Shigoto Zukan
日本語

Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors

United States SOC 53-1041.00 Confidence ★★★★★

Also called: Air Cargo Ground Crew Supervisor, Air Cargo Ground Operations Supervisor, Air Cargo Specialist Supervisor, Air Cargo Supervisor, Aircraft Loadmaster, Airfreight Loading Supervisor, Airport Operations Supervisor, Airport Ramp Supervisor

Supervise and coordinate the activities of ground crew in the loading, unloading, securing, and staging of aircraft cargo or baggage.

Median annual pay
$58,170
25th–75th pct. $49,820–$78,530
Top pay (est.)
$119,800
Top 10% $92,160
Pay in 5 years
$68,400est.
2031
Pay in 10 years
$80,500est.
$69,200–$93,500
Outlook score
60/100
★★★☆☆ Average
AI replacement risk
44%
Moderate
Job growth (10 yr)
+9.2%
900 openings / yr

What aircraft cargo handling supervisors do

Supervise and coordinate the activities of ground crew in the loading, unloading, securing, and staging of aircraft cargo or baggage. May determine the quantity and orientation of cargo and compute aircraft center of gravity. May accompany aircraft as member of flight crew and monitor and handle cargo in flight, and assist and brief passengers on safety and emergency procedures. Includes loadmasters.

Typical tasks

Typical path into the job (BLS)

Education High school diploma or equivalentRelated experience Less than 5 yearsOn-the-job training NoneO*NET Job Zone 2

Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors salary

The median annual wage for aircraft cargo handling supervisors is $58,170 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $41,690 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $92,160. The mean annual wage is $65,010.

Median
$58,170
Mean
$65,010
10th percentile
$41,690
Entry level
25th percentile
$49,820
75th percentile
$78,530
90th percentile
$92,160
Top earners
Mean hourly wage
$31.00
4.3× the federal minimum ($7.25)
In Japanese yen
¥9.15M
≈ at 157.25 JPY/USD

The mean hourly wage of $31.00 is 4.3× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →

How does your pay compare with people your age?

Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).

Pay by percentile

Entry level (10th pct.)
$41,690
Early career (25th pct.)
$49,820
Mid career (median)
$58,170
Experienced (75th pct.)
$78,530
Top earners (90th pct.)
$92,160

Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.

How median, percentiles and the pay range are defined →

Projected pay for Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors (3, 5 and 10 years)est.

Today $58,170 → in 3 years $64,100 → in 5 years $68,400 → in 10 years $80,500 (10-year range $69,200–$93,500). The model assumes pay growth of +3.3% per year.

$58,170
Now
2026
$64,100
In 3 yrs
2029
$59,200–$69,800
$68,400
In 5 yrs
2031
$61,700–$76,200
$80,500
In 10 yrs
2036
$69,200–$93,500

What drives the annual growth rate

Base wage growth +3.0%Labor demand +0.26%AI impact +0.04%Total +3.3% / yr

Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →

Outlook score for Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors

60/100
★★★☆☆
Average · ranked #231 of all U.S. occupations
Pay level
45 pts
AI resistance
56 pts
Entry barrier
29 pts
Annual openings
53 pts
Projected growth
91 pts

Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.

Will AI replace Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors? AI replacement risk

44%
Moderate
Ranked #425 safest from AI among all U.S. occupations
Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

How AI is changing this job

A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.

AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →

Labor demand for Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors

Employment
9,760
BLS OEWS
Projected employment
11K
2025–35
Projected change
+9.2%
ranked #73 for growth
Annual openings
900
growth + replacement needs
Demand score
High
65/100
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
Work experience
Less than 5 years
in a related occupation
On-the-job training
None

Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.

Skills, education and requirements for Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors

Key skills

Monitoring
3.9
Management of Personnel Resources
3.8
Learning Strategies
3.6
Critical Thinking
3.5
Time Management
3.5
Coordination
3.5
Writing
3.2
Social Perceptiveness
3.2

O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).

Key knowledge areas

Customer and Personal Service
5.6
Public Safety and Security
4.9
Education and Training
4.4
English Language
4.4
Transportation
4.4
Administration and Management
4.3
Administrative
4.3
Computers and Electronics
4.0

What the work involves

Handling and Moving ObjectsMaking Decisions and Solving ProblemsMonitoring Processes, Materials, or SurroundingsEstablishing and Maintaining Interpersonal RelationshipsOrganizing, Planning, and Prioritizing WorkGuiding, Directing, and Motivating SubordinatesPerforming General Physical ActivitiesUpdating and Using Relevant Knowledge

Important abilities

Oral ExpressionOral ComprehensionStatic StrengthVisualizationProblem SensitivitySelective Attention

Education of workers

High school diploma
64%
Bachelor's degree
18%
Less than high school
10%
Some college
5%
Post-secondary certificate
3%

Training before entry

Up to 1 month
34%
3–6 months
26%
6–12 months
19%
1–3 months
16%
2–4 years
3%
1–2 years
2%

Related work experience

1–2 years
42%
2–4 years
22%
6–12 months
13%
Up to 1 month
10%
None
6%
Over 10 years
3%
3–6 months
3%
4–6 years
2%

Job Zone 2 — some preparation needed (O*NET)

Difficulty of entry: ★★☆☆☆ Fairly easy (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)

How to become aircraft cargo handling supervisors

Typical education
High school diploma or equivalent
BLS
Related experience
Less than 5 years
On-the-job training
None

A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.

Career path and how to earn more as aircraft cargo handling supervisors

Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.

Pay and employment figures are national statistics. Projected pay, outlook scores and AI replacement risk are estimates from the Shigoto Zukan model, not guarantees. To request a correction, use the contact form. How to read the data
Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35; O*NET 31.0 Database by USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0), modified by Shigoto Zukan. Pay ranges, projections and scores are Shigoto Zukan estimates.