Occupation salary profile

Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors

SOC 53-1041 BLS OEWS May 2025

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.

National median · BLS
$58,170
▼ -9.02% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$65,010
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
9,760
Jobs (BLS)
Highest-paying state (cost-adjusted) Loading…
Most jobs Loading…
Highest-paying metro (cost-adjusted) Loading…

Check your salary

Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay$41,690
25th$49,820
Median (50th)$58,170
75th$78,530
90th — top pay$92,160

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

Type in either box; the other updates instantly.

Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors

BLS projects employment of aircraft cargo handling supervisors to grow 9.2% from 2025 to 2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations. About 900 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
9,700 → 10,600
+900 jobs
Projected change
+9.2%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
900
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
Plus less than 5 years experience
Self-employed
0.7% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Fastest-growing jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a high school diploma →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Critical Thinking3.8
  • Management of Personnel Resources3.8
  • Active Listening3.6
  • Monitoring3.6
  • Speaking3.6
  • Time Management3.6
  • Coordination3.5
  • Learning Strategies3.5
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.4
  • Reading Comprehension3.3
Top knowledge areas
  • Customer and Personal Service4.7
  • Public Safety and Security4.4
  • Transportation4.3
  • English Language4.3
  • Administration and Management3.8
  • Administrative3.7
  • Personnel and Human Resources3.5
  • Mathematics3.5
Software and technology used
FacebookMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft WordCargo tracking system softwareCorel WordPerfect Office SuiteWarehouse management system WMS

Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

About the job

What aircraft cargo handling supervisors do

  • Determine the quantity and orientation of cargo, and compute an aircraft's center of gravity.
  • Direct ground crews in the loading, unloading, securing, or staging of aircraft cargo or baggage.
  • Train new employees in areas such as safety procedures or equipment operation.
  • Distribute cargo to maximize use of space.
  • Calculate load weights for different aircraft compartments, using charts and computers.
  • Accompany aircraft as a member of the flight crew to monitor and handle cargo in flight.
Also called
Cargo SupervisorLine Service Supervisor (LSS)LoadmasterRamp SupervisorGround Operations SupervisorRamp and Cargo Supervisor
More job titles for this occupation (16)
Air Cargo Ground Crew SupervisorAir Cargo Ground Operations SupervisorAir Cargo Specialist SupervisorAir Cargo SupervisorAircraft LoadmasterAirfreight Loading SupervisorAirport Operations SupervisorAirport Ramp SupervisorBaggage Handling SupervisorCargo Service SupervisorCargo Services CoordinatorGround Crew SupervisorHelicopter LoadmasterRamp BossSort Operations SupervisorStation Loadmaster

Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.