Each day, nearly 7 million people fly all over the globe. Even with recent tragedies regarding plane safety, it is still considered the safest way to travel. This is an industry that consistently has profits, because of the high cost to customers and the need for this specific method of travel.

Some companies own their own airplanes, while others rent from other companies to form a beneficial relationship for all parties involved. This industry is a leader in profits, despite the growing trend in safety issues between terrorism, mechanical difficulties and other situations that might bring negative attention to this type of business.

Overall, it is an ever evolving business that comes up with new technologies and ways of managing the way they conduct themselves. This means they are constantly changing to be as safe and as customer friendly as possible.

With all those flights, the numbers for incidences are bound to be skewed as a result. When you look at the actually statistics of flying, you can see that this field is safe and growing every day. With all this growth, they are constantly looking for employees to help keep up with the demand of this industry.

Job Opportunities

The airline industry has a lot of different types of jobs that can appeal to most people. These range from low level workers to more skilled positions. These are some of the careers you can find in a field like this.

Pilots: This is obviously one of the most important jobs in the airline field. Being a pilot requires a lot of training. Most airlines require you to have an Unrestricted FAA Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate with airplane multiengine class rating, as well as current FAA first-class medical certificate and a FCC Restricted Radiotelephone Operator Permit. They also usually require over 1,000 of fixed-wing turbine time. Starting, you can expect to make an average of about $36,000 with more experienced captains capping at around $165,000 a year.

Flight attendants: These are the people responsible for the satisfaction and safety of the passengers on the plane. They greet and serve the passengers. To become a flight attendant, you need to at least have your GED and customer service experience. Some airlines have physical restrictions, like height, that determine if you are a fit for that job. It requires extensive FAA training. Flight attendants only make about $18,000 base salary but often get per diem pay as well.

Gate agents: You will find gate agents at the boarding and arrival gates. They are the ones responsible for taking tickets, making boarding announcements, and can even upgrade people’s tickets on oversold flight at their discretion. You will need great customer service skills for this job and be able to keep up with the fast past environment where you are always on your feet. Their salary can start at $20,000 a year.

Airplane mechanic: You must be 18 or older with practically experience with this type of machinery. If this doesn’t apply, you can take an FAA-approved Aviation Maintenance Technical School. You are also expected to pass 3 different exams, an oral, written and a practical test. The average yearly salary for this position is about $50,000 per year.

Baggage Handlers: A baggage handler is responsible for loading and unloading the luggage and other baggage from the airplane and helping transport it back to the airport. You need to be sure that the right bags end up on the right plane. This is a very physically demanding job, and usually requires a 12 hour shift. You are responsible for helping clean and de-ice the airplane as needed. You need to be 18 or older and be able to pass a security background check. The average yearly salary for a job like this about $15,000.

Job Outlook

The job outlook for this industry is very good. There is a shortage that is taking place, whether it is as a result of low pay or people just not going into the field because it can be expensive for training. Because this field is so often showing profits, this could change the tide of employment in this particular job market.

The technology in this field is always changing, which opens the doors to other type of careers within this market. Online concierges and IT techs, especially ones that specialize in servers, is a great commodity in this job field and opening up more doors for people looking for jobs in this type of company.