Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
SOC 51-2011 · 2024-2034
Assemble, fit, fasten, and install parts of airplanes, space vehicles, or missiles, such as tails, wings, fuselage, bulkheads, stabilizers, landing gear, rigging and control equipment, or heating and ventilating systems.
How the U.S. Department of Labor describes this work. Published in English only.
Shrinking -13.3%
California projects this job will shrink over the next ten years. Fewer openings may mean a harder search.
What California expects of this job
- Typical pay in California
- $65,092per year
- Projected openings
- 2,580
- Projected change
- -13.3%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
Skills this work uses most
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, rates how important each of these is to this work, and they are listed in that order, most important first. The ratings themselves are not shown, because the data carries the number without the scale it was measured on. The names are as published, in English.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Equipment Maintenance
Pay by region
| Region | Typical pay in California | Projected openings |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA (San Diego County) | $60,379 | 400 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) | $51,635 | 560 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) | $49,914 | 110 |
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County) | $49,264 | 150 |
What the pay actually ranges across
- The lowest-paid tenth earn under
- $49,218
- A quarter earn under
- $61,502
- Half earn under
- $65,092
- Three quarters earn under
- $80,168
- The highest-paid tenth earn over
- $96,431
A median is one point. These are the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for California, and they say how far apart the people doing this job actually are. Read them as the spread across everyone already in the work — not as a starting wage and not as a promise about where anyone lands.
Similar work
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, names these as occupations involving work similar to this one — its own reading of the job, not a grouping by code. They keep O*NET's order, and only those California publishes a projection for are shown.
| Occupation | Typical pay in California | Projected openings | Projected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Other Machine Assemblers | $47,878 | 960 | -16.7% |
| Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters | $58,904 | 2,460 | -20% |
| Avionics Technicians | $95,095 | 1,040 | +8.3% |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | $88,534 | 11,680 | +12.8% |
| Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $50,057 | 1,830 | -16% |
Programs that train for this job — 6
Aviation Technology/Aircraft Structures Mechanic Apprenticeship
West Los Angeles College · Culver City · $10,186
Aircraft Maintenance Technology (AMT) / Aeronautics (Powerplant)
City College of San Francisco · San Francisco · $1,912
Aircraft Maintenance Technology (AMT) / Aeronautics (Airframe-Maintenance Technology)
City College of San Francisco · San Francisco · $1,912
Aviation Maintenance Technology Diploma
California Aeronautical University · Bakersfield · $34,075
Aircraft Fabrication and Assembly Technician
Antelope Valley College · Lancaster · $1,449
Low Observable Technician
College of the Canyons · Santa Clarita · $6,000