Aircraft Launch and Recovery Specialists

United States SOC 55-3012.00 Confidence ★★★☆☆

Also called: Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment Maintenance Technician, Aircraft Launch and Recovery Technician, Arresting Gear Operator, Aviation Boatswain's Mate, Aviation Boatswain's Mate, Launching & Recovery Equipment, C-13 Catapult Operator, Expeditionary Airfield Systems Technician

Operate and maintain catapults, arresting gear, and associated mechanical, hydraulic, and control systems involved primarily in aircraft carrier takeoff and landing operations.

Median annual pay

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National statistics

Top pay (est.)

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Top 10% —

Pay in 5 years

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2031

Pay in 10 years

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Outlook score

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☆☆☆☆☆ —

AI replacement risk

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Job growth (10 yr)

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BLS projections

What aircraft launch and recovery specialists do

Operate and maintain catapults, arresting gear, and associated mechanical, hydraulic, and control systems involved primarily in aircraft carrier takeoff and landing operations. Duties include installing and maintaining visual landing aids; testing and maintaining launch and recovery equipment using electric and mechanical test equipment and hand tools; activating airfield arresting systems, such as crash barriers and cables, during emergency landing situations; directing aircraft launch and recovery operations using hand or light signals; and maintaining logs of airplane launches, recoveries, and equipment maintenance.

Aircraft Launch and Recovery Specialists salary

No pay statistics are available for this occupation yet.

How median, percentiles and the pay range are defined →

Projected pay for Aircraft Launch and Recovery Specialists (3, 5 and 10 years)est.

No projection yet because pay statistics are missing.

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 Launch and Recovery Specialists

Not computed yet.

Will AI replace Aircraft Launch and Recovery Specialists? AI replacement risk

Not computed yet.

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 Launch and Recovery Specialists

Employment

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BLS OEWS

Projected employment

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BLS projections

Projected change

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Annual openings

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growth + replacement needs

Demand score

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Typical entry education

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Work experience

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in a related occupation

On-the-job training

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Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (10-year). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.

Skills, education and requirements for Aircraft Launch and Recovery Specialists

How to become aircraft launch and recovery specialists

Typical education

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BLS

Related experience

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On-the-job training

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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 launch and recovery specialists

Career-path guidance is being prepared.

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: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS; Employment Projections); 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.