
| Arkansas | $58,280 | $56,400 | $22,880 | $86,370 | 40 |
| Nebraska | $57,610 | $56,760 | $37,210 | $79,070 | — |
| Ohio | $56,750 | $57,430 | $46,840 | $76,020 | 240 |
| Idaho | $50,050 | $64,930 | $39,970 | $103,490 | 70 |
| North Dakota | $49,970 | $51,840 | $43,250 | $64,580 | 70 |
| Mississippi | $48,570 | $52,420 | $28,990 | $86,940 | 50 |
| Missouri | $48,130 | $55,990 | $37,360 | $76,190 | 130 |
| Iowa | $47,990 | $44,500 | $17,990 | $61,690 | 40 |
| Georgia | $46,670 | $49,830 | $21,530 | $77,500 | 470 |
| Tennessee | $45,630 | $45,280 | $17,480 | $64,280 | 380 |
| Louisiana | $45,360 | $48,290 | $32,380 | $64,430 | — |
| New Mexico | $45,140 | $52,910 | $31,200 | $79,630 | 70 |
| South Dakota | $44,860 | $46,150 | $36,430 | $57,360 | 160 |
| Indiana | $43,420 | $46,270 | $31,200 | $59,750 | 370 |
| New Jersey | $41,450 | $52,260 | $41,420 | $90,190 | 480 |
| New York | $40,980 | $49,620 | $40,980 | $66,060 | 1,430 |
| Virginia | $39,860 | $51,420 | $31,270 | $91,120 | 350 |
| West Virginia | $38,470 | $38,610 | $28,170 | $57,620 | 70 |
| Wisconsin | $37,480 | $42,210 | $31,860 | $63,730 | 110 |
| North Carolina | $36,050 | $42,410 | $18,320 | $65,110 | 800 |
| South Carolina | $33,490 | $38,490 | $17,890 | $65,670 | 160 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for airfield operations specialists. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Airfield Operations Specialist or Airfield Services Officer frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Airfield Operations Specialists compares to others in the 53 category. Use it to make informed decisions based on verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0.
careers with the closest data values to Airfield Operations Specialists
The CertifyWize editorial team aggregates and verifies careers data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.