Post job

What is a flight operations director and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a flight operations director. For example, did you know that they make an average of $53.81 an hour? That's $111,928 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 189,200 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreFlight Operations DirectorUS Average
Salary
7.9

Avg. Salary $111,928

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 11.28%

Hispanic or Latino 18.72%

Unknown 4.31%

White 59.14%

Gender

female 9.65%

male 90.35%

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
7.6

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance
2.3

Work life balance is very poor

6.4 - fair

Flight operations director career paths

Key steps to become a flight operations director

  1. Explore flight operations director education requirements

    Most common flight operations director degrees

    Bachelor's

    62.0 %

    Associate

    20.3 %

    Master's

    15.2 %
  2. Start to develop specific flight operations director skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Flight Operations44.04%
    FAA39.07%
    Federal Aviation8.23%
    OPS5.47%
    Air Traffic Control3.20%
  3. Complete relevant flight operations director training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New flight operations directors 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 a flight operations director based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real flight operations director resumes.
  4. Research flight operations director duties and responsibilities

    • Finance and billing accountability across Medicaid, manage care commercial insurance, insurance verification, contract management, and benefits administration.
    • Ensure compliance with all FAA regulations and company policies.
    • Work diligently along with FAA to put in place new company specific emergency procedures.
    • Design company website, PowerPoint presentation, brochure, profile, machinery list & factory production capacity information for marketing purposes.
  5. Get flight operations director experience

    Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a flight operations director. The most common roles before becoming a flight operations director include captain, chief pilot team lead and pilot.
  6. Apply for flight operations director jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a flight operations director 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 flight operations director job

Zippi

Are you a flight operations director?

Share your story for a free salary report.

Average flight operations director salary

The average flight operations director salary in the United States is $111,928 per year or $54 per hour. Flight operations director salaries range between $74,000 and $168,000 per year.

Average flight operations director salary
$111,928 Yearly
$53.81 hourly

What am I worth?

salary-calculator

How do flight operations directors rate their job?

Working as a flight operations director? Share your experience anonymously.
Overall rating*
Career growth
Work/Life balance
Pay/Salary

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.

Browse executive management jobs