What it pays
Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.
Half of all Airfield Operations Specialists in the U.S. earn more than $56,850 a year — the middle 80% land between $35,870 and $102,120. About 15,190 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Airfield Operations Specialists”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Plant and machine operators and assemblers earn about ₹17,329 a month on average — around ₹2.1 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$56,850typical pay / year
15,190people in this work
$102,120+top 10% earn
₹2.1 lakha year in India (family avg)
Think you get this job?Six quick questions on how it really works — with a hint and the reason behind every answer.
Test yourself →The work, task by task
These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.
Sending & sharing2
Dispatch aircraft and personnel
+Dispatch the storm-chasing Cessna and two crew for the 0800 UTC sortie to monitor the cold front, assign…
Dispatch aircraft and personnel
+Dispatch the storm-chasing Cessna and two crew for the 0800 UTC sortie to monitor the cold front, assign flight meteorologist Sarah Gomez as lead, confirm fuel and NOTAMs are clear, and log crew hours in the shift book before departure.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft Exceljob descriptionsO*NET
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Check military flight plans with civilian agencies.
+Check the military flight plan filed by Squadron 12 for tomorrow's low-level route against civilian airway…
Check military flight plans with civilian agencies.
+Check the military flight plan filed by Squadron 12 for tomorrow's low-level route against civilian airway constraints, notify the civil aerodrome authority and regional ATC of any conflicts, and record their clearance or objections in the flight-plan register.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft OutlookESCOO*NET
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The daily work18
Apply airfield safety procedures
+Apply the airfield safety procedures checklist for runway 09/27 today: inspect wind indicators, verify NOTAM…
Apply airfield safety procedures
+Apply the airfield safety procedures checklist for runway 09/27 today: inspect wind indicators, verify NOTAM cross-checks, log any FOD or lighting faults, notify operations and duty manager of hazards, and close the runway only after all corrective actions are recorded and signed off.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft Outlookjob descriptionsO*NET
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Plan and coordinate airfield construction.
+Plan and coordinate the airfield construction weather support: produce a phased meteorological risk matrix…
Plan and coordinate airfield construction.
+Plan and coordinate the airfield construction weather support: produce a phased meteorological risk matrix for the twelve-week works, schedule twice-weekly site briefings with the airport engineer and contractor, set contingency triggers for low-visibility or crosswind days, and circulate the plan to the airport operations lead by next Monday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Outlookjob descriptionsO*NET
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Train operations staff.
+Run a two-hour training session for operations staff on meteorological limits and reporting: prepare the…
Train operations staff.
+Run a two-hour training session for operations staff on meteorological limits and reporting: prepare the practical scenarios, include how to record METAR trends, run the live simulator exercises, gather attendance and competence records, and send completion certificates to each trainee before Friday COB.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WordO*NET
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Conduct departure and arrival briefings.
+Conduct the departure and arrival briefings for the 0800 and 1400 movements: include current TAF and SIGMET…
Conduct departure and arrival briefings.
+Conduct the departure and arrival briefings for the 0800 and 1400 movements: include current TAF and SIGMET updates, expected wind shear or low-cloud windows, highlight any NOTAM impacts on alternate airfields, confirm fuel-burn implications with the duty dispatcher, and record the briefings in the station log.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft OutlookO*NET
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Receive, transmit, and control message traffic.
+Receive, transmit, and control message traffic for the next 24 hours: monitor incoming aeronautical messages,…
Receive, transmit, and control message traffic.
+Receive, transmit, and control message traffic for the next 24 hours: monitor incoming aeronautical messages, prioritize urgent SIGMETs and serviceability reports, forward action-required items to air traffic control and operations, log transmission times, and escalate any delayed acknowledgements to the communications supervisor.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OutlookO*NET
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Maintain flight and event logs, air crew flying records, and flight operations records of incoming and outgoing flights.
+Maintain flight and event logs and crew records for yesterday and today: enter arrivals and departures with…
Maintain flight and event logs, air crew flying records, and flight operations records of incoming and outgoing flights.
+Maintain flight and event logs and crew records for yesterday and today: enter arrivals and departures with times, update air crew flying hours, attach incident notes for any irregularities, reconcile the day's movements with the operations manifest, and file the records in the station archive before end of shift.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft SharePointO*NET
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Post visual display boards and status boards.
+Post the daily visual display boards and status boards in the operations room and terminal by 07:30, update…
Post visual display boards and status boards.
+Post the daily visual display boards and status boards in the operations room and terminal by 07:30, update latest MET watch, NOTAM summary and runway condition panels, photograph each board and email the photos to Duty Manager and safety officer.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft OutlookO*NET
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Use airfield landing and navigational aids
+Check and align all airfield landing and navigational aids status against tonight's flight schedule, log any…
Use airfield landing and navigational aids
+Check and align all airfield landing and navigational aids status against tonight's flight schedule, log any discrepancies on the aerodrome technical log, notify engineering and the operations planner immediately and confirm when each aid is back to service.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Exceljob descriptions
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Monitor flight records
+Monitor incoming flight records for today, reconcile actual times against the movement log, flag any…
Monitor flight records
+Monitor incoming flight records for today, reconcile actual times against the movement log, flag any weather-related deviations, update the flight record spreadsheet and send a summary to Flight Operations and the safety manager by 18:00.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Outlookjob descriptions
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Apply knowledge of weather information
+Apply current weather information to tonight's arrivals and departures, produce concise wind, visibility and…
Apply knowledge of weather information
+Apply current weather information to tonight's arrivals and departures, produce concise wind, visibility and TAF briefings for controllers and the duty captain, paste the brief into the operations handover and notify crew dispatch of significant changes.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft Outlookjob descriptions
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Determine aircraft cargo and center of gravity
+Calculate aircraft cargo and centre of gravity for the two freighter movements at 09:00 and 15:30, enter…
Determine aircraft cargo and center of gravity
+Calculate aircraft cargo and centre of gravity for the two freighter movements at 09:00 and 15:30, enter weights into the load sheet, confirm limits with the loadmaster and stamp the approved sheets for dispatch.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Exceljob descriptions
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Study safety regulations and restrictions
+Study the updated national aeronautical safety regulations issued today, note changes affecting aerodrome…
Study safety regulations and restrictions
+Study the updated national aeronautical safety regulations issued today, note changes affecting aerodrome operations and SOPs, draft a one-page summary for the team training brief and submit it to the safety manager by end of shift.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft SharePointESCO
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Direct activities of personnel to safeguard safety measures
+Direct the on-shift team to verify runway wind sensors, brief the tower on a low-ceiling SIGMET watch,…
Direct activities of personnel to safeguard safety measures
+Direct the on-shift team to verify runway wind sensors, brief the tower on a low-ceiling SIGMET watch, reassign one forecaster to monitor the TAF updates, and log every action in the safety ledger before 09:00 today.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft OutlookESCO
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Follow ethical code of conduct in transport services
+Confirm adherence to the transport services code by reviewing today's incident reports, counsel the…
Follow ethical code of conduct in transport services
+Confirm adherence to the transport services code by reviewing today's incident reports, counsel the forecaster who breached procedure yesterday, and file a signed conduct statement in the personnel file by close of business.
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Work in an aviation team
+Organise a 30-minute coordination huddle at 08:15 with the duty meteorologist, tower supervisor and dispatch…
Work in an aviation team
+Organise a 30-minute coordination huddle at 08:15 with the duty meteorologist, tower supervisor and dispatch to align watches, handoffs and contingency for the storm front, then circulate the agreed responsibilities to the team.
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Perform safety data analysis
+Analyse last week's service interruptions, extract trend counts of sensor failures and severe-weather…
Perform safety data analysis
+Analyse last week's service interruptions, extract trend counts of sensor failures and severe-weather advisories, highlight any recurring root causes, and deliver a one-page risk summary to the safety manager by lunchtime.
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Framework for a safety management system
+Develop the local safety management framework update: map current hazard reporting steps, add two mandatory…
Framework for a safety management system
+Develop the local safety management framework update: map current hazard reporting steps, add two mandatory escalation points, and circulate the revised workflow to operations and safety by Friday 17:00.
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Adhere to standards of national and international safety programmes
+Compare our procedures against the national aviation safety standard, note three non-conformities affecting…
Adhere to standards of national and international safety programmes
+Compare our procedures against the national aviation safety standard, note three non-conformities affecting meteorological services, propose corrective actions, and send the compliance note to the national auditor within three working days.
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Says who?
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Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses
Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses