Transportation and Material Moving Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 53-1041

Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors

Median pay sits 29% below the mid peer in Transportation and Material Moving Occupations (neighbors include Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers, First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors, Transportation Inspectors, Flight Attendants).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors: Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers ($232K) , First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors ($63K) , Transportation Inspectors ($92K) , Flight Attendants ($64K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 53-1041 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Calculate load weights for different aircraft compartments, using charts and computers
  2. 2. Determine the quantity and orientation of cargo, and compute an aircraft's center of gravity
  3. 3. Direct ground crews in the loading, unloading, securing, or staging of aircraft cargo or baggage
  4. 4. Train new employees in areas such as safety procedures or equipment operation
  5. 5. Distribute cargo to maximize use of space
  6. 6. Accompany aircraft as a member of the flight crew to monitor and handle cargo in flight

Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors: O*NET ranks Critical Thinking first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 53-1041 - lead skill Critical Thinking at 3.8 ; lead knowledge Customer and Personal Service. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Critical Thinking 3.8
  2. 2. Management of Personnel Resources 3.8
  3. 3. Active Listening 3.6
  4. 4. Speaking 3.6
  5. 5. Monitoring 3.6
  6. 6. Time Management 3.6
  7. 7. Learning Strategies 3.5
  8. 8. Coordination 3.5

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Customer and Personal Service 4.7
  2. 2. Public Safety and Security 4.4
  3. 3. Transportation 4.3
  4. 4. English Language 4.3
  5. 5. Administration and Management 3.8
  6. 6. Administrative 3.7
Pay vs Transportation and Material Moving Occupations peers
-29%
vs mid peer median $81,410
This role $58,170/yr
$58K
National median
↑ +5%
Growth 2024-2034
1,100
Annual openings
9,760
Estimated US jobs
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
Highest-pay peer · $232K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent
Related experience Less than 5 years

Top Paying States for Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors

1. Virginia $78,420
2. Georgia $81,380
3. Colorado $79,260
4. Connecticut $78,770
5. Arizona $74,780
6. Ohio $79,650
7. Missouri $76,450
8. Pennsylvania $75,620
9. Louisiana $79,460
10. Indiana $75,880

Other Transportation and Material Moving Occupations titles

  1. 1. Transportation Inspectors $92,100
  2. 2. Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers $232,140
  3. 3. Flight Attendants $63,580
  4. 4. First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors $62,890
  5. 5. Gas Compressor and Gas Pumping Station Operators $77,320
  6. 6. Commercial Pilots $123,220

Among Transportation and Material Moving Occupations peers on this card, Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors sits 29% below the mid peer median ($81,410). Its own median is $58,170.

Employment Projections expect +5% change between 2024 and 2034 (faster than average vs baseline 3.1%). About 1,100 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry and less than 5 years as the typical related-work-experience category. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Virginia at $78,420. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers at $232,140. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors pay-rank #22 in Transportation and Material Moving Occupations

Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors sits at pay-rank #22 of 50 detailed Transportation and Material Moving Occupations, the middle third of the major-group median table. ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.

Other mid-table titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 53-1041 · national median $58,170 · middle third of Transportation and Material Moving Occupations (#22/50). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 53-1041

Virginia · top state for Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors

$78K published median

Georgia · #2 state pay

$81K · behind Virginia

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers

Highest-pay peer vs Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors · $232K

First-Line Supervisors of Transportation and Material Moving Workers, Except Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors

Lower-pay peer beside Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors · $63K

Compare Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors

Against another occupation

Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors mid-table among Transportation and Material Moving Occupations? ▼
Yes: pay-rank #22 of 50 detailed Transportation and Material Moving Occupations, the middle third. Mid-table neighbors: Bridge and Lock Tenders ($58K), Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers ($59K), Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders ($59K), Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity ($59K). ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.
What do aircraft cargo handling supervisors do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors. Leading ones include: Calculate load weights for different aircraft compartments, using charts and computers; Determine the quantity and orientation of cargo, and compute an aircraft's center of gravity; Direct ground crews in the loading, unloading, securing, or staging of aircraft cargo or baggage; Train new employees in areas such as safety procedures or equipment operation. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for aircraft cargo handling supervisors? ▼
For SOC 53-1041, O*NET importance scores lead with Critical Thinking (3.8), Management of Personnel Resources (3.8), Active Listening (3.6), Speaking (3.6). Knowledge areas emphasize Customer and Personal Service, Public Safety and Security, Transportation. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $58,170 as the national median for Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors. The published 10th-90th range is $41,690 to $92,160. Beside Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers ($232,140), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors is +5%. Projected annual openings: about 1,100. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: faster than average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors. Related-work-experience category: less than 5 years. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors? ▼
Virginia ($78,420), Georgia ($81,380), Colorado ($79,260) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 53-1041. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics