Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Washington$100,540
- Connecticut$86,010
- Pennsylvania$83,400
- Arizona$72,750
- Georgia$71,840
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $100,540 | $110,470 | $48 | +40.8% | 4,280 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $86,010 | $78,630 | $41 | +20.4% | 500 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $83,400 | $81,680 | $40 | +16.8% | 740 |
| 4 | Arizona | $72,750 | $73,930 | $35 | +1.9% | 1,210 |
| 5 | Georgia | $71,840 | $72,550 | $35 | +0.6% | 2,950 |
| 6 | Texas | $71,490 | $76,640 | $34 | +0.1% | 3,010 |
| 7 | Nebraska | $70,980 | $64,530 | $34 | -0.6% | 220 |
| 8 | California | $69,050 | $63,640 | $33 | -3.3% | 2,930 |
| 9 | Florida | $68,310 | $64,580 | $33 | -4.4% | 1,280 |
| 10 | Oregon | $67,820 | $58,050 | $33 | -5% | 560 |
| 11 | Kansas | $67,300 | $59,850 | $32 | -5.8% | 9,710 |
| 12 | Missouri | $66,540 | $58,600 | $32 | -6.8% | 460 |
| 13 | Colorado | $66,020 | $70,870 | $32 | -7.6% | 160 |
| 14 | Alabama | $62,480 | $58,990 | $30 | -12.5% | 950 |
| 15 | Tennessee | $61,210 | $66,390 | $29 | -14.3% | 130 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $55,700 | $51,930 | $27 | -22% | 670 |
| 17 | Utah | $54,280 | $51,130 | $26 | -24% | 550 |
| 18 | Oklahoma | $53,820 | $49,070 | $26 | -24.6% | 400 |
| 19 | Idaho | $52,620 | $50,100 | $25 | -26.3% | 40 |
| 20 | New York | $50,920 | $49,620 | $24 | -28.7% | 280 |
| 21 | Michigan | $49,430 | $47,230 | $24 | -30.8% | 360 |
| 22 | Arkansas | $47,480 | $46,290 | $23 | -33.5% | 780 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 25 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $110,470 | $102,450 | 4,010 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $97,340 | $87,360 | 90 |
| 3 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $86,520 | $74,710 | 2,450 |
| 4 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $79,850 | $75,000 | 600 |
| 5 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $77,920 | $76,050 | 400 |
| 6 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $75,200 | $71,240 | 130 |
| 7 | Tucson, AZ | $73,930 | $70,640 | 580 |
| 8 | Huntsville, AL | $65,860 | $65,120 | 240 |
| 9 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $65,000 | $68,550 | 1,570 |
| 10 | Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL | $64,600 | $71,050 | 90 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scientific Research and Development Services | $93,130 | $90,130 | — |
| 2 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $93,130 | $90,130 | — |
| 3 | Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $88,590 | $84,730 | 540 |
| 4 | Sector 54 - Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $88,590 | $84,730 | 540 |
| 5 | Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | $85,990 | $79,520 | 280 |
| 6 | Engineering Services | $85,990 | $79,520 | 280 |
| 7 | Sectors 31, 32, and 33 - Manufacturing | $66,610 | $72,340 | 31,200 |
| 8 | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | $66,250 | $72,290 | 30,820 |
| 9 | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | $66,250 | $72,300 | 30,810 |
| 10 | Cross-Industry, Private, Federal, State, and Local | $65,380 | $71,420 | 34,020 |
| 11 | Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | $65,380 | $71,420 | 34,020 |
| 12 | Sectors 48 and 49 - Transportation and Warehousing | $57,020 | $57,420 | 1,450 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2017, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers make in the U.S.?
The median aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers salary in the United States is $65,380 per year (mean $71,420), and about 80% earn between $47,310 and $107,500.
How much do aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers make per hour?
Roughly $34 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $71,420 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers the most?
Washington has the highest average pay for aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers at $100,540 per year (median $110,470).
What is the job outlook for aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers?
Employment is projected to change -14.5% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 2,800 openings per year.