# Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors

> Supervise and coordinate the activities of ground crew in the loading, unloading, securing, and staging of aircraft cargo or baggage. May determine the quantity and orientation of cargo and compute aircraft center of gravity. May accompany aircraft as member of flight crew and monitor and handle cargo in flight, and assist and brief passengers on safety and emergency procedures. Includes loadmasters.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/aircraft-cargo-handling-supervisors
- SOC code: 53-1041.00
- Career family: Transportation
- Median annual pay: $58,170 (10th percentile $41,690, 90th percentile $92,160)
- Projected growth: Much faster than average, +9.2%
- Openings a year: 900
- Typical entry education: High school diploma
- Bright outlook: yes
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code ECR)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 60 |
| Investigative (I) | 20 |
| Artistic (A) | 0 |
| Social (S) | 25 |
| Enterprising (E) | 73 |
| Conventional (C) | 63 |

## What you'd do

- Getting Information (importance 85/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 84/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 80/100)
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards (importance 80/100)
- Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others (importance 78/100)
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge (importance 77/100)
- Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates (importance 76/100)
- Handling and Moving Objects (importance 76/100)
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work (importance 75/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 75/100)

## Skills

Critical Thinking, Management of Personnel Resources, Active Listening, Monitoring, Speaking, Time Management, Coordination, Learning Strategies, Judgment and Decision Making, Reading Comprehension

## Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service, Public Safety and Security, Transportation, English Language, Administration and Management, Administrative, Personnel and Human Resources, Mathematics, Education and Training, Computers and Electronics

## Also called

Air Cargo Ground Crew Supervisor, Air Cargo Ground Operations Supervisor, Air Cargo Specialist Supervisor, Air Cargo Supervisor, Aircraft Loadmaster, Airfreight Loading Supervisor, Airport Operations Supervisor, Airport Ramp Supervisor, Baggage Handling Supervisor, Cargo Service Supervisor

## Related careers

- [First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/first-line-supervisors-of-material-moving-machine-and-vehicle-operators): $62,890 median pay
- [Airfield Operations Specialists](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/airfield-operations-specialists): $56,850 median pay
- [Transportation Inspectors](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/transportation-inspectors): $92,100 median pay
- [First-Line Supervisors of Passenger Attendants](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/first-line-supervisors-of-passenger-attendants): $62,890 median pay
- [First-Line Supervisors of Helpers, Laborers, and Material Movers, Hand](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/first-line-supervisors-of-helpers-laborers-and-material-movers-hand): $62,890 median pay
- [Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/transportation-storage-and-distribution-managers): $107,230 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.