Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers in the U.S. is $65,380 ($31.43 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $65,380
- Mean annual wage
- $71,420
- Median hourly wage
- $31.43
- Employment
- 34,020
34,020 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $47,310 | $22.74 |
| 25th percentile | $58,600 | $28.17 |
| Median (50th) | $65,380 | $31.43 |
| 75th percentile | $83,410 | $40.10 |
| 90th percentile | $107,500 | $51.68 |
Highest-paying states for aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $110,470 | 4,280 |
| Pennsylvania | $81,680 | 740 |
| Connecticut | $78,630 | 500 |
| Texas | $76,640 | 3,010 |
| Arizona | $73,930 | 1,210 |
| Georgia | $72,550 | 2,950 |
| Colorado | $70,870 | 160 |
| Tennessee | $66,390 | 130 |
| Florida | $64,580 | 1,280 |
| Nebraska | $64,530 | 220 |
Lowest-paying states
- Arkansas: $46,290 median annual wage
- Michigan: $47,230 median annual wage
- Oklahoma: $49,070 median annual wage
- New York: $49,620 median annual wage
- Idaho: $50,100 median annual wage
About this occupation
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.
Typical tasks
- Join structural assemblies, such as wings, tails, or fuselage.
- Assemble prefabricated parts to form subassemblies.
- Verify dimensions of cable assemblies or positions of fittings, using measuring instruments.
- Cut cables and tubing, using master templates, measuring instruments, and cable cutters or saws.
- Read blueprints, illustrations, or specifications to determine layouts, sequences of operations, or identities or relationships of parts.
- Attach brackets, hinges, or clips to secure or support components or subassemblies, using bolts, screws, rivets, chemical bonding, or welding.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 16.3% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 46.4% |
| Some college, no degree | 21.4% |
| Associate's degree | 7.9% |
| Bachelor's degree | 6.6% |
| Master's degree | 1.0% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 0.3% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$44,650
- First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$74,450
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$48,570
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$53,750
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$43,220
- Machinists$58,750
- Production Workers, All Other$40,110
- Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$45,850
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.