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The differences between airport managers and terminal managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an airport manager and a terminal manager. Additionally, a terminal manager has an average salary of $74,237, which is higher than the $42,405 average annual salary of an airport manager.
The top three skills for an airport manager include customer complaints, business demands and human resources. The most important skills for a terminal manager are customer service, DOT, and OSHA.
| Airport Manager | Terminal Manager | |
| Yearly salary | $42,405 | $74,237 |
| Hourly rate | $20.39 | $35.69 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 5,664 | 16,792 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An airport manager oversees all of an airport's activities. They are responsible for managing flights, communicating with all pilots on takeoff and landing, coordinating airport employees, and ensuring passengers' comfort. They resolve organizational issues and ensure that aviation safety policies are followed. Airports function as the door to a country, so they should be presentable, hospitable, and comfortable.
Terminal managers are professionals who are responsible for managing workers and direct dispatching activities of logistics vehicles. These managers are required to develop relationships with corporate and operational departments so that they can ensure the company logistics standards are met. They must resolve customer service complaints by implementing satisfactory solutions to retain customers. Terminal drivers must train new drivers so that they can be licensed, tested, and certified according to federal and state laws. They are also required to maintain a clean and safe working condition of their facility and equipment.
Airport managers and terminal managers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Airport Manager | Terminal Manager | |
| Average salary | $42,405 | $74,237 |
| Salary range | Between $28,000 And $62,000 | Between $55,000 And $99,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Leandro, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Virginia |
| Best paying company | - | Hub Group |
| Best paying industry | - | Energy |
There are a few differences between an airport manager and a terminal manager in terms of educational background:
| Airport Manager | Terminal Manager | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | SUNY Farmingdale | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between airport managers' and terminal managers' demographics:
| Airport Manager | Terminal Manager | |
| Average age | 45 | 45 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 75.1% Female, 24.9% | Male, 87.4% Female, 12.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 11.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.7% Asian, 6.1% White, 59.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 18.3% Asian, 6.1% White, 59.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |