Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors vs First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators: $58K vs $63K Median Pay

Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors vs First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators: what changes?

Consider Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors if you want to supervise and coordinate the activities of ground crew in the loading, unloading, securing, and staging of aircraft cargo or baggage. Consider First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators if you would rather directly supervise and coordinate activities of material-moving machine and vehicle operators and helpers. Entry credentials differ: Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors, high school diploma or equivalent; First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators, specialty requirements need verification. Prior experience in a related occupation is typically needed for Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors (less than 5 years).

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors and First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

The labor-market benchmark for First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators covers the broader BLS group First-line supervisors of transportation and material moving workers, except aircraft cargo handling supervisors (53-1047). It does not isolate this specialty.

Compare the practical differences

Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors

National median pay (2025): $58,170
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: less than 5 years
Prior related experience: Prior related experience: less than 5 years.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Determine the quantity and orientation of cargo, and compute an aircraft's center of gravity.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 900

Know before you choose

BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

See the full Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors brief

First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators

National median pay (2025): $62,890
Route into the job: specialty-specific preparation that needs verification with programs and employers; the broader BLS occupation's education category is not a verified route for this specialty
Prior related experience: Prior experience requirements need verification for this occupation.
Training and licensing: Verify the specialty's training, licensing, and full preparation time with an accredited program or employer.
Work to investigate: Enforce safety rules and regulations.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 54,900

Know before you choose

Review the full career brief for day-to-day working conditions.

See the full First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators brief

How the national numbers differ

First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators has the edge on annual openings

First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators is at 54,900 annual openings, compared with 900 annual openings for Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors.

Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors has the edge on projected growth

Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors is at 9.2% projected growth, compared with 3% projected growth for First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators.

Typical preparation differs.

Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors: High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: less than 5 years First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators: specialty-specific preparation that needs verification with programs and employers; the broader BLS occupation's education category is not a verified route for this specialty Preparation categories do not establish admission difficulty, calendar time, tuition, time without earnings, or licensing difficulty.

First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators has the edge on median pay

First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators is at $62,890, compared with $58,170 for Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors.

52.8/ 100

Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors

63.1/ 100

First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors vs First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators

Dimension	Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors	First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators
Median pay (2025)	$58,170	$62,890
Pay percentile	44 percentile	53.2 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	9.2%	3%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	900	54,900
2025 employment	9,700	621,500
How you qualify	High school diploma or equivalent; Prior related experience: less than 5 years	specialty-specific preparation that needs verification with programs and employers; the broader BLS occupation's education category is not a verified route for this specialty
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 2	Job Zone 3
Related work experience	Prior related experience: less than 5 years.	Prior experience requirements need verification for this occupation.
On-the-job training	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.	Verify the specialty's training, licensing, and full preparation time with an accredited program or employer.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors brief Read First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators brief

Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors vs First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors

First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators

How the national numbers differ

First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators has the edge on annual openings

Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors has the edge on projected growth

Typical preparation differs.

First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators has the edge on median pay

Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors vs First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators

Try another comparison

Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors vs First-Line Supervisors of Helpers, Laborers, and Material Movers, Hand

First-Line Supervisors of Material-Moving Machine and Vehicle Operators vs First-Line Supervisors of Helpers, Laborers, and Material Movers, Hand