Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors: Salary, Job Outlook & How to Become One (2026 Parent Guide)
Transportation and Material Moving · SOC 53-1041 · O*NET 53-1041.00
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.
Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors fall under the Transportation and Material Moving category in the U.S. occupational classification. Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors earn a median salary of $63,940 per year, ranking in the top 41% of all U.S. occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +5.2% job growth through 2034, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Entry into this field typically requires a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, certifications, or postsecondary credentials, with specific licensing or certification depending on the state and employer. For parents whose teenager is exploring this path, the most actionable step is mapping the education requirements to specific colleges and majors before junior year — not waiting until application season.
What do aircraft cargo handling supervisors earn?
The median annual wage for aircraft cargo handling supervisors is $63,940. That puts aircraft cargo handling supervisors at #329 on the BLS ranked list of all U.S. occupations by median pay. This salary is above the U.S. median for individual workers and reflects a stable, credentialed occupation. Actual pay varies meaningfully by state, employer type, and years of experience — entry-level salaries are typically 30–40% below the median, while top-decile earners often exceed it by 50% or more.
| 10th percentile (entry-level) | $38,010 |
| 25th percentile | $49,020 |
| 50th percentile (median) | $63,940 |
| 75th percentile | $79,600 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $96,300 |
| Median hourly wage | $30.74/hr |
Is aircraft cargo handling supervisors a growing career?
The 10-year outlook for aircraft cargo handling supervisors is +5.2%, projected to grow at roughly the US average. Employment is projected to move from approximately 10K positions in 2024 to 10K in 2034, a net change of 0K. Average growth signals a healthy, resilient occupation that mirrors broader U.S. employment trends. Job availability tends to track regional economic conditions.
What do aircraft cargo handling supervisors do every day?
According to O*NET task surveys of working aircraft cargo handling supervisors, these are the core responsibilities most professionals perform. This is what your teen would actually be doing in this role.
- 1.Determine the quantity and orientation of cargo, and compute an aircraft's center of gravity.
- 2.Distribute cargo to maximize use of space.
- 3.Direct ground crews in the loading, unloading, securing, or staging of aircraft cargo or baggage.
- 4.Train new employees in areas such as safety procedures or equipment operation.
Top skills for aircraft cargo handling supervisors
O*NET ranks these as the most important skills for this occupation, on a 1–5 importance scale derived from worker surveys.
What education does my child need to become aircraft cargo handling supervisor?
Many aircraft cargo handling supervisors enter the field with a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, though employers increasingly favor candidates with certifications or some postsecondary coursework. For parents helping a teen prepare, the highest-leverage step before junior year is identifying colleges and programs that feed reliably into this occupation — Solyo's college search lets parents filter by major and admissions data side by side.
Based on O*NET surveys of incumbents — what people in this job actually have, not what employers list as required.
Related careers your child might also consider
How parents help teens explore careers like this
Solyo helps parents map a teen's interests to specific careers, then back to the colleges and majors that lead there. Salary, outlook, and education data come from BLS and O*NET — the same sources high school counselors use — but presented for the parent's planning lens, not the student's exploration view.
Common questions parents ask about aircraft cargo handling supervisors
What is the median salary for aircraft cargo handling supervisors?
The median annual salary for aircraft cargo handling supervisors is $63,940 according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
Is aircraft cargo handling supervisors a growing career?
BLS projects +5.2% growth for aircraft cargo handling supervisors from 2024 through 2034, which is average growth projected to grow at roughly the US average.
What education does my child need to become aircraft cargo handling supervisor?
The typical entry path requires a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, certifications, or postsecondary credentials, plus any state licensure or certification specific to the role. Programs that align well with this career can be filtered inside Solyo's college search.
What careers are similar to aircraft cargo handling supervisors?
Related occupations within the Transportation and Material Moving category share education paths and skill profiles, so they're a useful starting set when a teen is uncertain. The "Related careers" section below lists nearby options.
Salary data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics program. Skills, tasks, and education distribution from the O*NET database. Job outlook from the BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 release.