SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Assemble, fit, fasten, and install parts of airplanes, space vehicles, or missiles, such as tails, wings, fuselage, bulkheads, stabilizers, landing gear, rigging and control equipment, or heating and ventilating systems.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 51-2011.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $47,310 | $3,942 | $910 | $22.74 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $58,600 | $4,883 | $1,127 | $28.17 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $65,380 | $5,448 | $1,257 | $31.43 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $83,410 | $6,951 | $1,604 | $40.10 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $107,500 | $8,958 | $2,067 | $51.68 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers is $65,380, which is 28% higher. Among the 105 occupations of the field Production, it ranks number 10 by median pay. With 34,020 jobs, it makes up about 2.2 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers pay by state
The highest median pay was in Washington ($110,470), Pennsylvania ($81,680) and Connecticut ($78,630). The lowest was in Arkansas ($46,290), Michigan ($47,230) and Oklahoma ($49,070). The most jobs were in Kansas (9,710), Washington (4,280) and Texas (3,010). The occupation is most concentrated in Kansas, where its share of all jobs is 30.9 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 4,280 | $110,470 | $100,540 | $53.11 |
| Pennsylvania | 740 | $81,680 | $83,400 | $39.27 |
| Connecticut | 500 | $78,630 | $86,010 | $37.80 |
| Texas | 3,010 | $76,640 | $71,490 | $36.84 |
| Arizona | 1,210 | $73,930 | $72,750 | $35.54 |
| Georgia | 2,950 | $72,550 | $71,840 | $34.88 |
| Colorado | 160 | $70,870 | $66,020 | $34.07 |
| Tennessee | 130 | $66,390 | $61,210 | $31.92 |
| Florida | 1,280 | $64,580 | $68,310 | $31.05 |
| Nebraska | 220 | $64,530 | $70,980 | $31.03 |
| California | 2,930 | $63,640 | $69,050 | $30.60 |
| Kansas | 9,710 | $59,850 | $67,300 | $28.77 |
| Alabama | 950 | $58,990 | $62,480 | $28.36 |
| Missouri | 460 | $58,600 | $66,540 | $28.17 |
| Oregon | 560 | $58,050 | $67,820 | $27.91 |
| North Carolina | 670 | $51,930 | $55,700 | $24.97 |
| Utah | 550 | $51,130 | $54,280 | $24.58 |
| Idaho | 40 | $50,100 | $52,620 | $24.09 |
| New York | 280 | $49,620 | $50,920 | $23.86 |
| Oklahoma | 400 | $49,070 | $53,820 | $23.59 |
| Michigan | 360 | $47,230 | $49,430 | $22.71 |
| Arkansas | 780 | $46,290 | $47,480 | $22.25 |
| West Virginia | 140 | not published | not published | not published |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
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- Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic$63,870 a year
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Common questions
How much do Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $65,380 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $47,310 and the highest-paid 10% more than $107,500.
How many people work as Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers?
About 34,020 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.