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What is an airport operations manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Eric Olsen
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an airport operations manager. For example, did you know that they make an average of $25.11 an hour? That's $52,236 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 189,200 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to an airport operations manager?

Eric OlsenEric Olsen LinkedIn profile

Professor, Industrial Technology and Packaging, Orfalea College of Business

Times of change are also times of great opportunities. We are going to need new technical solutions to address problems we are just learning about. You have to lean into the issues. Don't be a technologist - be a problem solver. That is why we also emphasize soft skills like lean six sigma, teamwork, and change management.
ScoreAirport Operations ManagerUS Average
Salary
4.1

Avg. Salary $52,236

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
9.6

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
3.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.47%

Asian 6.44%

Black or African American 6.27%

Hispanic or Latino 15.48%

Unknown 4.35%

White 66.99%

Gender

female 22.22%

male 77.78%

Age - 44
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 - 44
Stress level
9.6

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
9.2

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
3.6

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an airport operations manager

  1. Explore airport operations manager education requirements

    Most common airport operations manager degrees

    Bachelor's

    64.3 %

    Associate

    19.4 %

    Master's

    9.3 %
  2. Start to develop specific airport operations manager skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Safety Procedures19.31%
    Federal Aviation Administration11.87%
    Operational Performance9.93%
    Transportation Security Administration8.11%
    Facility Maintenance6.60%
  3. Complete relevant airport operations manager training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New airport operations 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 operations manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real airport operations manager resumes.
  4. Research airport operations manager duties and responsibilities

    • Manage team of database administrators, database technicians and systems administrators responsible for maintaining all production, development and QA systems.
    • Design company website, PowerPoint presentation, brochure, profile, machinery list & factory production capacity information for marketing purposes.
    • Organize the collection of monthly payments and maintain accounts receivable/accounts payable and process evictions.
  5. Apply for airport operations manager jobs

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

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

How did you land your first airport operations manager job

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Are you an airport operations manager?

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Average airport operations manager salary

The average airport operations manager salary in the United States is $52,236 per year or $25 per hour. Airport operations manager salaries range between $33,000 and $80,000 per year.

Average airport operations manager salary
$52,236 Yearly
$25.11 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do airport operations managers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

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1 star

Airport operations manager reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020
Pros

The interaction with different agencies and people from around the world the chance to learn the ins and outs of an airport also learning the different call signs and lighting's having the authority and responsibility over millions of dollars in equipment and the responsibility of keeping the lives of families safe

Cons

Nothing


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A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019
Pros

I love being able to mold my team and the distribution center to the culture of respect and accountability! Having senior and executive leadership support is a huge positive factor in making this happen!!

Cons

Long hours and calls outside of regular business hours are the norm!


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A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019
Pros

Ensures safety of airport for users by observing pavement, weather and airfield conditions, and issuing accurate and timely field condition reports and NOTAMS as required.


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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