SOC 53-2022 · Transportation and Material Moving Occupations

Airfield Operations Specialists

Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025United States, all industries

U.S. median annual wage$56,850
U.S. median hourly wage$27.33
U.S. employment15,190

Nationally, airfield operations specialists earned a median of $56,850 per year as of the May 2025 OEWS estimates, across 15,190 jobs. Pay varies substantially by area — look up a specific state or metro below.

National pay distribution

Pay by state

Every state and territory with a published May 2025 estimate. “Not published” means BLS suppressed the value — it never means zero. Higher medians often track higher living costs; this is not a ranking of where the job is “best”.

Airfield Operations Specialists: pay and employment by state
State
Kentucky$123,290$59.272900.1
Washington$84,050$40.411500.0
Alabama$78,590$37.79Not publishedNot published
Arizona$77,570$37.301600.1
Colorado$77,500$37.26700.0
Oregon$75,130$36.12500.0
Virginia$72,250$34.742800.1
Alaska$71,510$34.381600.5
New Mexico$69,090$33.22500.1
Georgia$66,790$32.113400.1
California$62,600$30.101,6600.1
Idaho$62,510$30.05400.0
Michigan$61,780$29.704400.1
Nevada$61,350$29.491500.1
Texas$60,910$29.281,3100.1
Utah$59,780$28.742900.2
Florida$57,650$27.722,3200.2
Ohio$57,140$27.473600.1
Massachusetts$56,020$26.933800.1
Pennsylvania$55,660$26.763400.1
Puerto Rico$50,180$24.138200.9
Oklahoma$49,200$23.65800.0
Iowa$48,870$23.50400.0
North Carolina$45,820$22.036100.1
Mississippi$44,290$21.29Not publishedNot published
New Jersey$42,480$20.42Not publishedNot published
New York$42,000$20.192,1900.2
Missouri$40,360$19.413100.1
Tennessee$40,180$19.321900.1
Wisconsin$39,400$18.941000.0
South Dakota$37,860$18.201900.4
Indiana$37,730$18.143500.1
North Dakota$37,550$18.05800.2
Montana$33,990$16.34900.2
South Carolina$33,590$16.15900.0
West Virginia$28,670$13.79600.1

Pay by metro area

All 48 metro areas where BLS publishes this occupation. Sort by median wage, employment, or local concentration — or see the highest-paying metros ranked.

$31,200$50,273$69,347$88,420Sioux Falls, SD-MN — $31,200Fort Wayne, IN — $31,770Charleston-North Charleston, SC — $34,330Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY — $34,430Rapid City, SD — $37,940Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI — $38,160Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT — $38,390Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN — $40,520St. Louis, MO-IL — $41,070New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ — $42,000Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV — $43,930Greensboro-High Point, NC — $45,750Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC — $46,060Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL — $47,170Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL — $47,440San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX — $47,490Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX — $47,550Kansas City, MO-KS — $48,590Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL — $48,980Tulsa, OK — $49,190San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR — $50,180Raleigh-Cary, NC — $51,620Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA — $53,800Pittsburgh, PA — $54,090Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA — $54,960Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH — $56,020Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA — $57,330Cleveland, OH — $57,790Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL — $58,630Jacksonville, FL — $59,790Columbus, OH — $60,830Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX — $60,910Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV — $61,350Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA — $61,740Salt Lake City-Murray, UT — $63,100San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA — $63,550Memphis, TN-MS-AR — $64,320Anchorage, AK — $65,570Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI — $69,560Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN — $76,100Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA — $78,920Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA — $81,350Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO — $81,740Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD — $81,950Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA — $84,050San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA — $85,680San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA — $86,880Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ — $88,420

Each dot is one metro area with a published median — hover any dot for the name and figure. Metros without published estimates are not drawn.

Airfield Operations Specialists: pay and employment by metro area
Metro area
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$88,420$42.511300.1
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$86,880$41.77500.0
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$85,680$41.192400.1
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$84,050$40.411400.1
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$81,950$39.401200.0
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$81,740$39.30400.0
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$81,350$39.11300.0
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA$78,920$37.942400.1
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN$76,100$36.591400.1
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI$69,560$33.442500.1
Anchorage, AK$65,570$31.53900.5
Memphis, TN-MS-AR$64,320$30.92700.1
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$63,550$30.55600.0
Salt Lake City-Murray, UT$63,100$30.342200.3
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$61,740$29.691200.1
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV$61,350$29.491100.1
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX$60,910$29.281100.1
Columbus, OH$60,830$29.24800.1
Jacksonville, FL$59,790$28.75700.1
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL$58,630$28.191,5300.5
Cleveland, OH$57,790$27.781700.2
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$57,330$27.566200.1
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$56,020$26.932800.1
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$54,960$26.421900.1
Pittsburgh, PA$54,090$26.001100.1
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$53,800$25.87300.2
Raleigh-Cary, NC$51,620$24.82800.1
San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR$50,180$24.13Not publishedNot published
Tulsa, OK$49,190$23.65400.1
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL$48,980$23.552500.2
Kansas City, MO-KS$48,590$23.36900.1
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$47,550$22.862600.1
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX$47,490$22.83300.0
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL$47,440$22.811600.1
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL$47,170$22.68Not publishedNot published
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC$46,060$22.142500.2
Greensboro-High Point, NC$45,750$21.99800.2
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$43,930$21.121600.1
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$42,000$20.192,0900.2
St. Louis, MO-IL$41,070$19.751700.1
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN$40,520$19.481900.2
Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT$38,390$18.46Not publishedNot published
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI$38,160$18.35800.1
Rapid City, SD$37,940$18.24600.9
Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY$34,430$16.55Not publishedNot published
Charleston-North Charleston, SC$34,330$16.50500.1
Fort Wayne, IN$31,770$15.28400.2
Sioux Falls, SD-MN$31,200$15.00800.4

About this data. Estimates are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 release, retrieved from bls.gov/oes/tables.htm on July 24, 2026. OEWS estimates describe metropolitan/nonmetropolitan areas and states — not city limits — and are not designed for year-over-year comparisons. See BLS methodology, our plain-English methodology, and sources. CitySalaryData is independent and not affiliated with BLS.