Aviation job openings come with a number of perks, depending on the exact sector you're going in to. While most people, on thinking of the segment, associate aviation jobs with airline pilots or stewards, for every person who's on the aircraft when it's airborne, there are nearly 30 other people who work to keep everything running. Let's do a quick overview of the aviation jobs that we expect to have openings.
Aviation Mechanic: Aviation mechanics work on keeping aircraft mechanically sound; this kind of job pays well – in the $40,000 to $60,000 range, but requires a lot of exposure to and retention of technical information about how jet turbine engines work. There are bachelor's of science in aviation mechanics, and the usual candidate pool for this kind of work has served in the air force or navy, with a few from the army working on helicopters. Because airline mechanics tend to work in the 'repair yards' at major hubs, this job doesn't involve a lot of travel. It is ideal for someone with a mechanical bent, and the desire to stay near his or her family or home. The flip side is that the majority of these jobs are at hub airports. When they do require travel, it's because the repair crew is being flown out to a disabled jet at a regional airport.
Ticket Agent: Ticket agents are the most numerous jobs an airline hires for. Typical salary ranges start in the low $30,000, and can get up to $50,000 or more. These jobs usually include non-payment perks, and have a steady workweek; though working some weekends is usually required. Most ticket agents can buy deeply discounted airfares, or pick up 'jump seat" travel perks on under booked flights. This type of job requires someone who can stand behind a counter for hours on end, and maintain a positive, customer centric attitude.
Baggage Handlers: These jobs tend to be contracted to the airport authorities themselves. A baggage handler is tasked with slinging passenger luggage onto carts, and into the cargo spaces of airplanes. They work out on the tarmac in all weather conditions, and need to wear ear protection. (This is a job that specifically recruits those who are clinically deaf). The pay is also good – it's hourly (most of the rest of the positions listed above for aviation jobs are salaried), which means it's open to overtime. The downside is that you are working on the tarmac in any weather where planes get loaded with passengers. This job usually starts at $15 per hour, and go up from there with experience. It's also usually a union job, so keep that in mind.
Airline Attendants/ Flight Attendants: These are the trained customer service professionals of the sky; airline attendants are the most visible aviation jobs in the world. They're perceived as being glamorous, to some extent. The job comes with built in travel perks – most airline attendants spend 2/3 of their time in other cities. Skills in customer service and deportment are critical to make it in this field, and it's a ruthlessly competitive market. The selection process usually includes an 8 to 12 week course that candidates have to pay to get into – this course can get you dismissed (without getting a refund of your tuition) for being even 5 minutes late – they reinforce that an airline attendant has to be prompt, reliable, and amazingly committed. What would be the wage for this level of commitment to customer service in the sky? About $35 to $70K, with a workweek limited to 25 flight hours per week. Most of the difference in wages depends on what routes you're staffing – the farther out into the regional airline systems you go, the lower the pay will be.
Airline Pilots: Airline pilot pay starts at $90K per year for most of the major airlines; the regional carriers start at $60K per year. With seniority, it's not unreasonable to make over $130K per year. Airline pilots need to have one fundamental skill – the ability to pilot a plane. Most airline pilots are either private pilots who got a multi-engine jet certification, or former military pilots. It's an exclusive club, and a well paid profession; it's also one with a great deal of responsibility; in the air, your duties are the safety of your passengers at all costs. Airline pilots have to be prepared for any emergency – from terrorist attacks to the wings falling off. The flip side is that there is a strict cap of 25 hours of flight per week for this job; the aim is to make sure that pilots don't suffer excessive fatigue, which could impair their judgment.
Navigators: The second seat position in the cockpit, the navigator has to be able to pilot the plane in a pinch, while advising the captain on any navigation hazards, weather conditions and other circumstances at the airport they're landing at. The navigator handles the detail work of flying the plane while the pilot flies it. This job starts at $45K for a regional jet airline and can go up to $100,000 per year for a navigator with a lot of experience.
TSA workers: Contracted to the airport and paid for out of a federal budget, Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) workers have the job of watching the contents of baggage, and the behaviors of passengers, to ensure that terrorists and other undesirables don't get on board planes. TSA workers need to have an attention to detail, and they also have to be willing to work as a part of a team. It's a thankless job – most people who go through airports resent dealing with airport security in all its permutations, and the TSA is widely seen as a terrible infringement on personal liberties by many. TSA workers follow the Federal service job requirements, and require extensive background checks. Most TSA positions are GS1 through GS4 positions, with good health care, and salaries starting at $33K per year, and going up from there.
