How To Become An Airport Engineer: What It Is and Career Path

What is an airport engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Mena Souliman Ph.D., P.E., F.IRF.

The average airport engineer salary is $69,227. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an civil engineering major. It usually takes 4-6 years of experience to become an airport engineer. Airport engineers with a Engineer In Training Certification (EIT) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 7% and produce 22,100 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to an airport engineer?

Dr. Mena Souliman Ph.D., P.E., F.IRF.

Ronald D. Brazzel Endowed Professor of Civil Engineering, University of Texas at Tyler

Civil engineering is a solid profession to enter for several reasons. First, there's a growing demand for infrastructure development globally, which creates job opportunities. Second, civil engineering offers a diverse range of career paths, from transportation to environmental engineering, providing flexibility and options for specialization. Additionally, advancements in technology are reshaping the field, offering opportunities for innovation and problem-solving. Lastly, civil engineers play a crucial role in addressing pressing issues like sustainability and resilience, making it a meaningful career choice for those who want to make a positive impact on society and the environment.

ScoreAirport EngineerUS Average

Salary

5.4

Avg. Salary $69,227

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.3

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.29%

Asian 12.10%

Black or African American 2.90%

Hispanic or Latino 8.67%

Unknown 4.39%

White 71.65%

Gender

female 7.69%

male 92.31%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

7.3

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.3

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.1

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an airport engineer

Explore airport engineer education requirements

Most common airport engineer degrees

Bachelor's

80.8 %

Master's

11.5 %

Associate

7.7 %

Start to develop specific airport engineer skills

Skills	Percentages
Autocad	32.68%
Civil 3D	24.26%
FAA	14.96%
Construction Projects	8.94%
Construction Inspection	8.18%

Complete relevant airport engineer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New airport engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an airport engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real airport engineer resumes.

Research airport engineer duties and responsibilities

Manage Jenkins security by providing specific access to authorize developers/testers using project base matrix authorization strategy.
Perform geotechnical instrumentation monitoring and data collection
Perform geotechnical instrumentation monitoring and data collection

Apply for airport engineer jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an airport engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do airport engineers rate their job?

-/5

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Airport engineer reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2020

Pros

I Wana build my career in airport engineering