Airfield Operations Specialists vs Bridge and Lock Tenders: Similar Pay, 7.8% vs -2.3% Growth

Airfield Operations Specialists vs Bridge and Lock Tenders: what changes?

Consider Airfield Operations Specialists if you want to ensure the safe takeoff and landing of commercial and military aircraft. Consider Bridge and Lock Tenders if you would rather operate and tend bridges, canal locks, and lighthouses to permit marine passage on inland waterways, near shores, and at danger points in waterway passages. Both list high school diploma or equivalent; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Airfield Operations Specialists and Bridge and Lock Tenders. 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.

Compare the practical differences

Airfield Operations Specialists

National median pay (2025): $56,850
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Inspect airfield conditions to ensure compliance with federal regulatory requirements.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 1,500

Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (15,300 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Airfield Operations Specialists brief

Bridge and Lock Tenders

National median pay (2025): $57,700
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Control machinery to open and close canal locks and dams, railroad or highway drawbridges, or horizontally or vertically adjustable bridges.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 300

Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 2.3% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

See the full Bridge and Lock Tenders brief

How the national numbers differ

Airfield Operations Specialists has the edge on projected growth

Airfield Operations Specialists is at 7.8% projected growth, compared with -2.3% projected growth for Bridge and Lock Tenders.

Airfield Operations Specialists has the edge on annual openings

Airfield Operations Specialists is at 1,500 annual openings, compared with 300 annual openings for Bridge and Lock Tenders.

Typical preparation differs.

Airfield Operations Specialists: High school diploma or equivalent; More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing Bridge and Lock Tenders: High school diploma or equivalent; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing Preparation categories do not establish admission difficulty, calendar time, tuition, time without earnings, or licensing difficulty.

National pay benchmarks are very similar.

Compare actual offers, expected paid hours, schedule, and benefits before treating either career as the higher-paying option.

49.6/ 100

Airfield Operations Specialists

31.3/ 100

Bridge and Lock Tenders

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

Airfield Operations Specialists vs Bridge and Lock Tenders

Dimension	Airfield Operations Specialists	Bridge and Lock Tenders
Median pay (2025)	$56,850	$57,700
Pay percentile	42 percentile	43.3 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	7.8%	-2.3%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	1,500	300
2025 employment	15,300	3,100
How you qualify	High school diploma or equivalent; More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing	High school diploma or equivalent; One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 3	Job Zone 2
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	More than 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.	One month or less of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

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

Read Airfield Operations Specialists brief Read Bridge and Lock Tenders brief

Airfield Operations Specialists vs Bridge and Lock Tenders: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Airfield Operations Specialists

Bridge and Lock Tenders

How the national numbers differ

Airfield Operations Specialists has the edge on projected growth

Airfield Operations Specialists has the edge on annual openings

Typical preparation differs.

National pay benchmarks are very similar.

Airfield Operations Specialists vs Bridge and Lock Tenders

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