Aviation Administrative Jobs

Your Guide to Getting Started as an Aviation Administrative Professional in Aviation

Every flight that departs on time depends on people who never touch the controls. Behind every pilot, mechanic and dispatcher is an Aviation Administrative professional who keeps records compliant, schedules crews, processes invoices, books travel, tracks training and keeps the office running. If you are organized, detail-driven and interested in aviation but don't want to spend years earning a pilot or mechanic certificate, administrative work is one of the most direct ways into the industry.

The scale of the opportunity is large. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics counts about 3.5 million secretaries and administrative assistants nationwide and projects roughly 314,400 openings every year through 2035, mostly from workers retiring or moving into other roles (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Aviation takes a meaningful share of that talent. Airlines, airports, FBOs, charter operators, MRO repair stations, OEMs, defense contractors and government aviation agencies all need administrative staff who understand how aviation works.

Three common ways in

1. Start from a general office background. Many aviation admins come from general office work, customer service or hospitality. What you already know about scheduling, Microsoft 365, data entry and phone etiquette carries over directly. Start by applying to entry-level Aviation Administrative jobs or front-desk Customer Service jobs at airports and FBOs. Our article A Day in the Life of an FBO Customer Service Representative shows what that first step looks like.

2. Get an aviation business education. Degrees such as the associate or bachelor's in Aviation Business Administration at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide teach the regulatory and business side of aviation. Compare other programs in the AllAviationJob aviation school directory.

3. Move over from the military. Veterans who worked in unit administration, logistics or aviation operations often fit well in civilian aviation offices. Read How Military Veterans Can Launch Civilian Aviation Careers before you start applying.

Your first 90 days of job hunting

Build a resume that highlights accuracy, software skills and any exposure to regulated environments. Use the AllAviationJob resume templates, create a job seeker profile so recruiters can find you, and check the Aviation Salary Report so you know what to ask for. Attending aviation events is one of the fastest ways to network into a flight department or airline office.

What Does an Aviation Administrative Professional Do?

An Aviation Administrative professional provides the operational, clerical and compliance support that keeps an aviation organization legal, efficient and ready to fly. The job goes beyond general office work because aviation is heavily regulated. Records must satisfy Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements, and a single missing document can ground an aircraft or delay a crew.

Core responsibilities typically include:

·      Records and document control: Maintaining pilot training files, maintenance logbook copies, airworthiness documents and company manuals in line with FAA regulations (14 CFR).

·      Scheduling and coordination: Coordinating crew calendars, meetings, check rides, recurrent training and aircraft availability.

·      Travel and logistics: Booking hotels, ground transport and commercial deadhead flights for crews and executives.

·      Finance support: Processing fuel invoices, purchase orders, expense reports and vendor payments. This often overlaps with aviation Accounting jobs and aviation Finance jobs.

·      HR and onboarding: Helping with new-hire paperwork, badging and background checks, and supporting aviation Human Resources teams.

·      Compliance programs: Supporting safety management systems (SMS), audits and the FAA-mandated Drug and Alcohol Testing Program.

·      Customer and passenger communication: Serving as the first point of contact for clients, owners, passengers and vendors.

Skills that get you hired

Hiring managers look for strong Microsoft Excel and Outlook skills, clear writing, and experience with scheduling or ERP software. Above all, they want someone who understands that accuracy isn't optional. Knowing aviation terms like tail numbers, ICAO airport codes, duty-time limits, MELs and airworthiness directives gives you an immediate edge over general office candidates. Speaking a second language, especially Spanish or Portuguese, is a real advantage at international carriers and at FBOs serving Latin American traffic. Discretion matters too, because flight departments often support high-net-worth owners and executives whose travel plans are confidential.

What Does the Aviation Administrative Job Look Like?

The day-to-day work depends heavily on the employer.

At an airline, you might support a station manager, crew base or corporate department. Expect structured processes, union environments, large systems and steady hours. See current airline jobs from American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and Southwest Airlines.

At a business aviation flight department or charter operator, you'll probably be a generalist. You could book catering in the morning, reconcile fuel cards at lunch and update pilot duty-time records before the day ends. The pace is fast and the clients are high-profile. Browse Flight Department jobs and operators such as Talon Air and Jet Aviation.

At an airport authority or government agency, work centers on contracts, public records, leases, grants and board reporting. Positions often come with pension benefits and civil-service stability. Explore Government aviation jobs, including employers such as Miami-Dade County and the Maryland Department of Transportation.

At an MRO or manufacturer, admins support maintenance planning, parts ordering and work-order closeout. That work often leads toward Inventory and Parts jobs or Aviation Management jobs.

Most roles are onsite at a hangar, terminal or headquarters, with standard business hours. Operations-facing roles may include early mornings, weekends or on-call shifts around flight schedules. A major perk is that many aviation employers offer non-revenue travel privileges or jumpseat benefits to their employees.

Examples of Aviation Administrative Jobs You Can Find in the Aviation Industry

·      Aviation Administrative Assistant: Provides general clerical, scheduling and records support to an aviation department or operator.

·      Aviation Maintenance Admin: Manages work orders, maintenance records and parts paperwork for a hangar team.

·      Flight Operations Assistant: Supports trip planning, crew logistics and client communication in business aviation.

·      Airport Staff Assistant: Handles office administration and station support at an airport location.

·      Airport Contract Administrator: Drafts, tracks and manages leases, concessions and vendor contracts for an airport.

·      Aviation Travel Coordinator: Books crew and passenger travel, hotels and ground transportation.

·      Maintenance Coordinator: Schedules inspections and coordinates aircraft downtime with vendors and operations.

·      Drug & Alcohol Program Administrator: Manages DOT/FAA testing compliance, random selections and recordkeeping.

·      Aviation Program Specialist: Coordinates aviation programs, grants or reporting for a public or private agency.

·      Aviation Scheduling Manager: Leads aircraft and crew scheduling for a fleet. See also Schedulers & Dispatchers jobs.

·      Administrative Officer – Aviation: Oversees budgets, personnel actions and office administration for a government aviation division.

·      Human Resources Coordinator: Supports hiring, onboarding and employee records for aviation workforces.

Browse Aviation Administrative Jobs by City/State

·      Fort Worth, Texas: Home to American Airlines headquarters and major aerospace manufacturers, and it hires admins in large numbers.

·      Denver, Colorado: A major hub market with airline, airport and aerospace office roles.

·      Teterboro, New Jersey: The busiest business aviation airport near New York City, with flight department and FBO admin positions.

·      New York, New York: Corporate aviation, airline headquarters and aviation finance support roles.

·      Tampa, Florida: A growing airport, charter and MRO market on Florida's Gulf Coast.

·      Fort Lauderdale, Florida: A South Florida hub for charter operators, aircraft sales and MRO offices.

·      Orlando, Florida: Airline, simulator-training and aerospace employers hiring office staff.

·      Houston, Texas: Airline hub, energy-sector flight departments and spaceflight-related administrative work.

·      Seattle, Washington: Aerospace manufacturing and airline admin roles in the Pacific Northwest.

·      Kansas City, Kansas: Headquarters of Garmin's aviation business, with corporate support positions.

·      Baltimore, Maryland: State aviation administration and BWI airport office jobs.

·      Scottsdale, Arizona: Business aviation, FBO and aircraft management company admin roles.

·      All United States locations: Nationwide listings across every aviation sector.

Browse Aviation Administrative Jobs by Job Type

·      Full-Time Aviation Jobs: Permanent admin roles that typically include benefits, 401(k) and travel privileges.

·      Part-Time Aviation Jobs: Flexible admin and front-desk shifts that work well for students or career changers.

·      Customer Service Jobs: Front-line passenger, client and FBO support roles that often lead to office positions.

·      Schedulers & Dispatchers Jobs: Coordination-heavy roles managing aircraft, crews and trip logistics.

·      FBO Jobs: Fixed-base operator roles that combine hospitality, billing and ramp coordination.

·      Human Resources Jobs: Recruiting, onboarding and employee-records roles for aviation employers.

·      Accounting Jobs: Accounts payable, billing and fuel-invoice processing roles.

·      Government Aviation Jobs: Public-sector airport and agency office roles with civil-service benefits.

·      Aviation Management Jobs: The next step up for experienced admins moving into supervisory positions.

Browse Aviation Administrative Jobs by Aircraft Manufacturer

·      Boeing: The largest U.S. commercial aircraft maker, with admin roles in engineering, program and production offices.

·      Airbus: Its U.S. assembly and engineering sites in Mobile, Alabama and elsewhere hire program and office coordinators. Search listings on the AllAviationJob jobs board.

·      Gulfstream: A business-jet OEM whose service centers need customer-support and maintenance administrative staff.

·      Textron Aviation (Cessna & Beechcraft): A Wichita-based manufacturer with service-center, sales-support and warranty admin roles.

·      Bombardier: Makes Challenger and Global business jets and hires customer-support and service admins.

·      Lockheed Martin: A defense OEM hiring program administrators and security-cleared office staff.

·      Northrop Grumman: Defense aerospace employer with contract, program and administrative support openings.

·      Garmin: An avionics manufacturer offering corporate and aviation-division admin roles in Olathe, Kansas.

Browse Aviation Administrative Jobs by Aircraft Name or Certifications

Administrative roles rarely require an FAA airman certificate, but some credentials make your application stand out right away:

·      NBAA Business Aircraft Scheduler Certificate: Tells flight departments that you understand trip scheduling. See Schedulers & Dispatchers jobs.

·      FAA Designated Employer Representative (DER) training: Qualifies you for drug and alcohol program administrator roles.

·      Certified Administrative Professional (CAP): Valued in corporate aviation and airline headquarters offices.

·      Security clearance: Required for many admin roles at Lockheed Martin.

·      Aircraft-type familiarity: Experience supporting Gulfstream, Challenger, Citation or 737 operations is a strong selling point for Flight Department jobs.

·      Maintenance tracking software: Experience with systems like CAMP, Veryon or Flightdocs helps for Maintenance Coordinator roles.

Aviation Administrative Influencers to Follow in Aviation

·      Bonnie Low-Kramen: Author of Be the Ultimate Assistant and a leading trainer of executive assistants worldwide.

·      Julie Perrine: An executive assistant who became CEO and founded All Things Admin, which is now part of the American Society of Administrative Professionals (ASAP).

·      Vickie Sokol Evans: A Microsoft Certified Trainer who teaches productivity skills to high-level support teams.

·      NBAA Schedulers & Dispatchers Committee: The business aviation community behind the annual Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference.

·      Women in Aviation International: A global network offering mentoring, scholarships and career resources for aviation professionals in every role.

·      International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP): The professional body behind the CAP credential and admin-career content.

·      AllAviationJob Blog and Aviation News: Ongoing aviation career guides, hiring trends and industry updates.

Aviation Administrative Courses & Certifications to Grow in Aviation

·      Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) — IAAP: An NCCA-accredited credential covering communication, records management, project management and technology.

·      NBAA Business Aircraft Scheduler Certificate: Nine on-demand modules that introduce business aircraft scheduling. Participants have six months to finish.

·      NBAA Certified Aviation Manager (CAM): The leadership credential for professionals who want to advance to flight department management.

·      AAAE Certified Member (C.M.): An entry-level airport-management accreditation that signals commitment to an airport career.

·      IATA Airline Management Courses: Classroom, virtual and e-learning options in airline business, finance and operations.

·      FAA DER / Drug & Alcohol Program Training: Training for administering FAA-regulated testing programs.

·      Embry-Riddle Aviation Business Administration Degrees: Online associate, bachelor's and MBA pathways designed for working aviation professionals.

·      Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS): Proves your Excel, Word and Outlook skills, which aviation offices use every day.

Aviation Administrative Salary Expectations in United States Aviation Roles

Pay depends on sector, location and seniority. Executive-level and specialized aviation roles earn much more than entry-level clerical positions.

In practice, entry-level aviation admins usually start between $40,000 and $50,000. Experienced flight-department coordinators and executive assistants to aviation executives often earn $65,000 to $90,000 or more. Senior operations and scheduling managers can earn well into six figures. Compare current figures in the AllAviationJob Salary Report.

Aviation Administrative Salary Expectations in Brazil, Canada, Europe, Asia and Central America

These are general administrative benchmarks. Aviation employers such as international airlines, airport operators and business-jet management firms often pay above local averages, especially for bilingual candidates. Employees at international hubs like São Paulo, Toronto, London, Frankfurt, Singapore and Mexico City also tend to earn toward the top of these ranges.

Ready to Take Off?

Aviation Administrative careers offer stability, travel perks and a clear path into management, and you don't need a pilot's license to get started. Browse the latest Aviation Administrative jobs, create your job seeker profile and explore more career paths on the AllAviationJob blog. Employers can post an aviation job to reach qualified administrative talent today.