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Aircraft deicer: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 28, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$40,450median pay per year, or $19.45 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $33,830lowest 10% earn less
  2. $35,74025th percentile
  3. $40,450median
  4. $46,83075th percentile
  5. $57,610top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[4]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[5]

Aircraft deicers fall under the BLS title aircraft service attendants, and their median pay was $40,450 a year in May 2025[1]. Jobs are projected to grow 5.6% by 2035, faster than the all-occupations rate[2][3].

Job growth, 2025–35
+5.6%[2]
Openings per year
4,000[6]
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent[7]

How much do aircraft deicers make?

The median wage for aircraft service attendants was $40,450 a year, or $19.45 an hour, in May 2025[1]. The average was $43,330 a year, or $20.83 an hour[8]. The median for all occupations in the US was $50,980[5], so this job's median sits below it.

The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $33,830 a year, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $57,610[4]. A percentile is a boundary, and BLS publishes percentiles, not a starting salary[9].

Measure Annual wage Hourly wage
10th percentile[4][10] $33,830 $16.26
25th percentile[4][10] $35,740 $17.18
Median[1] $40,450 $19.45
75th percentile[4][10] $46,830 $22.52
90th percentile[4][10] $57,610 $27.70

These figures cover wage and salary workers. They leave out self-employed people and do not include bonuses or the cost of benefits[11].

Pay by state and city

Maryland had the highest median wage among the 46 states with published data, at $71,740[12]. Tennessee ($56,620) and Hawaii ($53,770) followed[12]. West Virginia was last on that list at $30,840[12].

Texas had the most jobs, with 3,290[13]. Florida (2,340), California (2,300), Massachusetts (1,490) and New York (1,450) came next[13].

Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, Memphis, TN-MS-AR had the highest median at $56,620[14]. Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD was second at $53,890[14]. The New York-Newark-Jersey City area had the most jobs of any metro area, at 1,910[15].

Show median pay in 46 states
StateMedian per yearJobs
Maryland[12]$71,740240
Tennessee$56,620580
Hawaii$53,770290
Washington$50,520710
Minnesota$46,930380
Utah$46,900180
California$46,8002,300
Alaska$46,760300
Montana$46,310170
New Jersey$46,210920
Kansas$45,960260
New Hampshire$45,61060
New Mexico$45,280220
New York$44,6001,450
Colorado$44,5001,220
North Dakota$44,320120
Massachusetts$44,1901,490
Arizona$43,780540
Ohio$43,310770
Alabama$43,090400
Louisiana$42,930660
Georgia$42,630590
Wisconsin$42,00090
Maine$41,400160
Michigan$41,360230
Nevada$40,730720
Idaho$40,25080
Oregon$39,820470
Connecticut$39,230210
Virginia$39,210730
Illinois$39,070750
Kentucky$38,850400
Pennsylvania$38,830800
Texas$38,7203,290
Florida$38,4002,340
Arkansas$38,290110
Delaware$37,92040
Nebraska$37,530220
Indiana$37,390200
Mississippi$36,710260
Oklahoma$36,640240
Missouri$36,610420
Wyoming$36,360100
South Carolina$36,130290
Iowa$35,560160
West Virginia$30,84030

How to become an aircraft deicer

O*NET places the job in a group where some jobs need little or no previous experience and others need several months to a year[16].

What aircraft deicers and service attendants do

The job centers on servicing aircraft. That can include fueling, de-icing, refilling water and cooling agents, servicing air and oxygen systems, and cleaning the outside[17]. Typical tasks include:

Job outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035, from about 31,200 to 32,900 jobs[2]. These counts include self-employed workers[2]. Employment across all occupations is projected to grow 3.5%[3].

About 4,000 openings a year are projected on average[6]. Openings include jobs that come open when people retire or change occupations, not only new jobs[6]. Each year, 4.4% of workers leave the labor force and 7.6% move to another occupation[19].

Is it a good fit?

The entry path is short: a high school diploma or equivalent and short-term on-the-job training[7]. Pay is below the all-occupations median[1][5]. Growth is projected above the all-occupations rate[2][3]. Pay also differs by state, so the local figures matter[12].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[20].

Frequently asked questions

How much does an aircraft deicer make an hour?
The median was $19.45 an hour in May 2025, and the average was $20.83[1][8].
What education do you need to be an aircraft deicer?
BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry education[7].
Is aircraft deicer a growing job?
Employment is projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035, versus 3.5% for all occupations[2][3].
What is the highest paying state for aircraft deicers?
Maryland, with a median of $71,740 a year[12].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Aircraft Service Attendants in the US was $40,450 per year and $19.45 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Aircraft Service Attendants is projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035, from about 31,200 to 32,900 jobs (a change of +1,700). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Aircraft Service Attendants: 10th percentile $33,830, 25th percentile $35,740, 75th percentile $46,830, 90th percentile $57,610. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  6. BLS Employment Projections: about 4,000 openings for Aircraft Service Attendants are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Aircraft Service Attendants: education needed for entry: High school diploma or equivalent; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Aircraft Service Attendants was $43,330 per year and $20.83 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Aircraft Service Attendants: 10th percentile $16.26, 25th percentile $17.18, 75th percentile $22.52, 90th percentile $27.70. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. Median annual wage for Aircraft Service Attendants in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Aircraft Service Attendants jobs: Texas 3,290; Florida 2,340; California 2,300; Massachusetts 1,490; New York 1,450. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Aircraft Service Attendants (areas with at least 100 jobs): Memphis, TN-MS-AR $56,620; Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD $53,890; Urban Honolulu, HI $51,930; San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $50,570; Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $50,520; San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $50,140; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $47,200; Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $47,110. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Aircraft Service Attendants jobs: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 1,910 (median $45,250); Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH 1,390 (median $44,190); Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 1,280 (median $42,830); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 1,060 (median $47,200); Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 1,040 (median $41,910); Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 830 (median $36,480). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. O*NET 53-6032.00: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training. O*NET OnLine
  17. O*NET description of Aircraft Service Attendants. O*NET OnLine
  18. O*NET task list for Aircraft Service Attendants. O*NET OnLine
  19. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Aircraft Service Attendants: 4.4% of workers leave the labor force each year and 7.6% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  20. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.