JobAfterNext

Aviation Inspectors

Inspect aircraft, maintenance procedures, air navigational aids, air traffic controls, and communications equipment to ensure conformance with Federal safety regulations.

Wages

BLS doesn't publish wages for Aviation Inspectors separately. These are the figures for Transportation Inspectors (53-6051), its parent occupation.

Median annual wage, U.S.$92,100
Employment, U.S.24,500
Median hourly wage$44.28
Annual wage percentiles, U.S., May 2025
10th25thMedian75th90th
$40,330$58,780$92,100$108,890$138,670
By state (46)
StateEmploymentMedian annualLocation quotient
Alabama670$108,1402.01
Alaska170$123,1203.28
Arizona830$62,2501.63
Arkansas120$85,1300.56
California1,790$83,0000.62
Colorado460$81,8201.01
Connecticut330$91,5201.22
Delaware90Not available1.23
District of Columbia150$89,9601.35
Florida1,630$101,4701.04
Georgia880$95,0301.15
Hawaii150$108,2701.51
Idaho170$54,3301.25
Illinois1,130$47,9901.18
Indiana250$80,3300.49
Iowa60$116,8500.26
Kansas210$103,3800.92
Kentucky260$83,9700.82
Louisiana130$77,4600.42
Maine90$63,7500.92
Maryland250$100,7000.58
Massachusetts$79,650
Michigan540$35,8900.78
Minnesota310$92,8600.67
Missouri380$64,6900.83
Montana180$62,8102.29
Nebraska200Not available1.25
Nevada430$50,0601.75
New Jersey930$49,2501.37
New Mexico230$63,6901.69
New York3,720$93,4202.44
North Carolina380$84,4700.48
North Dakota60$106,3300.90
Ohio430$77,0100.50
Oklahoma470$111,0701.73
Oregon250$78,1100.80
Pennsylvania340$81,5500.35
South Carolina440$80,4901.22
South Dakota100$70,0801.37
Tennessee420$78,4300.82
Texas2,290$101,4401.03
Utah210$64,4800.78
Virginia330$68,6100.50
Washington490$104,2500.87
West Virginia90$58,6700.77
Wisconsin120$75,2600.26

Similar occupations

Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.

#OccupationJob ZoneSimilarity
1Non-Destructive Testing Specialists1-20.954
2Hydroelectric Plant Technicians30.948
3Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment30.946
4Automotive Engineering Technicians30.946
5Traffic Technicians30.945
6Gas Plant Operators1-20.945
7Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators1-20.943
8Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians30.941
9Avionics Technicians30.940
10Occupational Health and Safety Technicians30.940

One skill away

Among the 50 occupations most similar to Aviation Inspectors, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.

OccupationSkill to buildLevel gapSimilarity
Automotive Engineering TechniciansMathematics1.000.946
Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine RepairersInstallation2.500.936
First-Line Supervisors of Landscaping, Lawn Service, and Groundskeeping WorkersManagement of Personnel Resources1.000.928
Locksmiths and Safe RepairersInstallation2.500.927
Airfield Operations SpecialistsCoordination1.000.926
Weatherization Installers and TechniciansInstallation2.880.923
Aircraft Cargo Handling SupervisorsManagement of Personnel Resources0.870.923
Energy AuditorsMathematics1.000.922
First-Line Supervisors of Helpers, Laborers, and Material Movers, HandManagement of Personnel Resources0.870.921
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and InstallersInstallation4.000.920

All 12

Software to learn next

Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Aviation Inspectors, excluding software Aviation Inspectors already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.

SoftwareSimilar jobs using itLift
Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software8 of 206.0x
Distributed control system DCS3 of 2013.8x
Autodesk AutoCAD8 of 202.2x
Computerized maintenance management system CMMS3 of 204.6x
Linux5 of 201.9x
Geographic information system GIS systems3 of 202.3x
National Instruments LabVIEW3 of 202.2x
IBM Notes4 of 201.8x
Microsoft SharePoint5 of 201.4x
Oracle Database3 of 201.6x

Skills

From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.

SkillTypeImportanceLevel
Critical ThinkingEssential skill 4.00 4.00
SpeakingEssential skill 3.88 4.00
Active ListeningEssential skill 3.88 3.38
Reading ComprehensionEssential skill 3.88 3.38
Operations MonitoringTransferable skill 3.75 4.00
Quality Control AnalysisTransferable skill 3.75 3.75
WritingEssential skill 3.62 3.25
Complex Problem SolvingTransferable skill 3.38 3.62
MonitoringEssential skill 3.38 3.38
Judgment and Decision MakingTransferable skill 3.25 3.38
Time ManagementTransferable skill 3.25 3.25
TroubleshootingTransferable skill 3.25 3.25
Active LearningEssential skill 3.12 3.25
Operation and ControlTransferable skill 3.00 3.12
Service OrientationTransferable skill 3.00 3.00
Social PerceptivenessTransferable skill 3.00 3.00
Systems AnalysisTransferable skill 3.00 3.00
ScienceEssential skill 2.88 3.50
InstructingTransferable skill 2.88 3.12
CoordinationTransferable skill 2.88 3.00
Learning StrategiesEssential skill 2.88 3.00
PersuasionTransferable skill 2.88 3.00
Systems EvaluationTransferable skill 2.88 3.00
Equipment MaintenanceTransferable skill 2.88 2.88
NegotiationTransferable skill 2.88 2.88
RepairingTransferable skill 2.88 2.88
Management of Personnel ResourcesTransferable skill 2.75 2.88
Equipment SelectionTransferable skill 2.75 2.62
Operations AnalysisTransferable skill 2.62 2.75
MathematicsEssential skill 2.25 2.38
Management of Material ResourcesTransferable skill 1.75 0.88
Technology DesignTransferable skill 1.62 0.75
Management of Financial ResourcesTransferable skill 1.50 0.75
ProgrammingTransferable skill 1.38 0.50
InstallationTransferable skill 1.00not rated
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
Knowledge
NameImportanceLevel
English Language 4.60 5.22
Mechanical 4.59 6.42
Public Safety and Security 4.46 5.14
Customer and Personal Service 4.42 5.43
Transportation 4.41 5.67
Education and Training 4.08 5.31
Production and Processing 3.86 4.67
Engineering and Technology 3.81 4.91
Mathematics 3.75 4.46
Administration and Management 3.67 4.60
Law and Government 3.48 4.22
Computers and Electronics 3.44 4.36
Design 3.43 4.54
Physics 3.43 4.06
Administrative 3.39 4.48
Telecommunications 3.07 3.24
Psychology 2.97 3.26
Economics and Accounting 2.89 2.85
Communications and Media 2.84 2.68
Personnel and Human Resources 2.83 3.41
Sales and Marketing 2.66 3.00
Chemistry 2.57 3.24
Geography 2.25 2.32
Therapy and Counseling 2.19 2.28
Building and Construction 2.18 2.33
History and Archeology 1.98 1.60
Biology 1.88not rated
Medicine and Dentistry 1.88not rated
Foreign Language 1.60 1.11
Sociology and Anthropology 1.55 1.08
Food Production 1.42not rated
Philosophy and Theology 1.29 0.67
Fine Arts 1.05not rated
Abilities
NameImportanceLevel
Problem Sensitivity 4.12 4.38
Inductive Reasoning 4.12 4.00
Deductive Reasoning 4.00 4.00
Near Vision 4.00 4.00
Oral Comprehension 4.00 4.00
Oral Expression 3.88 4.00
Written Comprehension 3.88 4.00
Speech Clarity 3.75 3.12
Written Expression 3.62 3.88
Information Ordering 3.50 3.62
Speech Recognition 3.50 3.25
Far Vision 3.38 3.38
Perceptual Speed 3.38 3.38
Visualization 3.38 3.25
Category Flexibility 3.25 3.25
Flexibility of Closure 3.25 3.25
Selective Attention 3.25 3.12
Auditory Attention 3.12 3.25
Control Precision 3.12 3.25
Visual Color Discrimination 3.12 3.25
Hearing Sensitivity 3.12 3.12
Arm-Hand Steadiness 3.00 3.00
Manual Dexterity 3.00 3.00
Time Sharing 3.00 3.00
Fluency of Ideas 3.00 2.88
Finger Dexterity 2.88 3.00
Originality 2.88 2.88
Speed of Closure 2.75 3.12
Multilimb Coordination 2.75 2.88
Depth Perception 2.62 2.62
Mathematical Reasoning 2.50 2.50
Number Facility 2.38 2.38
Reaction Time 2.25 2.50
Extent Flexibility 2.25 2.38
Memorization 2.25 2.38
Trunk Strength 2.25 2.25
Rate Control 2.12 2.00
Gross Body Equilibrium 2.12 1.38
Response Orientation 2.00 2.50
Sound Localization 2.00 2.00
Spatial Orientation 2.00 2.00
Static Strength 2.00 2.00
Glare Sensitivity 2.00 1.88
Gross Body Coordination 2.00 1.88
Stamina 2.00 1.75
Dynamic Strength 2.00 1.50
Wrist-Finger Speed 2.00 1.50
Night Vision 2.00 1.38
Peripheral Vision 2.00 1.38
Speed of Limb Movement 1.62 0.88
Explosive Strength 1.38 0.62
Dynamic Flexibility 1.00not rated

Software used

Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.

Where it concentrates

BLS doesn't publish wages for Aviation Inspectors separately. These are the figures for Transportation Inspectors (53-6051), its parent occupation.

Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.

Metro areaEmploymentLocation quotientMedian annual
Mobile, AL1405.00Not available
Anchorage, AK1104.03$131,060
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ4,0002.67$93,420
Urban Honolulu, HI1301.90$108,270
Greensboro-High Point, NC1101.86$105,370
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ6901.85$51,990
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL8201.84$100,100
Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV3001.67$46,800
Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT1601.64$82,390
Boise City, ID1001.62$105,370

More metros, other thresholds