Airfield Operations Specialists Salary
The median pay for a airfield operations specialists in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA is $86,880/year ($41.77/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $63K at the entry level to $130K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 110.42), so that salary is closer to $78,681 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,483/month, about 63.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $87K get you in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara’s Regional Price Parity (110.42). 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara sits well above the national pay line for airfield operations specialists, local pay runs about 53% higher than the U.S. median of $57K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $3,483/month, which is 64% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 10% above the national average (BEA RPP 110.42), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for airfield operations specialists in metros near San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $57K | $50K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $86K | $74K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $55K | $52K |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $62K | $58K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
Entry-level airfield operations specialists (10th percentile) start around $63K. Mid-career wages sit at $87K. Top earners bring in $130K or more, a $67K 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
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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a airfield operations specialist afford a 2BR apartment alone in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $87K, rent takes 64% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,483/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,600/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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new airfield operations specialists typically earn — is $63K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,773/month. At HUD’s $3,483/month FMR, rent would take 92% 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
Local pay is 53% above the national median — $87K here vs. $57K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 10% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara compare to the national average for airfield operations specialists?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara pays $87K median vs. the U.S. average of $57K — that’s +53%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 110.42), the purchasing-power equivalent is $79K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do airfield operations specialists make in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?
The median is $86,880 a year, that works out to about $42 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $62,890, and experienced airfield operations specialists can clear $129,990. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $87K enough to live in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,441/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,483/month, which eats 64% 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara?
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara has a Regional Price Parity of 110.42 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median airfield operations specialists salary is worth about $78,681 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.