Every occupation the official NCES/BLS crosswalk connects to aviation programs, with BLS pay, the education each job usually needs, what the work involves, and where to go next.
Aviation · CIP 49.01 series · 6 codes · 6 careers · Check one exact major, e.g. 49.0101 Aeronautics/Aviation/Aerospace Science and Technology, General, in the major to career finder
The official NCES/BLS crosswalk maps aviation programs to 6 occupations that such programs typically prepare people for, including Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers, Airline Pilot and Commercial Pilot. BLS median pay across them runs from $56,850 (Airfield Operations Specialist) to $232,140 (Airline Pilot) in May 2025. The crosswalk describes preparation, not what graduates actually go on to do.
Data Program → related occupations: these are jobs aviation programs typically prepare people for (NCES/BLS crosswalk). Not a guaranteed outcome, and not a record of what graduates do.
Data Filter by the education the job usually needs or its preparation level; sort by pay or by number employed.
| Occupation | Most common education | Job Zone | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $107,230 | 221,180 | n/a | 4 |
| Flight Attendant | $63,580 | 131,650 | High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 1-2 |
| Airline Pilot | $232,140 | 103,560 | Bachelor's Degree | 4 |
| Commercial Pilot | $123,220 | 47,630 | n/a | 3 |
| Air Traffic Controller | $148,080 | 22,510 | High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 3 |
| Airfield Operations Specialist | $56,850 | 15,190 | n/a | 3 |
No occupations match these filters.
Data The education column shows a typical entry level only where O*NET data supports one answer. Check the typical education for Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers, one of the aviation jobs above.
Data BLS national median annual wage, May 2025. These are pay levels of the occupations, not earnings of graduates.
Data The largest related occupations by employment (postsecondary teaching shown in the explorer).
Supervise the activities of workers engaged in receiving, storing, testing, and shipping products or materials.
Plan, develop, or implement warehouse safety and security programs and activities.
Reading Comprehension · Active Listening · Coordination
Mapped from CIP 49.0101, 49.0104Use instrumentation to guide flights when visibility is poor.
Start engines, operate controls, and pilot airplanes to transport passengers, mail, or freight, adhering to flight plans, regulations, and procedures.
Operation and Control · Operations Monitoring · Active Listening
Mapped from CIP 49.0102, 49.0108Check aircraft prior to flights to ensure that the engines, controls, instruments, and other systems are functioning properly.
Co-pilot aircraft or perform captain's duties, as required.
Operation and Control · Operations Monitoring · Monitoring
Career guide Salary How to become
Mapped from CIP 49.0102, 49.0108Inform pilots about nearby planes or potentially hazardous conditions, such as weather, speed and direction of wind, or visibility problems.
Monitor aircraft within a specific airspace, using radar, computer equipment, or visual references.
Active Listening · Speaking · Judgment and Decision Making
Career guide Salary How to become
Mapped from CIP 49.0105Inspect airfield conditions to ensure compliance with federal regulatory requirements.
Implement airfield safety procedures to ensure a safe operating environment for personnel and aircraft operation.
Active Listening · Monitoring · Coordination
Mapped from CIP 49.0105Verify that first aid kits and other emergency equipment, including fire extinguishers and oxygen bottles, are in working order.
Announce and demonstrate safety and emergency procedures, such as the use of oxygen masks, seat belts, and life jackets.
Speaking · Active Listening · Monitoring
Mapped from CIP 49.0106Data Related occupations grouped by government career field, with their pay range.
Data Other programs whose crosswalk occupations overlap with these.
The NCES/BLS crosswalk relates instructional programs (CIP 2020) to occupations (SOC 2018) when programs in the CIP category typically prepare individuals directly for jobs in the occupation. This page uses the CIP program series below and shows every non-residual occupation mapped to them that has BLS wages and O*NET data; each occupation lists the CIP codes that map to it.
Searches this page answers include “what can you do with an aviation degree”, “aviation degree jobs”, “what can you do with a degree in aviation” (Ahrefs, U.S.).
