Also called: Aircraft Mechanic Assembler, Riveter
Builds the wings, fuselage sections and tails of airplanes, drilling and riveting thousands of pieces together.
You climb onto a work stand next to a giant wing section. Using a drill template, you drill holes to exact depths, then team up with a partner, one bucking and one riveting, to install hundreds of rivets. Every hole is inspected and logged.
BLS aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging and systems assemblers; approximate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 1 year after high school. High school plus an aerospace assembly certificate or on-the-job training.
Ways in: Certification, On-the-job training, Trade school. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Aerospace Manufacturing Technology (certificate).
Growing about average (about 2% over 10 years).
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Aircraft assembly resists automation because parts are huge and varied; robots drill some, but skilled hands still rule.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply at aerospace plants and their suppliers or through a staffing agency; new hires are trained on the job
Classes: Manufacturing or aerospace CTE, Geometry, Blueprint reading.
Official data: O*NET occupation 51-2011.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.