# Airfield Operations Specialists

> Ensure the safe takeoff and landing of commercial and military aircraft. Duties include coordination between air-traffic control and maintenance personnel, dispatching, using airfield landing and navigational aids, implementing airfield safety procedures, monitoring and maintaining flight records, and applying knowledge of weather information.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/airfield-operations-specialists
- SOC code: 53-2022.00
- Career family: Transportation
- Median annual pay: $56,850 (10th percentile $35,870, 90th percentile $102,120)
- Projected growth: Faster than average, +7.8%
- Openings a year: 1,500
- Typical entry education: High school diploma
- Bright outlook: yes
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code CRE)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 61 |
| Investigative (I) | 42 |
| Artistic (A) | 0 |
| Social (S) | 25 |
| Enterprising (E) | 58 |
| Conventional (C) | 65 |

## What you'd do

- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials (importance 93/100)
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment (importance 92/100)
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards (importance 89/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 86/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 85/100)
- Documenting/Recording Information (importance 83/100)
- Getting Information (importance 83/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 83/100)
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge (importance 82/100)
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings (importance 80/100)

## Skills

Active Listening, Monitoring, Coordination, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Speaking, Complex Problem Solving, Writing, Active Learning, Instructing

## Knowledge

Public Safety and Security, Transportation, English Language, Customer and Personal Service, Education and Training, Telecommunications, Administration and Management, Law and Government, Administrative, Computers and Electronics

## Also called

Airfield Operations Specialist, Airfield Services Officer, Airline Agent, Airline Dispatcher, Airport Agent, Airport Operations Agent, Airport Operations Coordinator, Airport Operations Crew Member, Airport Operations Officer, Airport Operations Specialist

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Air Transportation](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/4901) (CIP 4901, 253 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Utah Valley University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/utah-valley-university-3103) | Air Transportation | $70,419 | $106,001 | $20,375 |
| [University of North Dakota](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-north-dakota-2996) | Air Transportation | $59,101 | $104,472 | $25,250 |
| [Utah State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/utah-state-university-3102) | Air Transportation | $43,591 | $103,989 | $24,375 |
| [Minnesota State University-Mankato](https://www.collegesref.com/college/minnesota-state-university-mankato-1721) | Air Transportation | $57,213 | $103,858 | $21,500 |
| [Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/eastern-new-mexico-university-main-campus-872) | Air Transportation | $91,027 | $103,617 | $19,143 |
| [Liberty University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/liberty-university-1481) | Air Transportation | $77,466 | $102,096 | $20,500 |
| [Ohio University-Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/ohio-university-main-campus-2008) | Air Transportation | $56,127 | $99,701 | $25,000 |
| [Middle Georgia State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/middle-georgia-state-university-1687) | Air Transportation | $53,459 | $93,627 | $19,035 |

## Related careers

- [Air Traffic Controllers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/air-traffic-controllers): $148,080 median pay
- [Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/aircraft-cargo-handling-supervisors): $58,170 median pay
- [First-Line Supervisors of Passenger Attendants](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/first-line-supervisors-of-passenger-attendants): $62,890 median pay
- [Commercial Pilots](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/commercial-pilots): $123,220 median pay
- [Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/airline-pilots-copilots-and-flight-engineers): $232,140 median pay
- [Aviation Inspectors](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/aviation-inspectors): $92,100 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.