Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Base salary plus target annual bonus. Target bonus opportunity scales with role level, so a higher base carries a higher target percentage.
Base salary
$66,000
National baseline
Target bonus
$6,500
10.1% of base
Total target cash
$72,500
Base plus target bonus
Bonus percentiles:25th$4,00050th$6,50075th$10,500
Long-term incentive is not shown for this role. Equity awards are only disclosed publicly for the named executive officers of public companies, so no market figure exists for most jobs. See executive pay disclosures.
Typical experience: 3 to 6 years at the Specialist / Intermediate level, per widely used corporate career-level norms (Radford, Mercer, and SHRM career-level frameworks). Actual expectations vary by function, industry, and company size.
Inspect airfield conditions to ensure compliance with federal regulatory requirements.
Implement airfield safety procedures to ensure a safe operating environment for personnel and aircraft operation.
Conduct inspections of the airport property and perimeter to maintain controlled access to airfields.
Assist in responding to aircraft and medical emergencies.
Initiate or conduct airport-wide coordination of snow removal on runways and taxiways.
Top skills:MonitoringActive ListeningSpeakingReading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingCoordination
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Airfield Operations Specialist pay by experience level
Entry level$37,000
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$43,500
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$59,000
Mid-career median pay
Senior$80,000
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$105,500
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
+4.2%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
1,600
projected openings per year
Growing about as fast as average
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Airfield Operations Specialist salary by industry
Air Transportation
6,280 workers
$65,500
Scheduled Air Transportation
5,300 workers
$66,000
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS
3,950 workers
$66,000
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)
3,640 workers
$64,000
Support Activities for Transportation
3,080 workers
$52,500
Support Activities for Air Transportation
3,060 workers
$52,500
Nonscheduled Air Transportation
980 workers
$62,500
Couriers and Messengers
350 workers
$104,000
Couriers and Express Delivery Services
350 workers
$104,000
Educational Services
270 workers
$56,500
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
Typical duties and FLSA status
Core duties
Inspect airfield conditions to ensure compliance with federal regulatory requirements.
Implement airfield safety procedures to ensure a safe operating environment for personnel and aircraft operation.
Conduct inspections of the airport property and perimeter to maintain controlled access to airfields.
Assist in responding to aircraft and medical emergencies.
Initiate or conduct airport-wide coordination of snow removal on runways and taxiways.
FLSA classification (typical)
Typically Exempt · Professional or Administrative exemption
Individual contributor roles at this level typically qualify for the Professional exemption (requiring advanced knowledge in a field of science or learning) or the Administrative exemption (office work related to management or general business operations with discretion on significant matters). Actual classification depends on the specific job duties, salary basis, and any applicable state or local rules. The current federal salary threshold for exemption is $684 per week ($35,568 per year), per the 2020 Department of Labor rule; the 2024 rule that would have raised the threshold was struck down by federal court in November 2024.
How this role compares
Airfield Operations Specialist pays 4% below the average across 53 roles in the Transportation and Material Moving job family (family average $69,000).
Similar-paying roles in Transportation and Material Moving
Need Airfield Operations Specialist pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
