How To Become An Aviation Safety Inspector: What It Is and Career Path

What is an aviation safety inspector and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Did you ever stop to think how incredible it is that humans can fly? We go through the air in metal vehicles, and accidents are relatively rare. For every safe flight you've been on, you can thank an aviation safety inspector.

As an aviation safety inspector, you would make sure that every aspect of an airplane is safe to fly. This can include inspecting parts and equipment. You would also have to make sure that the people working with airplanes, from mechanics to technicians to pilots, know what safety procedures to follow and are up to date on aircraft safety.

Some aviation safety inspectors have bachelor's degrees, but you don't necessarily need one. Practical experience with airplane maintenance is far more important than a diploma. You could work up to the position of aviation safety inspector after years of experience in the aeronautics industry and passing any background checks since you would probably be working for the government.

ScoreAviation Safety InspectorUS Average

Salary

4.4

Avg. Salary $56,440

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.7

Growth rate 5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.68%

Asian 7.86%

Black or African American 12.63%

Hispanic or Latino 16.27%

Unknown 7.45%

White 55.12%

Gender

female 8.09%

male 91.91%

Age - 50

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 - 50

Stress level

8.7

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.6

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.7

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an aviation safety inspector

Explore aviation safety inspector education requirements

Most common aviation safety inspector degrees

Bachelor's

41.8 %

Associate

35.4 %

Master's

8.9 %

Start to develop specific aviation safety inspector skills

Skills	Percentages
Aviation Safety	12.46%
General Aviation	12.43%
Training Programs	10.39%
Federal Aviation Administration	9.11%
Designee	8.18%

Complete relevant aviation safety inspector training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 4-10 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New aviation safety inspectors 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 aviation safety inspector based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real aviation safety inspector resumes.

Research aviation safety inspector duties and responsibilities

Work in conjunction with aircraft coordinator to manufacture the GV and GIV by interpreting blue prints and technical procedures.
Conduct dimensional and visual inspections procedures on CMM machines to ensure geometrical characteristics of the product are in specification.
Initiate inspection transfer reports (ITR) on reject hardware from the vendor.
Work in conjunction with aircraft coordinator to manufacture the GV and GIV by interpreting blue prints and technical procedures.

Prepare your aviation safety inspector resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your aviation safety inspector resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an aviation safety inspector resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable aviation safety inspector resume templates

Build a professional aviation safety inspector resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your aviation safety inspector resume.