Career Explorer Transport and logistics
Human edge, growing
Aircraft service attendants
Service aircraft with fuel. May de-ice aircraft, refill water and cooling agents, empty sewage tanks, service air and oxygen systems, or clean and polish exterior.
Among the most resilient careers: more resilient than 91% 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 +5.6% 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)
- $40,450
- Job growth to 2035
- +5.6%
- Openings a year
- 4,000
- People doing it (2025)
- 31,200
- Usual route in
- High school diploma, then short on-the-job training
Where people already use AI for this work
- Communicate with others about operational plans or activities
- Maintain facilities or equipment
- Prepare mixtures or solutions
From Microsoft Research, Working with AI (2025).
Work AI rarely helps with
- Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas
- Maintain vehicles in working condition
- Maintain tools or equipment
What the work looks like
- Apply de-icing fluid to aircraft from baskets lifted by truck-mounted cranes.
- Tow aircraft to gates or hangars using tugs, tractors, or other vehicles.
- Refuel aircraft using hoses connected to fuel trucks.
- Guide aircraft to designated areas using hand signals, batons, or other methods.
- Radio to flight dispatchers or other personnel to discuss incoming or outgoing aircraft.
From O*NET 31.0, US Department of Labor.
Careers using similar strengths, with a stronger outlook
- Automotive and watercraft service attendantsHuman edge, growing, Index 92, +3.8%
- Motorboat operatorsHuman edge, growing, Index 96, +4.9%
- Helpers--installation, maintenance, and repair workersHuman edge, growing, Index 99, +5.3%
- Continuous mining machine operatorsHuman edge, steady, Index 95, +3.2%
Also known as: Aircraft Deicer, Aircraft Refueler, Fueler, Refueler.
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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.