Careers / Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors

Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors — Career Decision Dashboard

United States

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Median annual wage

$58,170

United States, 2025

Employment

9,760

United States, 2025

Typical education

High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)

Job Zone 2

Skills identified

35

10 related careers

Career overview

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.

O*NET code
53-1041.00
Job zone
2
Experience required
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years

Typical tasks

  • 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.

Choose a location

Salary analysis — United States

$41,690
10th
$49,820
25th
$58,170
Median
$78,530
75th
$92,160
90th

10th percentile

$41,690

25th percentile

$49,820

75th percentile

$78,530

90th percentile

$92,160

Most important skills

  • Management of Personnel Resources3.8
  • Critical Thinking3.8
  • Speaking3.6
  • Time Management3.6
  • Monitoring3.6
  • Active Listening3.6
  • Coordination3.5
  • Learning Strategies3.5
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.4
  • Reading Comprehension3.3
  • Social Perceptiveness3.3
  • Instructing3.1

What skills do you need?

Select the skills you already have

Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.

Skill coverage

0%

0 of 17 identified skills

Matched

0

Missing

17

Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.

Skills to develop

SkillImportanceRequired levelYour levelGap
Management of Personnel Resources3.83.8Not selected3.8
Monitoring3.63.9Not selected3.9
Critical Thinking3.83.5Not selected3.5
Time Management3.63.5Not selected3.5
Learning Strategies3.53.6Not selected3.6
Coordination3.53.5Not selected3.5
Speaking3.63.1Not selected3.1
Active Listening3.63.0Not selected3.0
Social Perceptiveness3.33.3Not selected3.3
Judgment and Decision Making3.43.0Not selected3.0
Writing3.13.3Not selected3.3
Reading Comprehension3.33.0Not selected3.0
Instructing3.13.0Not selected3.0
Complex Problem Solving3.12.9Not selected2.9
Active Learning3.02.9Not selected2.9
Mathematics3.02.9Not selected2.9
Systems Analysis3.02.8Not selected2.8

Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.

Related careers

How salary varies by location

LocationMedianEmploymentYear
GA$81,3801502025
Atlanta, GA$81,3801302025
Philadelphia, PA$80,8203002025
Charleston, SC$80,140402025
OH$79,6501002025
LA$79,460402025
CO$79,2601902025
Denver, CO$79,2601802025
CT$78,770502025
VA$78,4202402025
Virginia Beach, VA$78,420602025
Las Vegas, NV$77,8101502025
Orlando, FL$77,7901702025
MO$76,4501002025
Tampa, FL$75,970602025
Indianapolis, IN$75,880502025
IN$75,880602025
Phoenix, AZ$75,8102102025
PA$75,6204502025
AZ$74,7802202025
All locations with published data

Career transition paths

Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.

Build a transition comparison

Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0.

Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).

Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.