Production · Holland code RCI
Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
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.
Also called: Aircraft Assembler, Assembler, Sheet Metal Assembler and Riveter (SMAR), Sheet Metal Mechanic, Aircraft Line Assembler, Assembly Riveter, Assembly Technician (Assembly Tech), Sheet Metal Technician (Sheet Metal Tech).
O*NET 51-2011.00
At a glance
- US median annual pay
- $65,380
- Middle half earn $58,600 to $83,410. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- 55% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
- Preparation needed
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
What the work involves
The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.
- Read blueprints, illustrations, or specifications to determine layouts, sequences of operations, or identities or relationships of parts.
- Inspect or test installed units, parts, systems, or assemblies for fit, alignment, performance, defects, or compliance with standards, using measuring instruments or test equipment.
- Set, align, adjust, or synchronize aircraft armament or rigging or control system components to established tolerances or requirements, using sighting devices and hand tools.
- Join structural assemblies, such as wings, tails, or fuselage.
- Assemble parts, fittings, or subassemblies on aircraft, using layout tools, hand tools, power tools, or fasteners, such as bolts, screws, rivets, or clamps.
- Capture or segregate waste material, such as aluminum swarf, machine cutting fluid, or solvents, for recycling or environmentally responsible disposal.
- Mark identifying information on tubing or cable assemblies, using etching devices, labels, rubber stamps, or other methods.
- Position and align subassemblies in jigs or fixtures, using measuring instruments and following blueprint lines and index points.
Skills and knowledge it leans on
Skills
- Active Listening3.1 / 5
- Critical Thinking3.1 / 5
- Monitoring3.1 / 5
- Reading Comprehension3.0 / 5
- Speaking3.0 / 5
- Active Learning2.9 / 5
Knowledge areas
- Mathematics3.5 / 5
- Education and Training3.5 / 5
- Mechanical3.4 / 5
- English Language3.4 / 5
- Production and Processing3.4 / 5
- Design3.4 / 5
Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.
Who tends to enjoy it
How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.
- Realistic100
- Investigative28
- Artistic12
- Social0
- Enterprising6
- Conventional47
The same work abroad
Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.
European occupation titles (ESCO)
- aerospace engineering technician · DE Flugzeugbautechniker/Flugzeugbautechnikerin · FR technicien en ingénierie aérospatiale/technicienne en ingénierie aérospatiale
- shipwright · DE Bootsbauer/Bootsbauerin · FR charpentier de marine/charpentière de marine
- riveter · DE Metallnieter/Metallnieterin · FR riveteur/riveteuse
- aircraft de-icer installer · DE Mitarbeiter Flugzeugenteisung/Mitarbeiterin Flugzeugenteisung · FR installateur de systèmes de dégivrage en aéronautique/installatrice de systèmes de dégivrage en aéronautique
- aircraft maintenance technician · DE Fluggerätemechaniker Fachrichtung Instandhaltungstechnik/Fluggerätemechanikerin Fachrichtung Instandhaltungstechnik · FR technicien en maintenance aéronautique/technicienne en maintenance aéronautique
- avionics technician · DE Avioniker/Avionikerin · FR technicien avionique/technicienne avionique
Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)
- Steel erectors (5311)8,200 employed
- Upholsterers (5411)12,800 employed
- Engineering technicians (3113)74,200 employed
Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.
Pay across Europe, for the whole group
Median annual earnings of all employees in “Plant and machine operators and assemblers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.
| Country | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Belgium | €39,630 |
| Netherlands | €37,567 |
| Austria | €37,304 |
| Sweden | €36,005 |
| Germany | €34,433 |
| Ireland | €32,617 |
| France | €28,550 |
| Italy | €28,330 |
| Spain | €24,409 |
| Portugal | €11,309 |
| Poland | €10,259 |
Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.
Exposure to AI
This occupation sits in the lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -0.87. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.
Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.
Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (51-2011).
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