Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers (SOC 51-2011) earn a median $65,380 a year ($31.43 an hour) in the United States, with 34,020 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Washington.
What aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers do
Aircraft assemblers build the physical airframe and its internal systems for airplanes, spacecraft, and missiles. Using engineering drawings and work instructions, they fit sections such as wings, tail surfaces, fuselage frames, bulkheads, and landing gear, then secure them with rivets, bolts, screws, adhesives, or occasionally welds. Some specialize in rigging, installing and adjusting control cables, hydraulic lines, and heating and ventilating ducts. Throughout the build they trim, file, and bend parts that do not seat cleanly, and they check clearances and alignment with gauges and measuring tools before a unit moves down the line. Defects found in inspection are reworked or the part is replaced. Before parts go in, they mark reference points and locations with jigs, templates, and measuring and marking instruments, and they may make needed parts on shop machinery. These workers differ from aircraft mechanics, who maintain and repair finished aircraft in service rather than building new ones.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, a high school diploma or equivalent is the most common level of education reported by workers in this occupation.
Also called: A&P Technician (Airframe and Powerplant Technician), Aerospace Assembler, Aircraft De-Icer Installer, Aircraft Fuselage Framer, Aircraft Layout Worker.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $22.74 | $28.17 | $31.43 | $40.10 | $51.68 | $34.34 | 34,020 |
| Annual | $47,310 | $58,600 | $65,380 | $83,410 | $107,500 | $71,420 | ||
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 structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers 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 | ||||||
| Washington | Hourly | $30.34 | $47.54 | $53.11 | $53.11 | $53.11 | $48.34 | 4,280 | 1.21 | 5.51 |
| Annual | $63,110 | $98,880 | $110,470 | $110,470 | $110,470 | $100,540 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $21.64 | $30.26 | $39.27 | $53.99 | $53.99 | $40.10 | 740 | 0.12 | 0.56 |
| Annual | $45,000 | $62,950 | $81,680 | $112,300 | $112,300 | $83,400 | ||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | $23.34 | $36.15 | $37.80 | $51.35 | $58.05 | $41.35 | 500 | 0.30 | 1.35 |
| Annual | $48,540 | $75,200 | $78,630 | $106,810 | $120,750 | $86,010 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $20.91 | $28.56 | $36.84 | $41.60 | $48.29 | $34.37 | 3,010 | 0.21 | 0.98 |
| Annual | $43,500 | $59,400 | $76,640 | $86,520 | $100,450 | $71,490 | ||||
| Arizona | Hourly | $28.22 | $30.04 | $35.54 | $38.84 | $41.33 | $34.98 | 1,210 | 0.37 | 1.70 |
| Annual | $58,690 | $62,470 | $73,930 | $80,800 | $85,970 | $72,750 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Kansas | Hourly | $25.30 | $28.69 | $28.77 | $37.23 | $37.23 | $32.35 | 9,710 | 6.75 | 30.86 |
| Annual | $52,630 | $59,670 | $59,850 | $77,440 | $77,440 | $67,300 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $30.34 | $47.54 | $53.11 | $53.11 | $53.11 | $48.34 | 4,280 | 1.21 | 5.51 |
| Annual | $63,110 | $98,880 | $110,470 | $110,470 | $110,470 | $100,540 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $20.91 | $28.56 | $36.84 | $41.60 | $48.29 | $34.37 | 3,010 | 0.21 | 0.98 |
| Annual | $43,500 | $59,400 | $76,640 | $86,520 | $100,450 | $71,490 | ||||
| Georgia | Hourly | $22.74 | $28.40 | $34.88 | $43.01 | $45.79 | $34.54 | 2,950 | 0.60 | 2.76 |
| Annual | $47,300 | $59,070 | $72,550 | $89,460 | $95,230 | $71,840 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $23.14 | $28.91 | $30.60 | $37.68 | $45.33 | $33.20 | 2,930 | 0.16 | 0.74 |
| Annual | $48,120 | $60,130 | $63,640 | $78,380 | $94,280 | $69,050 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $30.34 | $50.40 | $53.11 | $53.11 | $53.11 | $49.25 | 4,010 | 1.92 | 8.77 |
| Annual | $63,110 | $104,840 | $110,470 | $110,470 | $110,470 | $102,450 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $28.69 | $36.13 | $46.80 | $46.81 | $46.81 | $42.00 | 90 | 0.04 | 0.18 |
| Annual | $59,660 | $75,140 | $97,340 | $97,360 | $97,360 | $87,360 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $18.33 | $28.97 | $41.60 | $41.60 | $48.29 | $35.92 | 2,450 | 0.61 | 2.77 |
| Annual | $38,130 | $60,250 | $86,520 | $86,520 | $100,450 | $74,710 | ||||
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | Hourly | $29.04 | $32.05 | $38.39 | $41.33 | $41.33 | $36.06 | 600 | 0.25 | 1.15 |
| Annual | $60,400 | $66,670 | $79,850 | $85,970 | $85,970 | $75,000 | ||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $23.36 | $29.27 | $37.46 | $47.25 | $47.26 | $36.56 | 400 | 0.14 | 0.66 |
| Annual | $48,580 | $60,880 | $77,920 | $98,290 | $98,300 | $76,050 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Wichita, KS | Hourly | $25.30 | $28.69 | $28.77 | $37.23 | $37.23 | $32.48 | 9,460 | 30.66 | 140.11 |
| Annual | $52,630 | $59,670 | $59,850 | $77,440 | $77,440 | $67,570 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $30.34 | $50.40 | $53.11 | $53.11 | $53.11 | $49.25 | 4,010 | 1.92 | 8.77 |
| Annual | $63,110 | $104,840 | $110,470 | $110,470 | $110,470 | $102,450 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $18.33 | $28.97 | $41.60 | $41.60 | $48.29 | $35.92 | 2,450 | 0.61 | 2.77 |
| Annual | $38,130 | $60,250 | $86,520 | $86,520 | $100,450 | $74,710 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $22.76 | $29.06 | $31.25 | $36.99 | $44.77 | $32.96 | 1,570 | 0.25 | 1.14 |
| Annual | $47,330 | $60,440 | $65,000 | $76,940 | $93,130 | $68,550 | ||||
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | Hourly | $23.91 | $29.07 | $29.14 | $35.17 | $38.97 | $31.59 | 630 | 0.41 | 1.86 |
| Annual | $49,740 | $60,470 | $60,610 | $73,140 | $81,050 | $65,710 | ||||
Top industries employing aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing employ 90.6% of aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers nationally (30,810 jobs) at a median $66,250 a year ($31.85 an hour), followed by Support Activities for Air Transportation (4.2%) and Employment Services (1.9%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing NAICS 336400 | 30,810 | 90.6% | $66,250 | $31.85 |
| Support Activities for Air Transportation NAICS 488100 | 1,440 | 4.2% | $55,800 | $26.83 |
| Employment Services NAICS 561300 | 640 | 1.9% | $47,120 | $22.65 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services NAICS 541300 | 280 | 0.8% | $85,990 | $41.34 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (34,020). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $49,480 for aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers in May 2021 and $65,380 in May 2025, with employment of 33,320 and 34,020.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $49,480 | $23.79 | 33,320 |
| May 2022 | $58,430 | $28.09 | 32,140 |
| May 2023 | $61,240 | $29.44 | 29,810 |
| May 2024 | $61,680 | $29.65 | 32,890 |
| May 2025 | $65,380 | $31.43 | 34,020 |
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
23 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 | Washington profile | $53.11 | $110,470 | $63,110 | $110,470 | 4,280 | 1.21 | 5.51 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania profile | $39.27 | $81,680 | $45,000 | $112,300 | 740 | 0.12 | 0.56 |
| 3 | Connecticut profile | $37.80 | $78,630 | $48,540 | $120,750 | 500 | 0.30 | 1.35 |
| 4 | Texas profile | $36.84 | $76,640 | $43,500 | $100,450 | 3,010 | 0.21 | 0.98 |
| 5 | Arizona profile | $35.54 | $73,930 | $58,690 | $85,970 | 1,210 | 0.37 | 1.70 |
| 6 | Georgia profile | $34.88 | $72,550 | $47,300 | $95,230 | 2,950 | 0.60 | 2.76 |
| 7 | Colorado profile | $34.07 | $70,870 | $37,030 | $89,630 | 160 | 0.06 | 0.25 |
| 8 | Tennessee profile | $31.92 | $66,390 | $33,130 | $78,420 | 130 | 0.04 | 0.18 |
| 9 | Florida profile | $31.05 | $64,580 | $47,040 | $98,290 | 1,280 | 0.13 | 0.59 |
| 10 | Nebraska profile | $31.03 | $64,530 | $53,470 | $101,480 | 220 | 0.22 | 0.99 |
| 11 | California profile | $30.60 | $63,640 | $48,120 | $94,280 | 2,930 | 0.16 | 0.74 |
| 12 | Kansas profile | $28.77 | $59,850 | $52,630 | $77,440 | 9,710 | 6.75 | 30.86 |
| 13 | Alabama profile | $28.36 | $58,990 | $49,800 | $85,660 | 950 | 0.45 | 2.06 |
| 14 | Missouri profile | $28.17 | $58,600 | $48,800 | $95,800 | 460 | 0.16 | 0.71 |
| 15 | Oregon profile | $27.91 | $58,050 | $46,010 | $98,130 | 560 | 0.29 | 1.31 |
| 16 | North Carolina profile | $24.97 | $51,930 | $47,240 | $70,060 | 670 | 0.14 | 0.62 |
| 17 | Utah profile | $24.58 | $51,130 | $35,700 | $75,440 | 550 | 0.32 | 1.44 |
| 18 | Idaho profile | $24.09 | $50,100 | $44,400 | $60,620 | 40 | 0.05 | 0.23 |
| 19 | New York profile | $23.86 | $49,620 | $36,120 | $61,110 | 280 | 0.03 | 0.13 |
| 20 | Oklahoma profile | $23.59 | $49,070 | $37,790 | $74,510 | 400 | 0.24 | 1.08 |
| 21 | Michigan profile | $22.71 | $47,230 | $35,920 | $78,020 | 360 | 0.08 | 0.37 |
| 22 | Arkansas profile | $22.25 | $46,290 | $35,340 | $59,170 | 780 | 0.60 | 2.73 |
| – | West Virginia profile | * | * | * | * | 140 | 0.20 | 0.89 |
Part of Production 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 51-2011 Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers.
*- Wage 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 51-2011, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 51-2011.00, 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.