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

What is an airport manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Airport managers are government employees responsible for overseeing all airport operations in their city. They coordinate the work of airport departments, manage the day-to-day work of employees, create strategies for efficient future operations, and make sure safety regulations are respected by staff and passengers alike.

It will be your job to deal with various problems as they arise, so a knack for efficient problem solving will have to be an essential feature of yours. You will manage equipment and make sure everything is safe and operational. You will manage air traffic policies, arrange for efficient airport navigation systems, minimize safety risks, and manage the airport budget.

You will need a degree and ample experience in managerial positions to take on this role. Annual salaries average around $96,180, so if you have the leadership skills this job requires and handle pressure well, you will find this a well-respected and remunerated profession.

ScoreAirport ManagerUS Average

Salary

3.3

Avg. Salary $42,405

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

10.0

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.42%

Asian 6.14%

Black or African American 11.29%

Hispanic or Latino 18.74%

Unknown 4.31%

White 59.11%

Gender

female 24.87%

male 75.13%

Age - 45

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 - 45

Stress level

10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.5

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

2.3

Work life balance is very poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an airport manager

Explore airport manager education requirements

Most common airport manager degrees

Bachelor's

64.6 %

Associate

16.4 %

Master's

8.2 %

Start to develop specific airport manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Complaints	15.04%
Business Demands	14.87%
Human Resources	14.20%
Revenue Projections	11.93%
Customer Service	11.47%

Complete relevant airport manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New airport managers 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 manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real airport manager resumes.

Research airport manager duties and responsibilities

Manage RFP activity for car rental and taxicab service concessions.
Manage and facilitate passenger check-in processes, luggage handling, and deplaning and boarding processes for timely departures.
Manage requests of VIP customers, travel groups, special needs individuals and formulate solutions for improve handling to head office.
Construct domestic and international reservations, perform ticket transactions, facilitate passenger check-in and manage departure and arrival gates.

Apply for airport manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an airport manager 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 managers rate their job?

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Airport manager reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2019

Pros

I like to tell tell people that a be manager a room to maltreat people under you. Also like been humble even though I am heading people because they can contribute ideas that makes you Excel in your position