Airfield Operations Specialists Salary
The median pay for a airfield operations specialists in Pittsburgh, PA is $54,090/year ($26/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $86K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.67), which stretches that salary to about $57,135 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,299/month, about 35.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $54K get you in Pittsburgh?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Pittsburgh’s Regional Price Parity (94.67). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About airfield operations specialists
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What this looks like in Pittsburgh
Airfield operations specialists pay in Pittsburgh tracks closely to the national median, $54K locally vs. $57K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,299/month, which is 35.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.67 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for airfield operations specialists in metros near Pittsburgh, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $82K | $80K |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh | $34K | $31K |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City | $42K | $37K |
| Cleveland | $58K | $62K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Pittsburgh, PA
Entry-level airfield operations specialists (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $54K. Top earners bring in $86K or more, a $52K spread from bottom to top.
Airfield Operations Specialists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Airfield Operations Specialists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | $123K | +117% | 290 |
| Washington | $84K | +48% | 150 |
| Alabama | $79K | +38% | N/A |
| Arizona | $78K | +36% | 160 |
| Colorado | $78K | +36% | 70 |
| Oregon | $75K | +32% | 50 |
| Virginia | $72K | +27% | 280 |
| Alaska | $72K | +26% | 160 |
| New Mexico | $69K | +22% | 50 |
| Georgia | $67K | +17% | 340 |
| California | $63K | +10% | 1,660 |
| Idaho | $63K | +10% | 40 |
| Michigan | $62K | +9% | 440 |
| Nevada | $61K | +8% | 150 |
| Texas | $61K | +7% | 1,310 |
| Utah | $60K | +5% | 290 |
| Florida | $58K | +1% | 2,320 |
| Ohio | $57K | +1% | 360 |
| Massachusetts | $56K | -1% | 380 |
| Pennsylvania | $56K | -2% | 340 |
| Oklahoma | $49K | -13% | 80 |
| Iowa | $49K | -14% | 40 |
| North Carolina | $46K | -19% | 610 |
| Mississippi | $44K | -22% | N/A |
| New Jersey | $42K | -25% | N/A |
| New York | $42K | -26% | 2,190 |
| Missouri | $40K | -29% | 310 |
| Tennessee | $40K | -29% | 190 |
| Wisconsin | $39K | -31% | 100 |
| South Dakota | $38K | -33% | 190 |
| Indiana | $38K | -34% | 350 |
| North Dakota | $38K | -34% | 80 |
| Montana | $34K | -40% | 90 |
| South Carolina | $34K | -41% | 90 |
| West Virginia | $29K | -50% | 60 |
Showing 1–10 of 35 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track airfield operations specialists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Pittsburgh numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a airfield operations specialist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Pittsburgh?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $54K, rent takes 35.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,299/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for airfield operations specialists in Pittsburgh?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new airfield operations specialists typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,054/month. At HUD’s $1,299/month FMR, rent would take 63% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is airfield operations specialist a high-paying job in Pittsburgh?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $54K locally vs. $57K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Pittsburgh compare to the national average for airfield operations specialists?
Pittsburgh pays $54K median vs. the U.S. average of $57K — that’s -5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.67), the purchasing-power equivalent is $57K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do airfield operations specialists make in Pittsburgh, PA?
The median is $54,090 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,230, and experienced airfield operations specialists can clear $85,820. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $54K enough to live in Pittsburgh?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,653/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,299/month, which eats 35.6% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a airfield operations specialists salary go in Pittsburgh?
Pittsburgh has a Regional Price Parity of 94.67 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median airfield operations specialists salary is worth about $57,135 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do airfield operations specialists get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.