Also called: Baggage Handler, Ramp Service Agent, Aircraft Marshaller
Loads bags and cargo, guides aircraft into gates with orange wands, and pushes planes back.
You're out on the tarmac in every kind of weather, tossing bags onto belt loaders, driving tugs, and waving a jet into the gate. Turnarounds can be 30 minutes, so the crew works fast. Free travel perks are a big bonus.
Based on airline ground worker pay; union airline jobs pay more.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. High school diploma or less; on-the-job training.
Ways in: On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Growing about average (about 3% over 10 years). Steady with airline traffic.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Robot bag loaders and self-driving tugs are in trials; ramp work stays hands-on through 2031, with fewer crews after.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply to an airline or ground-handling company (like Swissport or Envoy) at your local airport First: Airport security (SIDA) badge: fingerprint background check and badge class, usually 1–3 weeks
Classes: PE or fitness, Driver's education.
Official data: O*NET occupation 53-7062.
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.