Step 4: Aviation Employment Employers

It is important to know what types of aviation jobs exist in the various employment sectors and the aviation employers offering employment opportunities.

Aviation Employment Sectors
Aviation careers are found in virtually all employment sectors. There are four major employment sectors:
•	Private sector Private sector employers consist of incorporated firms, industries, law firms, manufacturers, and service-related industries.
•	Public sector Public sector employers consist of civil service, military, and other federal, state, county, and city government jobs.
•	Education/research Education/research sector employers consist of privately funded or public schools, colleges, universities, vocational, or research institutions.
•	Not-for-profit sector Not-for-profit sector employers consist of hospitals, foundations, service organizations, labor unions, and research, religious, or non-government-funded organizations.

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Aviation Employers
The aviation industry has its ups and downs. If you work in this industry, you will experience some good and bad times (such as layoffs, cutbacks, etc.) The growth of the industry is primarily based on the changing economy and business models. Employment opportunities are based on timing and networking. Networking with others in this industry, as in any industry, is essential to finding a job and advancing in your career.
The most common aviation employers are:
•	Airlines There are various types of airlines such as major/national, regional/commuter, and air freight/cargo airlines. Major, national, and regional airlines are in business to transport people from one place to another. Some airlines and air freight/cargo airlines are in the business of transporting mail, cargo, and freight from one place to another. These airlines could not function without the help of many people. Airlines employ thousands of employees to assist with the daily operations and services offered to their customers. Careers offered at the airlines range from: • Professional Personnel Professional personnel typically consist of pilots, aviation medical examiners, meteorologist, instructors, directors, and more. • Administrative Personnel Administrative personnel typically consist of receptionists, typists, secretaries, mail and file clerks, and computer personnel, as well as people in managerial positions such as training, public relations, publications, finance, personnel, and other kinds of work associated with business and industry. • Service and Ground Personnel Service and ground personnel typically consist of service persons, linepersons, ramp service personnel, mechanics, technicians, flight attendants, flight dispatcher, schedule coordinator, station manager or agent, reservations sales agent, ticket agent, ground attendant, skycap, air freight or cargo agent, passenger service agent, and more.
•	Airports Airports are one of the most vital elements in the air transportation system. A well-equipped airport provides a variety of facilities and services for aircrafts, flight crews, and passengers. There are about 17,490 airports in the United States and approximately 4,000 heliports (landing sites for helicopters). Some airports are owned by municipalities-states, counties, and cities. Others are privately-owned businesses. More than 5,000 of these landing facilities are used by the public. It may surprise you to learn that only about 680 airports are served by airlines. Most of the other airports are used by general aviation pilots and their aircraft.  Airports employ thousands of employees to assist with the daily operations and services offered to their customers. Careers offered at the airports range from: • Professional Personnel Professional personnel typically consist of architects, aeronautical research scientists, engineers, drafters, lawyers, instructors, and other occupations. • Administrative Personnel Administrative personnel typically consist of receptionists, typists, secretaries, mail and file clerks, and computer personnel, as well as people in managerial positions such as training, public relations, publications, finance, personnel, and other kinds of work associated with business and industry. • Service and Ground Personnel Service and ground personnel typically consist of service persons, linepersons, ramp personnel, concession workers, and other occupations.
•	Aircraft Manufacturers There are a few companies that manufacture aircrafts ranging from small single-engine piston airplanes to corporate jets, and large transport category airplanes. Major divisions within the aircraft manufacturing industry are airframe, components, accessory and equipment, and engine. They employ thousands of professional, administrative and service employees to assist with the daily operations and services of the company offered to their customers. Manufacturers employs scientists, engineers, mechanics, technicians, inspectors, production workers (laborers and operators), and administrative and services personnel. Some laborers and operators are skilled tradesmen in their field.
•	Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Among its many functions in aviation, the FAA is responsible for controlling the movement of aircraft throughout the nation, establishing and maintaining electronic navigation aids, licensing pilots and aircraft mechanics, and certifying the airworthiness of aircraft. The FAA employs other professionals as well: airport safety specialists, urban planners, economists, mathematicians, statisticians, program officers, management analysts, and budget analysts. Physicians who specialize in aviation medicine are hired by the FAA in limited numbers. These physicians study the effects of flying on the human body, the effects of fatigue on pilot performance, the need for oxygen above certain altitudes, vision and hearing standards, the tension and stress factors associated with the air traffic controller’s job, and the standards of the various classes of medical examinations required for pilots and other members of fight crews.
•	Federal Agencies And Departments Numerous Federal departments, bureaus, and agencies operate aircraft to carry on their work more effectively. For example, the Fish and Wildlife Service of the Department of the Interior uses airplanes to conduct wildlife censuses; the Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service uses aircraft to check on aerial forest-spraying contracted to commercial operators or to oversee forest firefighting procedures; the Immigration and Naturalization Service of the Department of Justice utilizes aircraft to detect people entering the United States illegally. Other Federal agencies play important roles in aviation such as: • National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is responsible for research into the problems of flight within and outside the Earth’s atmosphere. •  National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) accident investigators interview survivors and witnesses and examine aircraft parts, instruments, and engines. They also review maintenance and flight records to determine the probable cause of airplane accidents. •  National Weather Service meteorologists play a key role in providing aviation weather information, flight and weather are so interrelated that many people in aviation look upon the meteorologist as a member of the aviation team. Thus, the meteorologist deserves mention in any discussion of vocations in aviation, even though these functions are not entirely for the benefit of the aviation community.
•	State Aviation Departments or Commissions Almost every state has an Aeronautics Department or Commission, which consists of a small number of aviation-minded men and women, usually appointed by the Governor to make policies about aviation activities within the state. Persons appointed may not be considered employees and may be paid only expenses connected with their attendance at meetings. If the state’s department or commission is well-funded, it may employ people to work in the areas of airport design and operation, flight safety, and promotion of aviation activities in the state. State aviation careers include administrative personnel, pilots, field service representatives, safety officers, engineers, and aircraft mechanics, among others.
•	U.S. Military Services There are many aviation career opportunities for both men and women in the U.S. Military Services as enlisted personnel and officers. The Air Force offers the greatest number of aviation-related training and employment opportunities to fly as a pilot or to work as an aircraft mechanic, air traffic controller, electronic technician, flight nurse, or meteorological technician, to name a few. The Navy and Marine Corps also have aviation jobs that are counterparts to those in the Air Force. Army aviation is mostly connected with the operation and maintenance of helicopters and subsonic light planes. The Army hires flight crews, ground service people, and weather specialists to support its operations. The U.S. Coast Guard operates aircraft for search and purposes. Many military aviation jobs are good preparation for similar jobs in civilian life. For example, a high percentage of airline pilots receive their principal training and experience in the military. The U.S. military services employ many civilians for jobs in aviation, such as aircraft mechanics, engineers, technicians, and general office workers (secretaries and typists, for example). These civilian jobs come under the Federal Civil Service, and employees perform many of the same tasks and receive the same wages and benefits as their counterparts in the FAA or other Federal departments and agencies.
•	Post-Secondary and Flight Schools Post-secondary schools (such as colleges, universities, vocational, technical, etc.) and flight school may employ professors, flight instructors (i.e. ground, flight, and simulator instructors), airframe and/or power plant mechanics, avionics technicians, and administrative personnel. There are over 500 post-secondary schools in the U.S. that offer various types of aviation/aerospace programs, which can lead to a certificate, license, or degree. There are also over 1500 flight schools in the U.S. that offers flight training for various pilot certificates and rating.
•	Fixed Base Operators (FB0s) Fixed base operators are retail firms that sell general aviation products or services at an airport. Depending on the size and scope of the airport’s operations, the FBOs may employ linepersons or ramp service persons, aviation mechanics, flight instructors, air taxi service and charter flights, and/or aircraft salesperson. It also may employ a licensed aviation mechanic to train and supervise mechanics. FBO personnel will often arrange for ground transportation and overnight accommodations for general aviation pilots and their passengers.