Airfield Operations Specialist Job Outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of airfield operations specialists to grow 7.8% from 2025 to 2035 (about 1,200 more jobs), with about 1,500 openings a year, and the May 2025 median pay of $56,850 a year ranks 473rd of 825 occupations.
- Projected change
- +7.8%
- Openings a year
- 1,500
- Median pay
- $56,850
- Pay rank
- 473rd of 825
Is employment of airfield operations specialists growing or shrinking?
Growing: BLS projects employment of airfield operations specialists to rise 7.8% (about 1,200 more jobs) from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% projected across all occupations. That is faster than the +4.3% summed from BLS's employment levels across the 50 transportation and material moving occupations with a projection. That change ranks 100th of 830 projected occupations.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 | 15,300 |
| Employment, 2035 | 16,500 |
| Projected change | +7.8% |
| Openings a year | 1,500 |
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. A projection is a BLS estimate, not a count. The 15,300 jobs here differ from the 15,190 on the salary page because Employment Projections also counts the self-employed and a wider set of workers, while OEWS counts wage and salary jobs in May 2025. BLS published these projections on August 27, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. Confirm any figure in the BLS Employment Projections tables.
BLS's reasons for this projection are at the Occupational Outlook Handbook. State projections are at Projections Central; projections by industry are left to BLS. Education, licensing and work context at O*NET.
How many job openings are there each year?
About 1,500 openings a year, from job growth and from workers leaving the occupation, the 594th most of 830 occupations. About 92% of them replace workers who change occupations or leave the labor force; the rest come from the 120 jobs added in an average year.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035.
How does pay for airfield operations specialists rank?
The median of $56,850 a year ranks 473rd of 825 occupations with a published median. It sits in the lower half of occupations on both pay and openings.
Source: BLS OEWS national file, May 2025. Wage and salary jobs only; the self-employed are not counted. OEWS pay excludes overtime, shift differentials and non-production bonuses. Ranks count only the occupations with that published figure: 830 for projected change, 830 for openings, 825 for median pay, which is why the totals differ.
What does it take to start?
- Typical entry-level education: high school diploma or equivalent.
- Typical on-the-job training: long-term on-the-job training.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, education and training assignments.
How do related jobs compare on outlook?
| Occupation | Change | Openings a year | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Traffic Controllers | +1.7% | 2,100 | $148,080 |
| Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors | +9.2% | 900 | $58,170 |
| Commercial Pilots | +5.2% | 5,200 | $123,220 |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | +8.3% | 11,200 | $232,140 |
| Transportation Inspectors | +2.2% | 2,300 | $92,100 |
| Railroad Conductors and Yardmasters | +0.9% | 3,000 | $78,000 |
| Flight Attendants | +8.8% | 18,500 | $63,580 |
| Aircraft Service Attendants | +5.6% | 4,000 | $40,450 |
Related occupations from O*NET; projections from BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035; pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.