Aircraft Service Attendants
Also called: Aircraft Deicer, Aircraft Refueler, Fueler, RefuelerService aircraft with fuel. May de-ice aircraft, refill water and cooling agents, empty sewage tanks, service air and oxygen systems, or clean and polish exterior.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 2 of its 11 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 5.6% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 7.7% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Transportation service attendants”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 9.0 hires for every 10 job openings in transportation, warehousing, and utilities, which employs about 91% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.9.0 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $43,090 | $37,790 to $50,730 | 400 |
| Alaska | $46,760 | $46,660 to $51,790 | 300 |
| Arizona | $43,780 | $38,410 to $49,880 | 540 |
| Arkansas | $38,290 | $33,090 to $38,740 | 110 |
| California | $46,800 | $43,320 to $54,100 | 2,300 |
| Colorado | $44,500 | $35,640 to $47,900 | 1,220 |
| Connecticut | $39,230 | $38,440 to $45,450 | 210 |
| Delaware | $37,920 | $37,120 to $46,020 | 40 |
| Florida | $38,400 | $35,260 to $43,830 | 2,340 |
| Georgia | $42,630 | $36,370 to $47,350 | 590 |
| Hawaii | $53,770 | $50,820 to $59,160 | 290 |
| Idaho | $40,250 | $37,640 to $42,640 | 80 |
| Illinois | $39,070 | $38,800 to $39,070 | 750 |
| Indiana | $37,390 | $35,740 to $45,320 | 200 |
| Iowa | $35,560 | $34,150 to $43,970 | 160 |
| Kansas | $45,960 | $36,490 to $47,470 | 260 |
| Kentucky | $38,850 | $37,760 to $46,160 | 400 |
| Louisiana | $42,930 | $33,740 to $48,370 | 660 |
| Maine | $41,400 | $38,800 to $45,640 | 160 |
| Maryland | $71,740 | $44,500 to $75,250 | 240 |
| Massachusetts | $44,190 | $40,440 to $45,500 | 1,490 |
| Michigan | $41,360 | $37,500 to $46,160 | 230 |
| Minnesota | $46,930 | $39,510 to $47,700 | 380 |
| Mississippi | $36,710 | $28,250 to $46,510 | 260 |
| Missouri | $36,610 | $32,320 to $44,990 | 420 |
| Montana | $46,310 | $44,110 to $57,440 | 170 |
| Nebraska | $37,530 | $35,800 to $37,640 | 220 |
| Nevada | $40,730 | $37,670 to $45,760 | 720 |
| New Hampshire | $45,610 | $37,890 to $45,610 | 60 |
| New Jersey | $46,210 | $40,570 to $54,850 | 920 |
| New Mexico | $45,280 | $40,170 to $55,890 | 220 |
| New York | $44,600 | $39,820 to $54,680 | 1,450 |
| North Dakota | $44,320 | $37,540 to $50,200 | 120 |
| Ohio | $43,310 | $37,660 to $45,940 | 770 |
| Oklahoma | $36,640 | $33,290 to $38,790 | 240 |
| Oregon | $39,820 | $37,010 to $48,440 | 470 |
| Pennsylvania | $38,830 | $36,880 to $45,400 | 800 |
| Puerto Rico | $28,540 | $25,260 to $35,520 | 140 |
| South Carolina | $36,130 | $34,270 to $39,150 | 290 |
| Tennessee | $56,620 | $39,950 to $56,960 | 580 |
| Texas | $38,720 | $34,330 to $46,370 | 3,290 |
| Utah | $46,900 | $38,660 to $47,440 | 180 |
| Virginia | $39,210 | $35,110 to $40,140 | 730 |
| Washington | $50,520 | $48,150 to $61,000 | 710 |
| West Virginia | $30,840 | $30,840 to $36,860 | 30 |
| Wisconsin | $42,000 | $36,530 to $44,490 | 90 |
| Wyoming | $36,360 | $35,360 to $49,910 | 100 |
Nationally: $40,450. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 2 of its 11 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI alone | Complete forms describing tasks completed. | Not published |
| Not much | Guide aircraft to designated areas using hand signals, batons, or other methods. O*NET flags this task's ratings as uncertain | Not published |
| AI alone | Radio to flight dispatchers or other personnel to discuss incoming or outgoing aircraft. | Not published |
| Not much | Apply de-icing fluid to aircraft from baskets lifted by truck-mounted cranes. O*NET flags this task's ratings as uncertain | Not published |
| Not much | Refuel aircraft using hoses connected to fuel trucks. O*NET flags this task's ratings as uncertain | Not published |
| Not much | Climb ladders to reach aircraft surfaces to be cleaned. | Not published |
See all 11 tasks
| Not much | Inspect aircraft components to locate cracks, breaks, leaks, or other problems. | Not published |
| Not much | Refill aircraft potable water tanks. | Not published |
| Not much | Tow aircraft to gates or hangars using tugs, tractors, or other vehicles. O*NET flags this task's ratings as uncertain | Not published |
| Not much | Load baggage or cargo for crew or passengers. O*NET flags this task's ratings as uncertain | Not published |
| Not much | Empty aircraft lavatory systems or refill them with sanitizer fluid. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 0 of the 11 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 11 tasks fall under 11 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Communicate with others about operational plans or activities | |||
| Maintain tools or equipment | |||
| Maintain vehicles in working condition | |||
| Maintain facilities or equipment | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Operate transportation equipment or vehicles | |||
| Inspect vehicles |
Show all 11 activities
| Move materials, equipment, or supplies | |||
| Signal others to coordinate work activities | |||
| Climb equipment or structures |
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for aircraft service attendants specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved in from
of 305 moves in
- 1 Electricians Moderate +9.2% 10%
- 2 Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products Very high -0.9% 8%
- 3 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 4 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 4%
- 5 Financial Managers Very high +9.7% 4%
The resume data uses 2010 occupation codes. Moves into this occupation are counted as moves into “Transportation Workers, All Other”, which today also includes the occupation still called “Transportation Workers, All Other”, so these figures cover it too. Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 16% less than high school
- 45% high school
- 22% some college
- 10% associate's
- 5% bachelor's
- 1% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Transportation service attendants” · 1,081 people surveyed.
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Transportation service attendants”
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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