Skip to content
AffordMap
Salary comparison

Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors vs. Airfield Operations Specialists: Who Earns More?

Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors out-earn Airfield Operations Specialists by $5K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors land at $61,540 and Airfield Operations Specialists at $56,850. The education gap is real: adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructor programs typically require bachelor's degree, while airfield operations specialist programs require no formal educational credential. Top-paying state for Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors is California ($102,030); for Airfield Operations Specialists it's Kentucky ($123,290).

Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors
Airfield Operations Specialists
Median salary
$61,540
$56,850
Hourly rate
$29.59/hr
$27.33/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$41,810
$35,870
Senior level (90th %)
$98,030
$102,120
Education required
Bachelor's degree
No formal educational credential
U.S. employment
37,310
15,190
Job growth (10-year)
-13.7%
4.2%
Category
Education
Transportation
Top-paying state
California
Kentucky

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors median pay.

State
Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors
Airfield Operations Specialists
California
$102,030
$62,600
Washington
$69,990
$84,050
Oregon
$65,700
$75,130
Virginia
$64,540
$72,250
Arizona
$61,750
$77,570
Michigan
$59,900
$61,780
Colorado
$51,170
$77,500
Idaho
$50,040
$62,510
Utah
$49,680
$59,780
Texas
$49,490
$60,910
New Mexico
$49,170
$69,090
Nevada
$48,930
$61,350
Alabama
$48,870
$78,590
Georgia
$47,540
$66,790
Kentucky
$44,990
$123,290

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors or Airfield Operations Specialists?

Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors earn more nationally. The median is $61,540 for Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors versus $56,850 for Airfield Operations Specialists, a difference of $5K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors or Airfield Operations Specialists?

Airfield Operations Specialists has the better 10-year outlook at 4.2% projected growth, compared to -13.7% for the other field. Both are from BLS Employment Projections.

Which requires more education, Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors or Airfield Operations Specialists?

Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors typically requires bachelor's degree. Airfield Operations Specialists requires no formal educational credential. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors get paid the most?

California is the top-paying state for Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors at $102,030/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors vs. Airfield Operations Specialists pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In California, Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors earn $102,030 vs. $62,600 for Airfield Operations Specialists. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors salary breakdownView →Full Airfield Operations Specialists salary breakdownView →Best cities for Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Airfield Operations Specialists by take-home payExplore →How to become a adult basic education, adult secondary education, and english as a second language instructorsGuide →How to become a airfield operations specialistsGuide →