Skills it runs on
The capabilities O*NET rates most important for this occupation — the human ground the work is built on.
See all skills →Aviation Inspectors
Occupation · SOC 53-6051.01
Inspect aircraft, maintenance procedures, air navigational aids, air traffic controls, and communications equipment to ensure conformance with Federal safety regulations.
Also called: Aircraft Inspector · Aviation Safety Inspector (ASI) · Inspector · Quality Inspector · Aircraft Quality Control Inspector (Aircraft QC Inspector) · Airworthiness Safety Inspector · Avionics Safety Inspector · Manufacturing Aviation Safety Inspector (Manufacturing ASI) · Quality Control Inspector (QC Inspector) · RTS Inspector (Return to Service Inspector) · Aeronautical Inspector · Aerospace Inspector
Job family: Transportation and Material Moving Occupations
Take this to your AI
A source-stamped Markdown brief of this occupation — paste it into an agent, or fetch
/roles/role-53-6051-01/context.md directly.
AI work map
A fast read on where AI already shows up in this occupation, where it stays a copilot, where humans remain in the loop, and what the labor market is doing. Built from observed Claude.ai conversations mapped to O*NET tasks and from published research — measures of usage and exposure, not advice or predictions that the job is going away.
Market signal
Independent published positions, read together — not a forecast.
- About average employment outlook (+1.7% by 2034)
- 2,500 openings/yr
- Moderate AI exposure
- Median pay $85,750/yr
- Work is mostly on-site (not teleworkable)
- 2013 flagged this for computerization (78th); today's AI task-overlap is comparatively low (44th)
44th-percentile task overlap — yet about 2,500 openings a year (+1.7% projected, BLS) . What exposure means →
AI & job outlook
What today's research says about this occupation's exposure to AI, how AI is actually being used in it, and where employment is headed. These are positions within published studies — measures of exposure and usage, not predictions that this job will disappear.
Exposure to current AI
Each study uses its own scale, so the raw scores are not comparable across rows — the percentile (this job's rank among all U.S. occupations with data) is the comparable figure, and sizes the bars.
| Measure | Rank vs all occupations | Percentile | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.) Moderate | 44th | -0.2 | |
| LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) Moderate | 49th | 0.6 | |
| AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) Moderate | 43rd | 0.1 |
OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.1), with simple added tooling (β 0.3), and including AI-powered software (γ 0.6). Higher means more of the job's tasks could be done at least twice as fast — not that they will be automated away.
This job mostly cannot be done remotely (Dingel–Neiman) — its hands-on tasks sit outside what software-based AI reaches.
Mixed signals. Today's AI/LLM studies show relatively low exposure for this job, but the older (2013) Frey–Osborne work rated it higher for computerization and robotics. Different eras, different technologies — the AI measures above reflect the current state.
Historical automation estimate (2013)
A pre-LLM (2013) estimate of how automatable this job is by computerization and robotics. Shown for historical context only — it is not part of any current AI ranking.
Frey–Osborne probability 0.9 · 78th percentile among occupations · High
Job outlook
Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.
| Outlook | About average · +1.7% by 2034 |
| Projected annual openings | 2,500 |
| Employment 2024 → 2034 | 25,700 → 26,100 |
“Annual openings” counts new jobs plus replacements for workers who leave the occupation, so it can be large even when growth is modest.
Where this work sits on the global GenAI gradient
The ILO's 2025 global study scores generative-AI exposure on the international ISCO-08 occupation system, not US SOC. Bridged through the published (and approximate, many-to-many) IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 crosswalk, this US occupation corresponds to the international occupation below. Exposure here means how much of the work's tasks today's AI can attempt — task overlap, not automation, adoption, or jobs lost.
Aviation Inspectors sits at the 44th percentile of 427
occupations on the global GenAI task-exposure gradient
— exposure eased from 2023 to 2025. Each dot is one occupation; the
ringed one is this work. Exposure is task overlap, not automation or jobs lost.
24% mean task exposure (2025)
44th percentile of 427 placed occupations
−8 pts shift 2023 → 2025
| International occupation (ISCO-08) | Task exposure (2025) | Most tasks fall in |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental and Occupational Health Inspectors and Associates · 3257 | 24% | Not exposed |
Read the whole six-band gradient on the GenAI exposure gradient page. The crosswalk is approximate: a US occupation can map to several international ones, and the ILO scores describe the international occupation, not this exact US role.
Tasks
All 15 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.
- Inspect work of aircraft mechanics performing maintenance, modification, or repair and overhaul of aircraft and aircraft mechanical systems to ensure adherence to standards and procedures. Core · importance 4.7
- Investigate air accidents and complaints to determine causes. Supplemental · importance 4.7
- Examine maintenance records and flight logs to determine if service and maintenance checks and overhauls were performed at prescribed intervals. Core · importance 4.6
- Inspect new, repaired, or modified aircraft to identify damage or defects and to assess airworthiness and conformance to standards, using checklists, hand tools, and test instruments. Core · importance 4.6
- Approve or deny issuance of certificates of airworthiness. Core · importance 4.6
- Prepare and maintain detailed repair, inspection, investigation, and certification records and reports. Core · importance 4.5
- Examine landing gear, tires, and exteriors of fuselage, wings, and engines for evidence of damage or corrosion and the need for repairs. Core · importance 4.4
- Recommend replacement, repair, or modification of aircraft equipment. Core · importance 4.2
- Start aircraft and observe gauges, meters, and other instruments to detect evidence of malfunctions. Core · importance 4.2
- Examine aircraft access plates and doors for security. Core · importance 4.1
- Analyze training programs and conduct oral and written examinations to ensure the competency of persons operating, installing, and repairing aircraft equipment. Supplemental · importance 4.0
- Conduct flight test programs to test equipment, instruments, and systems under a variety of conditions, using both manual and automatic controls. Supplemental · importance 4.0
- Recommend changes in rules, policies, standards, and regulations, based on knowledge of operating conditions, aircraft improvements, and other factors. Core · importance 3.3
- Observe flight activities of pilots to assess flying skills and to ensure conformance to flight and safety regulations. Supplemental
- Schedule and coordinate in-flight testing programs with ground crews and air traffic control to ensure availability of ground tracking, equipment monitoring, and related services. Supplemental
Emerging tasks
Newer responsibilities O*NET has flagged as growing for this occupation.
- Inspect uncrewed aircraft systems, such as drones, to ensure compliance with safety and operation regulations.
Work activities
- Inspect aircraft or aircraft components.
- Monitor equipment gauges or displays to ensure proper operation.
- Pilot aircraft.
- Record service or repair activities.
- Review documents or materials for compliance with policies or regulations.
- Recommend changes or corrective procedures.
- Investigate transportation incidents, violations, or complaints.
- Test performance of aircraft equipment.
- Issue certificates or licenses.
- Evaluate performance of applicants, trainees, or employees.
Knowledge, skills & abilities
O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).
Knowledge
| English Language | 4.6 | |
| Mechanical | 4.6 | |
| Public Safety and Security | 4.5 | |
| Customer and Personal Service | 4.4 | |
| Transportation | 4.4 | |
| Education and Training | 4.1 | |
| Production and Processing | 3.9 | |
| Engineering and Technology | 3.8 | |
| Mathematics | 3.8 | |
| Administration and Management | 3.7 | |
| Law and Government | 3.5 | |
| Computers and Electronics | 3.4 | |
| Design | 3.4 | |
| Physics | 3.4 | |
| Administrative | 3.4 |
Abilities
| Problem Sensitivity | 4.1 | |
| Inductive Reasoning | 4.1 | |
| Oral Comprehension | 4.0 | |
| Deductive Reasoning | 4.0 | |
| Near Vision | 4.0 | |
| Written Comprehension | 3.9 | |
| Oral Expression | 3.9 | |
| Speech Clarity | 3.8 | |
| Written Expression | 3.6 | |
| Information Ordering | 3.5 | |
| Speech Recognition | 3.5 | |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.4 | |
| Visualization | 3.4 | |
| Far Vision | 3.4 |
Essential skills
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 | |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.9 | |
| Active Listening | 3.9 | |
| Speaking | 3.9 | |
| Writing | 3.6 | |
| Monitoring | 3.4 |
Transferable skills
| Operations Monitoring | 3.8 | |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.8 | |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.4 | |
| Troubleshooting | 3.3 | |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.3 |
Skills in demand
Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.
Showing the top 40 of 41.
Tools & technology
Work context
How characteristic each condition is of the job, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale (higher = more present in day-to-day work). Each condition links to how it varies across all occupations.
How to get in
- Job zone
- Zone 3 — Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Education
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent · BLS, the typical path — not a requirement
- Related experience
- Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
- Preparation level
- SVP (6.0 to < 7.0) — total schooling plus on-the-job experience.
Education of current workers
Share of people in this occupation at each level of education.
| Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 33.6% | |
| High School Diploma | 29.2% | |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 19.7% | |
| Some College Courses | 13.5% | |
| Bachelor's Degree | 3.9% |
Interests & work styles
The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.
Work styles
| Dependability | 6.0 | |
| Attention to Detail | 5.0 | |
| Integrity | 4.0 | |
| Cautiousness | 3.0 |
Career interests (Holland / RIASEC)
| Conventional | 5.7 | |
| Realistic | 5.6 | |
| Investigative | 4.1 | |
| Enterprising | 2.6 |
Interest areas
| Mechanics/Electronics | 5.7 | |
| Engineering | 4.7 | |
| Protective Service | 2.8 | |
| Law | 2.4 | |
| Transportation/Machine Operation | 2.4 | |
| Management/Administration | 2.3 | |
| Mathematics/Statistics | 2.2 | |
| Information Technology | 2.2 |
Wages & employment
U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)
| 10th percentile | $40,090 |
| 25th percentile | $58,650 |
| Median (50th) | $85,750 |
| 75th percentile | $105,020 |
| 90th percentile | $137,120 |
| People employed | 23,320 |
Wages and employment are reported by BLS for the broader occupation group this specialty belongs to (SOC 53-6051), not for the specialty alone.
Industries that employ this occupation
Where these workers are employed, by number of jobs (national, BLS OEWS). Pay shown is the occupation's national median, not industry-specific.
| Industry | Workers | National median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation and Warehousing · Sector | 7,520 | $79,860 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) · Sector | 1,800 | $40,830 |
| Manufacturing · Sector | 1,410 | $81,920 |
| Wholesale Trade · Sector | 640 | $45,960 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services · Sector | 350 | $76,780 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services · Sector | 310 | $66,560 |
| Retail Trade · Sector | 190 | $41,200 |
| Engineering Services · National industry | 120 | $88,920 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises · Sector | 70 | $84,460 |
| Temporary Help Services · National industry | 50 | $66,560 |
Where this work is most concentrated
Industries where this occupation is far more common than in the economy as a whole. The location quotient is how many times more concentrated it is here (a value of 5 means five times its economy-wide share).
| Industry | Concentration | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Transportation and Warehousing · Sector | 6.73× | 7,520 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) · Sector | 2.69× | 1,800 |
| Manufacturing · Sector | 0.73× | 1,410 |
| Wholesale Trade · Sector | 0.7× | 640 |
| Engineering Services · National industry | 0.69× | 120 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services · Sector | 0.26× | 350 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services · Sector | 0.19× | 310 |
| Retail Trade · Sector | 0.08× | 190 |
Related occupations
Part of the Supply Chain & Transportation career cluster.
- Transportation Vehicle, Equipment and Systems Inspectors, Except Aviation · 53-6051.07 Compare →
- Transportation Inspectors · 53-6051.00 Compare →
- Construction and Building Inspectors · 47-4011.00 Compare →
- Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians · 17-3021.00 Compare →
- Avionics Technicians · 49-2091.00 Compare →
- Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians · 49-3011.00 Compare →
- Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors · 17-2111.00 Compare →
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers · 51-9061.00 Compare →
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment · 49-2094.00 Compare →
- Ship Engineers · 53-5031.00 Compare →
- Occupational Health and Safety Specialists · 19-5011.00 Compare →
- Airfield Operations Specialists · 53-2022.00 Compare →
Side-by-side comparisons place two occupations’ pay, preparation, skills, and AI exposure on the same page — same data, same scale, no forecast.
What you can do with this
Options the data surfaces for Aviation Inspectors — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.
Skills that travel
Capabilities this work builds that are used across many other occupations.
Adjacent roles
Occupations O*NET rates as related — the nearby moves on the map.
Paths in
How people typically prepare for this work.
- High school diploma or equivalent · typical entry level
- Job zone 3 — Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed · preparation tier
Zoom out
On the global GenAI exposure gradient this work sits around the 44th percentile of 427 international occupations.
Write a report on thisheadline · factoids · citation
Aviation Inspectors show 44th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 2,500 annual U.S. openings
- Aviation Inspectors rank in the 44th percentile (Moderate band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated.Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE
- The occupation is projected to see about 2,500 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- BLS projects employment to be about average (+1.7%) from 2024 to 2034.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- Median annual pay is $85,750, across about 23,320 U.S. workers.BLS OEWS (May 2024)
Copy the whole kit
Aviation Inspectors show 44th-percentile AI task overlap — and about 2,500 annual U.S. openings • Aviation Inspectors rank in the 44th percentile (Moderate band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated. (Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE) • The occupation is projected to see about 2,500 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • BLS projects employment to be about average (+1.7%) from 2024 to 2034. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • Median annual pay is $85,750, across about 23,320 U.S. workers. (BLS OEWS (May 2024)) Source: Singulariki — "Aviation Inspectors". https://singulariki.com/roles/role-53-6051-01 Note: AI task overlap measures what today's AI can attempt, not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
AssetsShare imageMethodology & sourcesPress & newsroomThe newsroom
Every line is built only from figures this page already shows and cites. AI task overlap means what today's AI can attempt — not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
- ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
- IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
- Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
- Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Plain
Singulariki. "Aviation Inspectors." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-53-6051-01
APA
Singulariki. (2026). Aviation Inspectors. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/roles/role-53-6051-01
BibTeX
@misc{singulariki-role-53-6051-01,
title = {Aviation Inspectors},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/roles/role-53-6051-01}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.