Best degree programs for Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers, ranked by enrollment
3 college programs and 185 schools train Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $65,380 median wage, 34,020 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
3 college programs at 185 schools train aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers, graduating 13,805 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Airframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician. The job pays a median of $65,380 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers
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.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
3 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 47.0607 | 9,434 | 68.3% | 157 | $37,089 | $11,790 |
| 2 | CIP 47.0608 | 3,661 | 26.5% | 97 | $37,089 | $11,790 |
| 3 | CIP 47.0609 | 710 | 5.1% | 35 | $37,089 | $11,790 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
What aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $63,640 | 2,930 | 0.74× | 23 | 2,027 |
| Florida | $64,580 | 1,280 | 0.59× | 17 | 1,629 |
| Texas | $76,640 | 3,010 | 0.98× | 11 | 1,203 |
| Georgia | $72,550 | 2,950 | 2.76× | 10 | 1,182 |
| Oklahoma | $49,070 | 400 | 1.08× | 10 | 577 |
| Pennsylvaniamoderate | $81,680 | 740 | 0.56× | 4 | 493 |
| Kansasmoderate | $59,850 | 9,710 | 30.86× | 3 | 433 |
| Alabamamoderate | $58,990 | 950 | 2.06× | 4 | 432 |
| Michiganmoderate | $47,230 | 360 | 0.37× | 4 | 407 |
| Arizona | $73,930 | 1,210 | 1.70× | 5 | 387 |
| Washington | $110,470 | 4,280 | 5.51× | 8 | 354 |
| New Yorkmoderate | $49,620 | 280 | 0.13× | 4 | 300 |
| North Carolina | $51,930 | 670 | 0.62× | 6 | 296 |
| Tennessee | $66,390 | 130 | 0.18× | 5 | 216 |
| Coloradolimited | $70,870 | 160 | 0.25× | 2 | 200 |
| Oregonmoderate | $58,050 | 560 | 1.31× | 3 | 161 |
| Arkansasmoderate | $46,290 | 780 | 2.73× | 4 | 129 |
| Missourilimited | $58,600 | 460 | 0.71× | 2 | 117 |
| Utahmoderate | $51,130 | 550 | 1.44× | 3 | 94 |
| West Virginialimited | — | 140 | 0.89× | 1 | 77 |
| Idaholimited | $50,100 | 40 | 0.23× | 1 | 22 |
| Nebraskalimited | $64,530 | 220 | 0.99× | 1 | 4 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Assemble parts, fittings, or subassemblies on aircraft, using layout tools, hand tools, power tools, or fasteners, such as bolts, screws, rivets, or clamps.
- Read blueprints, illustrations, or specifications to determine layouts, sequences of operations, or identities or relationships of parts.
- Attach brackets, hinges, or clips to secure or support components or subassemblies, using bolts, screws, rivets, chemical bonding, or welding.
- Inspect or test installed units, parts, systems, or assemblies for fit, alignment, performance, defects, or compliance with standards, using measuring instruments or test equipment.
- Adjust, repair, rework, or replace parts or assemblies to ensure proper operation.
- Cut, trim, file, bend, or smooth parts to ensure proper fit and clearance.
- Fabricate parts needed for assembly or installation, using shop machinery or equipment.
- Layout and mark reference points and locations for installation of parts or components, using jigs, templates, or measuring and marking instruments.
Skills
- Monitoring3.1
- Active Listening3.1
- Critical Thinking3.1
- Speaking3.0
- Reading Comprehension3.0
- Active Learning2.9
- Writing2.8
- Learning Strategies2.6
Knowledge areas
- Mathematics3.5
- Education and Training3.5
- Mechanical3.4
- English Language3.4
- Production and Processing3.4
- Design3.4
Abilities
- Problem Sensitivity3.8
- Near Vision3.6
- Finger Dexterity3.5
- Manual Dexterity3.4
- Information Ordering3.4
- Visualization3.4
Core activities
- Controlling Machines and Processes4.2
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings4.0
- Getting Information3.9
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials3.9
- Documenting/Recording Information3.8
- Handling and Moving Objects3.8
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Aircraft Structure
Job zone 2 of 5 · SVP Below 6.0- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 3 majors mapped to Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers3 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 47.0607Airframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician
- 47.0608Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician
- 47.0609Avionics Maintenance Technology/Technician
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become an Aircraft Structure?+
High school diploma or equivalent is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Airframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician, which awarded 9,434 degrees in 2024-25, 68.3% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming an Aircraft Structure?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 3 programs to this occupation. The largest are Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians. Together they graduate about 13,805 people a year.
How much do aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers earn?+
The median is $65,380 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $47,310 at the 10th percentile to $107,500 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers growing?+
BLS projects a -14.5% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, decline, with roughly 2,800 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
185 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 3 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Assembler, Sheet Metal Mechanic, Structures Technician, Sheet Metal Assembler and Riveter (SMAR) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 51-2011.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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