Career Explorer Transport and logistics
Human edge, growing
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.
Among the most resilient careers: more resilient than 97% of the 831 careers we score. AI exposure is low (the Bureau of Labor Statistics rates it low), and US jobs are projected to change by +9.2% by 2035, faster than average. The work leans on ethical judgement and physical dexterity.
AI struggles with much of this work, and US employers are expected to hire more people into it than average.
- Median pay (2025)
- $58,170
- Job growth to 2035
- +9.2%
- Openings a year
- 900
- People doing it (2025)
- 9,700
- Usual route in
- High school diploma
Where people already use AI for this work
- Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Train others on operational or work procedures
- Direct organizational operations, activities, or procedures
- Load products, materials, or equipment for transportation or further processing
What the work looks like
- Calculate load weights for different aircraft compartments, using charts and computers.
- 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.
From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.
What the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects
- More of these jobs, as increased flight activity, due to growing passenger and cargo traffic, results in more demand for aircraft cargo handling supervisors.
Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook
- Forest fire inspectors and prevention specialistsHuman edge, growing, Index 99, +13.1%
- Surgical assistantsHuman edge, growing, Index 99, +6.1%
- Medical equipment preparersHuman edge, growing, Index 99, +10.8%
- Aircraft mechanics and service techniciansHuman edge, growing, Index 98, +5.4%
Also known as: Cargo Supervisor, Line Service Supervisor (LSS), Loadmaster, Ramp Supervisor, Ground Operations Supervisor, Ramp and Cargo Supervisor.
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Sources: US Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2025 to 2035; O*NET 31.0; Microsoft Research (2025); Anthropic Economic Index (2026); Eloundou and colleagues (Science, 2024); Felten, Raj and Seamans (2023). How we score. Updated 12 October 2026.