Also called: Aerospace Assembler, Aircraft Rigger, Final Assembly Mechanic
Builds new aircraft on the factory line: fitting fuselage panels, installing wiring and hydraulics, and rigging controls.
At a Boeing, Airbus, or Gulfstream plant you work on a section of a plane as it moves down the line, drilling and fastening parts to precise tolerances. You might spend a week installing everything inside one wing.
Approximate BLS figures for aircraft structure assemblers.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 1 year after high school. High school diploma plus company training; some community colleges run aerospace assembly certificates.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Trade school, Certification. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Aerospace Manufacturing (certificate).
Growing about average (about 3% over 10 years). Tied to aircraft production rates.
Medium risk for 10 years. Robots now drill, fasten and paint big fuselage sections; people still wire, rig and finish, but fewer per plane.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply to aerospace plants (Boeing suppliers, regional shops) for entry assembler roles; they train you
Classes: Manufacturing CTE, Geometry.
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.