Career-PathGPS
← All education and training
Career

Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers

Typical education: High school diplomaModerate pressure

What they do

Assemble, fit, fasten, and install parts of airplanes, space vehicles, or missiles, such as tails, wings, fuselage, bulkheads, stabilizers, landing gear, rigging and control equipment, or heating and ventilating systems.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $65,380 Median per year · $31.43/hr Most earn $47,310–$107,500

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Install mechanical linkages and actuators, using tensiometers to verify tension of cables.
  • Swage fittings onto cables, using swaging machines.
  • Cut cables and tubing, using master templates, measuring instruments, and cable cutters or saws.
  • Assemble prefabricated parts to form subassemblies.
  • Align, fit, assemble, connect, or install system components, using jigs, fixtures, measuring instruments, hand tools, or power tools.
  • Inspect or test installed units, parts, systems, or assemblies for fit, alignment, performance, defects, or compliance with standards, using measuring instruments or test equipment.

Job outlook

United States
6% fewer jobs by 2035, declining · about 3,100 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Aerospace product and parts manufacturing90.2%
  • Support activities for air transportation4.1%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

This is an entry-level job. Most people start with a high school diploma and often spend about 1 to 2 years gaining hands-on assembly or fabrication experience before they are hired into this role.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Build a strong base in math, shop, and blueprint reading, since these skills show up in almost every aircraft assembly job.

  2. Structural Metal Fabricator and Fitter

    6 months to 1 year

    Learn to cut, shape, fit, and fasten metal parts from drawings, which is the kind of hands-on experience employers look for when hiring assemblers.

  3. Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assembler

    Ongoing once hired

    Fit and fasten airplane parts such as wings, tails, and landing gear, and install rigging and control systems. Most people reach this job after about 1 to 2 years of related experience.

Where it can lead

  1. Aircraft Mechanic

    2 to 4 years of experience first

    Move from building aircraft parts to inspecting, repairing, and maintaining whole aircraft, which usually requires a certificate or apprenticeship.

  2. Avionics Technician

    1 to 2 years of experience first

    Shift toward installing and repairing aircraft electronics and navigation systems, usually after completing a certificate or apprenticeship program.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take shop, drafting, or engineering design classesThese classes teach you to read drawings and use hand and power tools, which are core skills for aircraft assembly.
  • Take math classes, especially geometry and trigonometryMeasuring and fitting parts precisely depends on solid math skills.
  • Join a robotics, engineering, or technology clubBuilding and fixing things in a team teaches hands-on problem solving and shows employers you can work with others.
  • Look for a summer or part-time job in a workshop, garage, or manufacturing plantAny job that uses tools and follows safety rules builds experience you can point to later.
  • Visit a local vocational or career technical program if your school offers oneMany schools have hands-on courses in welding, machining, or manufacturing that match this career's skills.

In college

  • Take courses in manufacturing, machining, or weldingHands-on technical courses build the tool skills and shop knowledge that aircraft assembly employers expect.
  • Look for an internship or co-op at an aerospace or manufacturing companyReal work experience at a plant or assembly line helps you move into an assembler job faster.
  • Get a campus or nearby job in a machine shop, lab, or makerspaceWorking with tools and following technical instructions gives you the hands-on experience that builds on your résumé.
  • Earn a safety or technical certification that your school or community offersCertifications in areas like safety, blueprint reading, or composite materials show employers you are prepared for shop work.
  • Join a student engineering, aviation, or design clubClub projects let you practice teamwork and building under deadlines, which mirrors real assembly work.

Tips for getting started

  • Get comfortable reading blueprints and technical drawings now, because almost every assembly task starts with one.
  • Look for part-time or summer work in a machine shop, metal fabrication shop, or manufacturing plant to build hands-on experience before applying for aircraft jobs.
  • Pay attention to safety rules and teamwork. Employers in aerospace value people who follow precise procedures and work well with a crew.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

Related careers