Run the fuel truck and hose
Operate the fueling truck and hose, and compare the amount loaded with the written fueling order.
Career profile
Aircraft Ground Service Attendant
Aircraft service attendants fuel planes and handle other ground tasks between flights.
This is work done right beside the plane: moving hoses and confirming details while other crews get it ready to leave.
A day in the life
Signal the plane into parking
Guide the pilot with standard hand signals as the plane rolls into its parking spot.
Refill water and drain toilets
In certain positions, you fill the plane's drinking water tanks and drain its toilet systems.
Spray de-icing fluid from a basket
On a de-icing team, you spray the plane's outer surfaces from a raised truck basket.
Quick facts
High school + workplace training
United States · 2025
$40,450/year
United States · May 2025
5.6% projected growth
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
High school + workplace trainingTypical entry preparation is a high school diploma or equivalent, followed by short-term on-the-job training.
Pay
$40,450/yearNational median pay, equivalent to $19.45 an hour.
Outlook
5.6% projected growthAbout 4,000 openings a year are projected nationally, including replacement needs.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You like operating equipment and working outside.
- You can repeat careful checks without losing focus.
- You listen closely when coworkers give instructions.
Things to weigh
- Noise, heat, cold, and repeated bending can wear you down.
- Some jobs require availability for nights, weekends, holidays, overtime, and on-call duty.
Where AI may help
Fueling software can send orders to crews, track vehicles, and record deliveries, reducing paperwork.
What people still lead
You still operate the equipment and perform fuel-quality checks.
What we can’t predict yet
How much scheduling and recordkeeping becomes automatic—and how often crews must resolve exceptions—will depend on the systems each airport adopts.
Pay in context
Earnings
The national midpoint is about $19.45 an hour. Treat it as a comparison point when reading offers.
The national spread
In May 2025, median pay was $40,450 annually. The lowest-paid 10% earned $33,830 or less; the highest-paid 10% earned $57,610 or more. These are wage percentiles, not starting and experienced pay levels.
Employer setting matters
For historical context, May 2023 average annual pay was $41,090 in air transportation support services and $42,270 in scheduled air transportation. These are industry averages for this occupation, not current offers.
Openings include replacement hiring
Employment is projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 4,000 openings annually from growth and replacement needs. That does not guarantee openings near you.
Getting started
Join an aircraft fueling crew
- What the route involves
- Apply for an entry fueling job and learn vehicle operation and safety procedures through employer training.
- What it can lead to
- You build the skills to fuel aircraft and check fueling equipment.
- What to check
- Hiring can include background and reference checks; document requirements depend on the position and airport.
Start in private-aircraft line service
- What the route involves
- Join a ground-service team and learn fueling, parking, and aircraft handling through company training.
- What it can lead to
- This broader role can include towing, baggage handling, and water service.
- What to check
- Some employers require a high school diploma or equivalent, age 18, a valid driver's license, and pre-employment substance testing.
A high school diploma or equivalent is the usual starting point. Look for jobs that teach aircraft servicing at work.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Get established
Build reliable habits during training: check equipment and complete service records accurately.
Develop your capability
Become more confident with fuel-quality checks and the procedures different airlines require.
Lead a crew
A lead fueler coordinates coworkers and trains newcomers while continuing hands-on fueling work.
Where you can work
Airline fueling operation
Your work centers on fuel vehicles, quality checks, and airline-specific procedures, alongside other crews preparing departures.
- Outdoors
- Vehicle
- Safety-sensitive
Private aviation terminal
You combine parking and fueling with direct contact with pilots and arriving customers. Hangar upkeep can also be part of the shift.
- Outdoors
- Indoors
- Shift work
- Physical demands
- Safety-sensitive
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Make two fictional fuel tickets with an aircraft identifier, requested quantity, and delivered quantity. Put a mismatch on one. Compare them and write a clear message explaining what needs checking. Notice whether careful checking holds your attention.
Stay safe: Keep this a paper exercise; it is not aircraft-fueling training.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. Aircraft Service Attendants — 53-6032.00. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- O*NET OnLine / U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Aircraft Service Attendants wages — United States rows. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational projections and worker characteristics, 2025–35. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 2023 Occupational Employment and Wages — Aircraft Service Attendants. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Menzies Aviation. Airport operations jobs. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Menzies Aviation. Aviation careers — Training and development. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Menzies Aviation. Application process. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Atlantic Aviation. Line Service Technician — Austin, TX. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Atlantic Aviation. Lead Line Service Technician — Dulles, VA. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- i6 Group. Fusion6 Into-Plane Management. Accessed 2026-10-03.