Emily VanDeVanter

AVSC 4700

Assistant Airport Manager

(Entry Level)

Airport Manager

(Professional)

Job Title and Description: An Assistant Airport Manager performs administrative functions

and accounting functions. The candidate will conduct regular inspections of airfield facilities,

monitor fuel inventories and coordinate deliveries. They will ensure regulatory compliances

with various agencies and oversee training of airport personnel. They will also respond to

airfield emergencies, have general customer service duties and be assigned to other duties by

the Airport Manager.

An Assistant Manager is responsible for providing direction and management for day to day

operations to ensure established business practices are followed with appropriate action taken

to anticipate and proactively plan for reliable operations. They will be responsible to control

all details of training and mentoring, research and development of business relationships, and

services to support department growth.

Required education and experience: A Bachelor’s Degree in Aviation Management, or

related field or currently a senior in accredited Aviation Management program. Strong

administrative, communication and organizational skills. Microsoft Office proficiency and

general computer skills.

Starting Salary and Potential for pay increases: $35,000.00 - $40,000.00 a year and can increase with experience and years worked in job position.

Domiciles: Lancaster, CA, Salt Lake City, UT, Pittsburgh, PA and other large airports across the nation.

Work Schedule vs. Time off: Must be willing to work a 40 hour week schedule plus some overtime in times of an emergency. Must have the stamina to work long hours and may be required to attend night meetings after regular working hours, and be willing to work an irregular schedule, which may include weekends, holidays, evenings, and/or varying hours.

Benefits and Perks: The benefits are generally excellent, but they will vary depending on the size of the airport. You can expect to have medical and dental insurance, paid vacations and days off, and a retirement savings program. Starting salary for an assistant airport manager is between $12 and $18 per hour, but it will be higher in larger airports.

Quality of life: This job will reward you with a good standard of quality of

life. It offers good pay and good benefits and you can receive paid time off.

It is also a good job to land if you are wanting to move up into a higher

management position.

Upward mobility/Progression: Potential to move up to Airport Manager

after 3-5 years working as an assistant.

Retirement: Age 60-65.

Job Title and Description: The main responsibility of the airport manager is to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the airport on a daily basis. This includes supporting staff and making sure that all the staff is able to provide polite and correct information to travelers. An airport manager must know airport policies and procedures and that passengers, luggage and freight are moved through the airport in a timely manner. Scheduling the appropriate number of staff, ensuring that all ticketing and security systems are in working conditions and troubleshooting any problems are all part of an airport managers job.

Required education and experience: A Bachelors Degree in airport management, aviation administration, aviation management, public administration, business administration, or a related field is the education required to be an airport manager. A Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university with the majority of the course work being in business, airport or aviation management, or a closely related field will provide experience and knowledge to work in the job position as an airport manager. The experience needed to be an airport manager is five to ten years of prior experience working at airports.

Starting Salary and Potential for pay increases: The annual salary for an Aviation Manager may vary

depending on a number of factors which include the industry, company size, location, years of experience

you have, and the level of education you have. The average compensation for an airport manager is

$127,000 plus.

Domiciles: Locations vary across the country.

Work Schedule vs. Time off: Office hours are regular except in times of emergencies. Travel may be

required to negotiate leases with airline tenants or to confer with state and federal officials. Holidays, sick

leave, and paid time off are offered.

Benefits and Perks: Good health and wellness benefits and retirement. The value of benefits includes

social security which is $9,500, 401K which is $5,400, disability which is $1,300, healthcare which is

$6,500, pension which is $9,607, and time off which is $18,700.

Quality of life: This job offers a good standards for quality of life because

it offers good pay and also good benefits.

Upward mobility/Progression: As an Airport Manager, you are at the top

of the management positions in jobs. You can continue different trainings

or work at an airport that is very large in order to receive higher pay. The

more years you have worked, the more you will receive in pay and also

paid time off.

Retirement: Can retire at age 60 or earlier with good 401-K plan and other

retirement benefits.

Flight Dispatcher

(Entry Level)

Air Traffic Controller

(Professional)

Job Title and Description: A Flight Dispatcher assists in planning flight paths, taking into account

wind direction and speed, weather, storms, aircraft performance and loading, landing conditions at

destination or alter airports, and other conditions. Dispatchers provide a flight following service and

advise pilots if conditions or paths change. They usually work in the operations or control center of

the airline.

Required education and experience: A dispatcher must be certificated by the aviation authority of

the country in which they operate or have a base of operations, such as the FAA/DOT (Federal

Aviation Administration/Department of Transportation) in the United States. In order to obtain a

certificate, a candidate must demonstrate extensive knowledge of meteorology and of aviation in

general, to a level comparable to the holder of an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate. A high

school diploma or equivalent is required. Though a college degree with a major in air transportation

or meteorology is useful preparation for work as a flight dispatcher, experience is equally important.

Starting Salary and Potential for pay increases: $27,000-$80,000 yearly. Pay increases with additional

training and experience and how many years worked in the job position. Flight Dispatchers in the United

States take home approximately $50K per year on average. Including potential bonuses and profit sharing

proceeds (more than $8K for each in exceptional cases) overall income bottoms out near $27K and hits

$84K on the high end.

Domiciles: Varies around the nation at large airports.

Work Schedule vs. Time off: Flight dispatchers must be able to work rotating shifts including days,

nights, weekends and holidays. They have to accrue paid for time off and sick leave depending on the

airport.

Benefits and Perks: Most airlines treat dispatchers like pilot cockpit crewmembers, and give them

excellent benefits. Also, hundreds of other airlines around the world recognize the significance of the

airline dispatcher, and extend the cockpit jump seat authority freely to them. This is one of the greatest

benefits available for dispatchers.

Quality of life: The quality of life is good for this job because it is a good job in

order to progress to an even higher paying job. It offers good benefits and also good

pay with paid time off and excellent benefits.

Upward mobility/Progression: By having the experience of working this job, you

can progress to higher jobs such as a Air Traffic Controller which pays higher.

Retirement: Retire at age 60-65.

Job Title and Description: The main responsibilities for this job are to coordinate the movement of air traffic so that aircrafts stay safe distances apart. They also ensure that arrivals and departures are on time. They check flight plans and give pilots clearance for takeoff and landings. They monitor and direct the movement of aircraft on the ground and in the air, using radar, computers, or visual references. They manage communications by transferring control of departing flights to traffic control centers and accepting control of arriving flights. They provide information to pilots such as weather updates and runway closures.

Required education and experience: Air traffic controllers' require three years of work experience related to aviation or a Bachelor's degree in an aviation program. They must pass an FAA air traffic pre-employment test before being selected as a candidate for the job. There are few different ways to become an air traffic controller with the FAA. The first option is to gain military experience as an air traffic controller. The second is to complete an aviation degree at a college or university through the FAA's Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative program. The final option is to complete either three years of increasingly responsible job experience, a bachelor's degree or a combination of the two.

Starting Salary and Potential for pay increases: The annual salary of an air traffic

controller is $122,530 and can be up to $171,340 per year depending on the airport and how

many years you have worked as a controller. Controllers' salaries increase as they complete

different training phases.

Domiciles: Varies across the nation at all different types of airports and FBO’s.

Work Schedule vs. Time off: Most air traffic controllers work full time, and some work

additional hours. Controllers may rotate shifts between day, evening, and night, because

major control centers operate continuously. Controllers also work weekend and holiday shifts.

Less busy airports may have towers that only operate part time. Controllers at these airports

have more normal work schedules.

Benefits and Perks: Air traffic controllers' have excellent benefits. Most controllers are

employed by the FAA and they get a complete package of federal benefits, including annual

leave, sick leave, and life and health insurance. They also receive federal retirement benefits.

Quality of life: Very stressful job so they need to be able to work under stressful

situations. However, they are rewarded with great pay and good working schedules.

Upward mobility/Progression: Depending on how many years of experience you

have, you can work your way up to be the lead controller which the pay is higher.

Retirement: The controllers' are eligible to retire as early as age 50 if they have at

least 20 years of experience. This job position requires the employees to be in very

good mental condition and they must retire at age 56.

Assistant Airport Manager: After doing research and reading about this job

position, it seems like a good career to follow in order to achieve my goal.

Airport Manager: This job is my career goal. After doing a lot of research on

what the job entails and how to land this job position, I am very excited about this

career choice.

Flight Dispatcher: I learned about this career after doing research on it. If I were

to go towards this side of Aviation, I think I would really enjoy this job. It is a

stressful job, and requires a lot of training and licensing but it is something I would

look in to in case I decide not to follow my chosen career as being a manager at an

airport.

Air Traffic Controller: After doing research on this career, I have changed my

mind about this position . Being an Air Traffic Controller is a very stressful job, and

I am not sure I am up for a job that entails that much stress in my life. Even though

they are good jobs and have excellent pay, I am not as interested in this position as

I thought I was. I will be looking for something else.