Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
Production · SOC 51-2011
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 51-2011 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 4.9%
- Medium · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 47/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $65,380
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 2,500
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change -14.5%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 0
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 3,262 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
Best transitions from here
Explore all pathways→Lower AI-exposure roles that reuse your skills, ranked by a transition score (skills that transfer, safety gain, pay and retraining effort).
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
Assemble, fit, fasten, and install parts of airplanes, space vehicles, or missiles, such as tails, wings, fuselage, bulkheads, stabilizers, landing gear, rigging and control equipment, or heating and ventilating systems.
Common titles: A&P Technician (Airframe and Powerplant Technician), Aircraft Line Assembler, Assembler, Assembly Riveter, Helicopter Technician, Sheet Metal Assembler and Riveter (SMAR)
Representative Tasks
- •Assemble parts, fittings, or subassemblies on aircraft, using layout tools, hand tools, power tools, or fasteners, such as bolts, screws, rivets, or clamps.
- •Read blueprints, illustrations, or specifications to determine layouts, sequences of operations, or identities or relationships of parts.
- •Attach brackets, hinges, or clips to secure or support components or subassemblies, using bolts, screws, rivets, chemical bonding, or welding.
- •Inspect or test installed units, parts, systems, or assemblies for fit, alignment, performance, defects, or compliance with standards, using measuring instruments or test equipment.
- •Adjust, repair, rework, or replace parts or assemblies to ensure proper operation.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Assemble metal or plastic parts or products.
- •Assemble metal structures.
- •Review blueprints or other instructions to determine operational methods or sequences.
- •Adjust vehicle components according to specifications.
- •Cut industrial materials in preparation for fabrication or processing.
Tools & Technologies
Related Occupations
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 4.9% | 0.7% |
| Outlook | Average | 4% Bright |
| Median Salary | $65,380 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 95/100 | N/A |