Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors
Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors (SOC 53-1041) earn a median $58,170 a year ($27.97 an hour) in the United States, with 9,760 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Georgia.
What aircraft cargo handling supervisors do
These supervisors run the ground crews that load, unload, secure, and stage freight and baggage on aircraft. The work happens on airport ramps, in cargo terminals, and and at air freight hubs. Day to day they decide how many pieces go into each hold or container position, how each piece should be oriented, and how weight is spread so the aircraft stays within its balance limits, which includes working out the center of gravity. They direct the crew members who handle the cargo, check that shipments are secured, and teach newer employees the safety rules and equipment controls. The SOC definition notes that loadmasters belong here: some of them fly with the cargo, tend it in the air, and brief passengers on emergency procedures. They also arrange cargo to make the best use of the space available. Supervisors of every other kind of transport crew are counted in a separate code.
Typical entry: O*NET reports that most workers in this occupation have a high school diploma or equivalent.
Also called: Air Cargo Ground Crew Supervisor, Air Cargo Ground Operations Supervisor, Air Cargo Specialist Supervisor, Air Cargo Supervisor, Aircraft Loadmaster.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $20.04 | $23.95 | $27.97 | $37.75 | $44.31 | $31.26 | 9,760 |
| Annual | $41,690 | $49,820 | $58,170 | $78,530 | $92,160 | $65,010 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where aircraft cargo handling supervisors earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Georgia | Hourly | $26.79 | $34.41 | $39.12 | $47.99 | $52.04 | $41.11 | 150 | 0.03 | 0.48 |
| Annual | $55,720 | $71,570 | $81,380 | $99,830 | $108,240 | $85,510 | ||||
| Ohio | Hourly | $21.01 | $23.30 | $38.29 | $41.27 | $52.12 | $34.95 | 100 | 0.02 | 0.29 |
| Annual | $43,700 | $48,470 | $79,650 | $85,850 | $108,410 | $72,690 | ||||
| Louisiana | Hourly | $15.68 | $17.55 | $38.20 | $38.20 | $40.67 | $32.68 | 40 | 0.02 | 0.32 |
| Annual | $32,610 | $36,510 | $79,460 | $79,460 | $84,580 | $67,960 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $26.11 | $35.16 | $38.10 | $40.72 | $53.60 | $38.12 | 190 | 0.07 | 1.03 |
| Annual | $54,300 | $73,130 | $79,260 | $84,690 | $111,480 | $79,290 | ||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | $20.89 | $22.87 | $37.87 | $43.12 | $44.41 | $34.60 | 50 | 0.03 | 0.51 |
| Annual | $43,450 | $47,570 | $78,770 | $89,700 | $92,370 | $71,960 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $23.70 | $25.26 | $29.10 | $38.09 | $49.11 | $34.07 | 1,490 | 0.08 | 1.30 |
| Annual | $49,290 | $52,530 | $60,530 | $79,220 | $102,150 | $70,860 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $21.68 | $23.44 | $27.06 | $37.85 | $41.10 | $30.40 | 1,410 | 0.10 | 1.60 |
| Annual | $45,100 | $48,760 | $56,290 | $78,730 | $85,480 | $63,220 | ||||
| Kentucky | Hourly | $14.74 | $15.95 | $25.26 | $27.74 | $36.37 | $23.33 | 1,010 | 0.51 | 8.04 |
| Annual | $30,670 | $33,170 | $52,530 | $57,700 | $75,650 | $48,520 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $21.28 | $23.31 | $29.93 | $38.23 | $42.49 | $31.67 | 740 | 0.08 | 1.19 |
| Annual | $44,270 | $48,490 | $62,240 | $79,520 | $88,370 | $65,870 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $23.95 | $24.89 | $28.17 | $35.86 | $37.01 | $30.83 | 530 | 0.09 | 1.38 |
| Annual | $49,820 | $51,760 | $58,600 | $74,580 | $76,980 | $64,120 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Hourly | $26.79 | $35.11 | $39.12 | $47.99 | $52.04 | $41.82 | 130 | 0.05 | 0.73 |
| Annual | $55,720 | $73,020 | $81,380 | $99,830 | $108,240 | $86,990 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $23.58 | $27.14 | $38.86 | $42.33 | $43.84 | $36.08 | 300 | 0.10 | 1.65 |
| Annual | $49,040 | $56,440 | $80,820 | $88,050 | $91,200 | $75,040 | ||||
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | Hourly | $31.05 | $34.01 | $38.53 | $38.53 | $43.78 | $36.85 | 40 | 0.10 | 1.63 |
| Annual | $64,590 | $70,740 | $80,140 | $80,140 | $91,050 | $76,650 | ||||
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | Hourly | $27.12 | $35.16 | $38.10 | $40.72 | $53.60 | $38.56 | 180 | 0.11 | 1.73 |
| Annual | $56,410 | $73,130 | $79,260 | $84,690 | $111,480 | $80,200 | ||||
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | Hourly | $18.51 | $34.24 | $37.70 | $41.97 | $48.05 | $36.17 | 60 | 0.08 | 1.34 |
| Annual | $38,510 | $71,210 | $78,420 | $87,300 | $99,940 | $75,230 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $21.68 | $23.41 | $25.59 | $37.85 | $40.56 | $30.25 | 690 | 0.17 | 2.70 |
| Annual | $45,100 | $48,680 | $53,220 | $78,730 | $84,370 | $62,910 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $24.57 | $26.12 | $29.10 | $37.35 | $45.46 | $32.92 | 680 | 0.11 | 1.72 |
| Annual | $51,100 | $54,330 | $60,530 | $77,680 | $94,550 | $68,470 | ||||
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | Hourly | $14.71 | $14.74 | $16.40 | $16.40 | $21.95 | $18.23 | 460 | 0.41 | 6.60 |
| Annual | $30,600 | $30,670 | $34,110 | $34,120 | $45,660 | $37,920 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $20.98 | $23.44 | $26.94 | $35.11 | $43.09 | $30.10 | 390 | 0.12 | 1.89 |
| Annual | $43,650 | $48,760 | $56,040 | $73,020 | $89,630 | $62,610 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $23.95 | $24.21 | $34.03 | $35.88 | $37.01 | $32.05 | 380 | 0.08 | 1.34 |
| Annual | $49,820 | $50,360 | $70,780 | $74,620 | $76,980 | $66,670 | ||||
Top industries employing aircraft cargo handling supervisors
Couriers and Express Delivery Services employ 37.4% of aircraft cargo handling supervisors nationally (3,650 jobs) at a median $57,320 a year ($27.56 an hour), followed by Scheduled Air Transportation (33.5%) and Support Activities for Air Transportation (19.3%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Couriers and Express Delivery Services NAICS 492100 | 3,650 | 37.4% | $57,320 | $27.56 |
| Scheduled Air Transportation NAICS 481100 | 3,270 | 33.5% | $76,820 | $36.93 |
| Support Activities for Air Transportation NAICS 488100 | 1,880 | 19.3% | $49,820 | $23.95 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement NAICS 488500 | 300 | 3.1% | $45,100 | $21.68 |
| Nonscheduled Air Transportation NAICS 481200 | 280 | 2.9% | $68,390 | $32.88 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (9,760). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $53,540 for aircraft cargo handling supervisors in May 2021 and $58,170 in May 2025, with employment of 8,590 and 9,760.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $53,540 | $25.74 | 8,590 |
| May 2022 | $53,490 | $25.72 | 7,950 |
| May 2023 | $58,920 | $28.33 | 9,020 |
| May 2024 | $63,940 | $30.74 | 10,160 |
| May 2025 | $58,170 | $27.97 | 9,760 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
38 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia profile | $39.12 | $81,380 | $55,720 | $108,240 | 150 | 0.03 | 0.48 |
| 2 | Ohio profile | $38.29 | $79,650 | $43,700 | $108,410 | 100 | 0.02 | 0.29 |
| 3 | Louisiana profile | $38.20 | $79,460 | $32,610 | $84,580 | 40 | 0.02 | 0.32 |
| 4 | Colorado profile | $38.10 | $79,260 | $54,300 | $111,480 | 190 | 0.07 | 1.03 |
| 5 | Connecticut profile | $37.87 | $78,770 | $43,450 | $92,370 | 50 | 0.03 | 0.51 |
| 6 | Virginia profile | $37.70 | $78,420 | $45,850 | $97,490 | 240 | 0.06 | 0.92 |
| 7 | Missouri profile | $36.75 | $76,450 | $45,970 | $91,000 | 100 | 0.04 | 0.56 |
| 8 | Indiana profile | $36.48 | $75,880 | $47,130 | $96,280 | 60 | 0.02 | 0.31 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania profile | $36.36 | $75,620 | $45,610 | $91,200 | 450 | 0.08 | 1.19 |
| 10 | Arizona profile | $35.95 | $74,780 | $55,140 | $99,970 | 220 | 0.07 | 1.09 |
| 11 | Arkansas profile | $35.34 | $73,520 | $60,310 | $87,930 | 40 | 0.03 | 0.47 |
| 12 | New Mexico profile | $34.98 | $72,760 | $47,330 | $93,670 | 50 | 0.06 | 0.89 |
| 13 | Nevada profile | $34.01 | $70,740 | $46,460 | $90,450 | 170 | 0.11 | 1.69 |
| 14 | New Jersey profile | $31.54 | $65,590 | $52,920 | $92,380 | 60 | 0.01 | 0.22 |
| 15 | Florida profile | $29.93 | $62,240 | $44,270 | $88,370 | 740 | 0.08 | 1.19 |
| 16 | South Carolina profile | $29.55 | $61,470 | $31,220 | $80,140 | 140 | 0.06 | 0.99 |
| 17 | Oregon profile | $29.49 | $61,340 | $52,530 | $95,100 | 110 | 0.06 | 0.88 |
| 18 | Washington profile | $29.37 | $61,090 | $52,540 | $81,970 | 150 | 0.04 | 0.66 |
| 19 | California profile | $29.10 | $60,530 | $49,290 | $102,150 | 1,490 | 0.08 | 1.30 |
| 20 | Alabama profile | $28.59 | $59,460 | $51,810 | $95,720 | ** | ** | ** |
| 21 | North Carolina profile | $28.43 | $59,130 | $55,220 | $79,630 | 90 | 0.02 | 0.29 |
| 22 | Hawaii profile | $28.42 | $59,120 | $44,830 | $82,500 | 180 | 0.29 | 4.62 |
| 23 | Illinois profile | $28.17 | $58,600 | $49,820 | $76,980 | 530 | 0.09 | 1.38 |
| 24 | Alaska profile | $27.99 | $58,230 | $52,530 | $92,860 | 130 | 0.40 | 6.38 |
| 25 | Utah profile | $27.68 | $57,570 | $51,590 | $97,300 | 80 | 0.05 | 0.72 |
| 26 | New York profile | $27.54 | $57,290 | $40,870 | $96,270 | 250 | 0.03 | 0.40 |
| 27 | Idaho profile | $27.18 | $56,530 | $41,690 | $102,100 | 120 | 0.14 | 2.22 |
| 28 | Texas profile | $27.06 | $56,290 | $45,100 | $85,480 | 1,410 | 0.10 | 1.60 |
| 29 | Iowa profile | $26.46 | $55,030 | $46,060 | $105,470 | ** | ** | ** |
| 30 | Tennessee profile | $25.75 | $53,560 | $40,420 | $81,390 | 260 | 0.08 | 1.25 |
| 31 | Minnesota profile | $25.53 | $53,100 | $48,320 | $102,600 | 170 | 0.06 | 0.92 |
| 32 | Kentucky profile | $25.26 | $52,530 | $30,670 | $75,650 | 1,010 | 0.51 | 8.04 |
| 33 | Massachusetts profile | $25.23 | $52,470 | $45,830 | $82,580 | 140 | 0.04 | 0.62 |
| 34 | New Hampshire profile | $25.17 | $52,360 | $46,600 | $102,260 | 30 | 0.05 | 0.74 |
| 35 | Michigan profile | $23.01 | $47,850 | $42,610 | $92,100 | 90 | 0.02 | 0.31 |
| 36 | Oklahoma profile | $20.00 | $41,600 | $38,480 | $86,620 | 70 | 0.04 | 0.69 |
| – | Maryland profile | * | * | * | * | 130 | 0.05 | 0.78 |
| – | Nebraska profile | * | * | * | * | 150 | 0.15 | 2.36 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (53-1040), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Transportation and Material Moving Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 53-1041 Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors.
*- Wage estimate not available.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 53-1041, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 53-1041.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.