Aircraft cargo handling supervisors
Supervise and coordinate the activities of ground crew in the loading, unloading, securing, and staging of aircraft cargo or baggage. May determine the quantity and orientation of cargo and compute aircraft center of gravity. May accompany aircraft as member of flight crew and monitor and handle cargo in flight, and assist and brief passengers on safety and emergency procedures. Includes loadmasters.
Aircraft cargo handling supervisors supervise and coordinate the activities of ground crew in the loading, unloading, securing, and staging of aircraft cargo or baggage. May determine the quantity and orientation of cargo and compute aircraft center of gravity. The role reports a median annual salary of $63,940 in the US and is projected to grow 5% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Entry typically requires a High school diploma or equivalent, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.48 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include Management of Personnel Resources, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Time Management, Speaking.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £27,832 a year for Warehouse operatives (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £24,447 to £33,151 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 9252). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Elementary occupations” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Aircraft cargo handling supervisors, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 9. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Customer and Personal Service
- Public Safety and Security
- Transportation
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Administrative
- Personnel and Human Resources
- Mathematics
What you'd actually do
- Determine the quantity and orientation of cargo, and compute an aircraft's center of gravity.
- Direct ground crews in the loading, unloading, securing, or staging of aircraft cargo or baggage.
- Train new employees in areas such as safety procedures or equipment operation.
- Distribute cargo to maximize use of space.
- Calculate load weights for different aircraft compartments, using charts and computers.
- Accompany aircraft as a member of the flight crew to monitor and handle cargo in flight.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Aircraft cargo handling supervisors do?
Supervise and coordinate the activities of ground crew in the loading, unloading, securing, and staging of aircraft cargo or baggage. May determine the quantity and orientation of cargo and compute aircraft center of gravity. May accompany aircraft as member of flight crew and monitor and handle cargo in flight, and assist and brief passengers on safety and emergency procedures. Includes loadmasters.
How much does Aircraft cargo handling supervisors earn?
The median annual salary for Aircraft cargo handling supervisors in the US is $63,940.
What is the job outlook for Aircraft cargo handling supervisors?
The role is projected to grow 5% over the next decade (about as fast as average). Current US employment is approximately 10,300 workers.
How do I become aircraft cargo handling supervisors?
The typical entry education is a High school diploma or equivalent. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Aircraft cargo handling supervisors need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Management of Personnel Resources, Critical Thinking, Monitoring, Time Management, Speaking, Active Listening. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Aircraft cargo handling supervisors?
Our AI-durability model gives Aircraft cargo handling supervisors a score of 0.48 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Aircraft cargo handling supervisors has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.