Airfield Operations Specialists
Airfield Operations Specialists (SOC 53-2022) earn a median $56,850 a year ($27.33 an hour) in the United States, with 15,190 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Kentucky.
What airfield operations specialists do
Airfield operations specialists keep an airport's runways, taxiways, and ramps safe for arriving and departing aircraft. They are not controllers; instead they coordinate among air traffic control, maintenance crews, and airline staff. Much of the job is physical inspection: driving the airfield to look for pavement damage, debris, lighting failures, and wildlife, checking the perimeter and access points so only authorized people and vehicles get in, and confirming that conditions meet federal airport regulations. When snow falls they organize plowing and clearing of runways and taxiways, and they take part in the response to aircraft incidents and medical emergencies. Related duties include dispatching, keeping flight and operations records, using landing and navigational aids, and applying weather information to decisions about operations. The SOC definition covers both commercial and military aircraft, and airline dispatcher appears among the alternate titles.
Typical entry: O*NET reports that most workers in this occupation have a bachelor's degree.
Also called: Airfield Operations Specialist, Airfield Services Officer, Airline Dispatcher, Airport Agent, Airport Operations Agent.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $17.25 | $20.19 | $27.33 | $37.18 | $49.10 | $30.58 | 15,190 |
| Annual | $35,870 | $42,000 | $56,850 | $77,340 | $102,120 | $63,610 | ||
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 airfield operations specialists 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 | ||||||
| Kentucky | Hourly | $26.44 | $29.64 | $59.27 | $76.68 | $78.54 | $52.32 | 290 | 0.15 | 1.50 |
| Annual | $54,990 | $61,650 | $123,290 | $159,490 | $163,350 | $108,820 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $24.29 | $38.23 | $40.41 | $51.14 | $57.45 | $42.93 | 150 | 0.04 | 0.42 |
| Annual | $50,520 | $79,510 | $84,050 | $106,380 | $119,490 | $89,290 | ||||
| Alabama | Hourly | $30.23 | $36.73 | $37.79 | $38.72 | $40.04 | $36.53 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $62,870 | $76,400 | $78,590 | $80,540 | $83,290 | $75,980 | ||||
| Arizona | Hourly | $25.34 | $29.87 | $37.30 | $42.51 | $49.02 | $36.69 | 160 | 0.05 | 0.52 |
| Annual | $52,720 | $62,140 | $77,570 | $88,420 | $101,960 | $76,310 | ||||
| Colorado | Hourly | $23.94 | $32.05 | $37.26 | $41.25 | $46.00 | $35.88 | 70 | 0.02 | 0.25 |
| Annual | $49,800 | $66,670 | $77,500 | $85,810 | $95,680 | $74,630 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Florida | Hourly | $18.03 | $22.81 | $27.72 | $34.73 | $37.16 | $27.97 | 2,320 | 0.23 | 2.39 |
| Annual | $37,490 | $47,440 | $57,650 | $72,230 | $77,290 | $58,170 | ||||
| New York | Hourly | $15.58 | $18.15 | $20.19 | $23.05 | $32.55 | $22.30 | 2,190 | 0.23 | 2.32 |
| Annual | $32,410 | $37,760 | $42,000 | $47,930 | $67,710 | $46,380 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $22.62 | $26.24 | $30.10 | $41.50 | $51.04 | $35.18 | 1,660 | 0.09 | 0.93 |
| Annual | $47,040 | $54,580 | $62,600 | $86,320 | $106,170 | $73,180 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $19.08 | $22.85 | $29.28 | $49.22 | $71.18 | $36.36 | 1,310 | 0.09 | 0.95 |
| Annual | $39,680 | $47,530 | $60,910 | $102,390 | $148,060 | $75,640 | ||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $14.89 | $17.25 | $22.03 | $28.76 | $33.94 | $23.42 | 610 | 0.12 | 1.27 |
| Annual | $30,980 | $35,870 | $45,820 | $59,810 | $70,590 | $48,720 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | Hourly | $24.21 | $29.80 | $42.51 | $42.51 | $49.02 | $37.35 | 130 | 0.05 | 0.54 |
| Annual | $50,350 | $61,990 | $88,420 | $88,420 | $101,960 | $77,680 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $30.24 | $37.46 | $41.77 | $50.90 | $62.49 | $45.90 | 50 | 0.05 | 0.47 |
| Annual | $62,890 | $77,910 | $86,880 | $105,870 | $129,990 | $95,480 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $29.89 | $30.26 | $41.19 | $50.08 | $60.82 | $45.28 | 240 | 0.10 | 1.02 |
| Annual | $62,180 | $62,940 | $85,680 | $104,170 | $126,510 | $94,180 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $24.29 | $38.23 | $40.41 | $49.90 | $57.45 | $42.32 | 140 | 0.07 | 0.67 |
| Annual | $50,520 | $79,510 | $84,050 | $103,780 | $119,490 | $88,020 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $17.32 | $29.12 | $39.40 | $40.61 | $45.81 | $34.92 | 120 | 0.04 | 0.42 |
| Annual | $36,030 | $60,570 | $81,950 | $84,460 | $95,280 | $72,640 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $18.16 | $20.19 | $20.19 | $24.37 | $33.15 | $24.03 | 2,090 | 0.22 | 2.26 |
| Annual | $37,770 | $42,000 | $42,000 | $50,680 | $68,940 | $49,990 | ||||
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | Hourly | $18.03 | $21.76 | $28.19 | $35.02 | $37.16 | $28.14 | 1,530 | 0.54 | 5.57 |
| Annual | $37,490 | $45,260 | $58,630 | $72,850 | $77,290 | $58,540 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $23.55 | $24.89 | $27.56 | $36.83 | $48.20 | $31.86 | 620 | 0.10 | 1.01 |
| Annual | $48,980 | $51,780 | $57,330 | $76,610 | $100,260 | $66,280 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $21.93 | $24.35 | $26.93 | $29.84 | $37.62 | $28.27 | 280 | 0.10 | 1.06 |
| Annual | $45,610 | $50,650 | $56,020 | $62,070 | $78,250 | $58,810 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $19.62 | $19.94 | $22.86 | $29.75 | $39.12 | $25.49 | 260 | 0.08 | 0.80 |
| Annual | $40,810 | $41,470 | $47,550 | $61,880 | $81,380 | $53,010 | ||||
Top industries employing airfield operations specialists
Scheduled Air Transportation employ 34.9% of airfield operations specialists nationally (5,300 jobs) at a median $52,330 a year ($25.16 an hour), followed by Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) (24.0%) and Support Activities for Air Transportation (20.1%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Air Transportation NAICS 481100 | 5,300 | 34.9% | $52,330 | $25.16 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) NAICS 999300 | 3,640 | 24.0% | $59,720 | $28.71 |
| Support Activities for Air Transportation NAICS 488100 | 3,060 | 20.1% | $40,360 | $19.41 |
| Nonscheduled Air Transportation NAICS 481200 | 980 | 6.5% | $55,750 | $26.80 |
| Couriers and Express Delivery Services NAICS 492100 | 350 | 2.3% | $71,190 | $34.23 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (15,190). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $47,880 for airfield operations specialists in May 2021 and $56,850 in May 2025, with employment of 12,610 and 15,190.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $47,880 | $23.02 | 12,610 |
| May 2022 | $49,600 | $23.85 | 14,760 |
| May 2023 | $51,140 | $24.59 | 18,320 |
| May 2024 | $56,750 | $27.28 | 16,640 |
| May 2025 | $56,850 | $27.33 | 15,190 |
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
35 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 | Kentucky profile | $59.27 | $123,290 | $54,990 | $163,350 | 290 | 0.15 | 1.50 |
| 2 | Washington profile | $40.41 | $84,050 | $50,520 | $119,490 | 150 | 0.04 | 0.42 |
| 3 | Alabama profile | $37.79 | $78,590 | $62,870 | $83,290 | ** | ** | ** |
| 4 | Arizona profile | $37.30 | $77,570 | $52,720 | $101,960 | 160 | 0.05 | 0.52 |
| 5 | Colorado profile | $37.26 | $77,500 | $49,800 | $95,680 | 70 | 0.02 | 0.25 |
| 6 | Oregon profile | $36.12 | $75,130 | $48,720 | $83,700 | 50 | 0.03 | 0.26 |
| 7 | Virginia profile | $34.74 | $72,250 | $37,720 | $113,230 | 280 | 0.07 | 0.70 |
| 8 | Alaska profile | $34.38 | $71,510 | $43,780 | $105,060 | 160 | 0.50 | 5.10 |
| 9 | New Mexico profile | $33.22 | $69,090 | $39,020 | $104,360 | 50 | 0.05 | 0.55 |
| 10 | Georgia profile | $32.11 | $66,790 | $20,490 | $78,920 | 340 | 0.07 | 0.71 |
| 11 | California profile | $30.10 | $62,600 | $47,040 | $106,170 | 1,660 | 0.09 | 0.93 |
| 12 | Idaho profile | $30.05 | $62,510 | $47,260 | $84,400 | 40 | 0.05 | 0.47 |
| 13 | Michigan profile | $29.70 | $61,780 | $41,220 | $78,920 | 440 | 0.10 | 1.03 |
| 14 | Nevada profile | $29.49 | $61,350 | $46,150 | $106,960 | 150 | 0.10 | 0.98 |
| 15 | Texas profile | $29.28 | $60,910 | $39,680 | $148,060 | 1,310 | 0.09 | 0.95 |
| 16 | Utah profile | $28.74 | $59,780 | $39,930 | $82,190 | 290 | 0.17 | 1.73 |
| 17 | Florida profile | $27.72 | $57,650 | $37,490 | $77,290 | 2,320 | 0.23 | 2.39 |
| 18 | Ohio profile | $27.47 | $57,140 | $38,790 | $77,860 | 360 | 0.07 | 0.67 |
| 19 | Massachusetts profile | $26.93 | $56,020 | $45,610 | $78,250 | 380 | 0.10 | 1.06 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania profile | $26.76 | $55,660 | $31,980 | $84,460 | 340 | 0.06 | 0.57 |
| 21 | Oklahoma profile | $23.65 | $49,200 | $31,330 | $95,840 | 80 | 0.05 | 0.49 |
| 22 | Iowa profile | $23.50 | $48,870 | $18,320 | $62,810 | 40 | 0.02 | 0.25 |
| 23 | North Carolina profile | $22.03 | $45,820 | $30,980 | $70,590 | 610 | 0.12 | 1.27 |
| 24 | Mississippi profile | $21.29 | $44,290 | $39,210 | $80,720 | ** | ** | ** |
| 25 | New Jersey profile | $20.42 | $42,480 | $42,480 | $94,040 | ** | ** | ** |
| 26 | New York profile | $20.19 | $42,000 | $32,410 | $67,710 | 2,190 | 0.23 | 2.32 |
| 27 | Missouri profile | $19.41 | $40,360 | $34,190 | $63,970 | 310 | 0.11 | 1.08 |
| 28 | Tennessee profile | $19.32 | $40,180 | $17,910 | $65,440 | 190 | 0.06 | 0.59 |
| 29 | Wisconsin profile | $18.94 | $39,400 | $38,160 | $58,550 | 100 | 0.03 | 0.34 |
| 30 | South Dakota profile | $18.20 | $37,860 | $30,460 | $49,560 | 190 | 0.43 | 4.36 |
| 31 | Indiana profile | $18.14 | $37,730 | $31,770 | $61,380 | 350 | 0.11 | 1.12 |
| 32 | North Dakota profile | $18.05 | $37,550 | $37,120 | $60,530 | 80 | 0.20 | 2.01 |
| 33 | Montana profile | $16.34 | $33,990 | $31,940 | $68,630 | 90 | 0.18 | 1.84 |
| 34 | South Carolina profile | $16.15 | $33,590 | $18,730 | $71,220 | 90 | 0.04 | 0.40 |
| 35 | West Virginia profile | $13.79 | $28,670 | $28,670 | $50,760 | 60 | 0.08 | 0.86 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (53-2020), 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 53-2022 Airfield Operations Specialists.
**- 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 53-2022, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 53-2022.00, 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.