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The national median salary for Airfield Operations Specialists is $56,846 per year ($27.33/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $41,995 and $77,334 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $102,128 per year. There are approximately 15,190 airfield operations specialists employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+4.2%
Faster than average
Annual openings
2K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
17K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
4% from new growth96% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Long-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Scheduled Air Transportation
NAICS 481100
5K
$52,330
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
NAICS 999300
4K
$59,720
Support Activities for Air Transportation
NAICS 488100
3K
$40,360
Nonscheduled Air Transportation
NAICS 481200
980
$55,750
Couriers and Express Delivery Services
NAICS 492100
350
$71,190
Wage range across top 5 industries: $40,360 to $71,190 (76% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$17.25
$35,880
P25
$20.19
$41,995
P50MEDIAN
$27.33
$56,846
P75
$37.18
$77,334
P90
$49.10
$102,128
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · other sector
Active
Openings Rate
3.4%
Quits Rate
2.0%
The labor market rebounded in March: hires jumped to 5.6M (+655K) and separations rose to 5.4M (+356K), both more than offsetting February's drop. Job openings held at 6.9M. Quits ticked to 2.0%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average airfield operations specialists salary?
The national median salary for Airfield Operations Specialists is $56,846 per year ($27.33/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $41,995 and $77,334 annually.
How much do top-earning airfield operations specialists make?
The 90th percentile salary for Airfield Operations Specialists is $102,128 per year ($49.10/hr). The 75th percentile is $77,334 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for airfield operations specialists?
Entry-level Airfield Operations Specialists (10th percentile) earn approximately $35,880 per year ($17.25/hr). The 25th percentile is $41,995 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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