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Average Airfield Operations Specialist Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

An airfield operations specialist in United Kingdom earns about 79,000 GBP a year. That's 13% above the national average of 69,700 GBP.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in United Kingdom sit around 39,600 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 123,800 GBP. Everything on this page is in British pound (GBP, symbol £), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in United Kingdom, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.

To turn a gross salary in United Kingdom into a take-home figure, use our United Kingdom salary after tax calculator, which works the latest tax brackets and contributions through the math for you.

How much does an airfield operations specialist make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
79,000 GBP
6,583 GBP per month
Lowest reported
39,600 GBP
3,300 GBP per month
Highest reported
123,800 GBP
10,316 GBP per month

A typical airfield operations specialist working in United Kingdom brings home around 6,583 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 39,600 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 123,800 GBP for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior airfield operations specialist working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around. For a cross-country comparison, see the airfield operations specialist salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How airfield operations specialist pay ranges in United Kingdom

A good way to think about salary in United Kingdom is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all airfield operations specialists in United Kingdom earn less than 82,300 GBP a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 52,800 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 105,800 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of airfield operations specialists sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 39,600 GBP. The highest stretch to 123,800 GBP, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

39,600
Low
82,300
Median
123,800
High
52,800
25th
105,800
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Airfield operations specialist pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for an airfield operations specialist in United Kingdom, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical airfield operations specialist salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    46,000 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +28% from previous
    58,800 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +42% from previous
    83,300 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +24% from previous
    103,600 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +6% from previous
    109,700 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +4% from previous
    114,300 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 42%. That is the point at which a airfield operations specialist typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.

Airfield operations specialist pay by education in United Kingdom

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving airfield operations specialist pay in United Kingdom. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.

Below is the average airfield operations specialist salary in United Kingdom broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • Bachelor's Degree
    58,500 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +58% from previous
    92,500 GBP

Airfield operations specialist gender pay gap in United Kingdom

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and United Kingdom is no exception. Male airfield operations specialists in United Kingdom earn an average of 79,600 GBP a year, while female airfield operations specialists earn around 78,900 GBP. That works out to a 1% gap in favour of men, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

Airfield Operations Specialist gender pay gap

1%

Men earn this much more than women on average in United Kingdom.

Men 79,600 GBP
Women 78,900 GBP

Pay raises for an airfield operations specialist in United Kingdom

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in United Kingdom sees a raise of about 12% every 15 months, which works out to roughly 10% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in United Kingdom, the national average raise is around 9% every 15 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in United Kingdom:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
  • Construction
  • Education

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Airfield operations specialist bonus rates in United Kingdom

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

59%

59% of airfield operations specialists in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes an airfield operations specialist a moderate-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 6% of base salary. The remaining 41% of airfield operations specialists reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in United Kingdom

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

Airfield operations specialist: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in United Kingdom is about 7% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

6%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in United Kingdom on average.

Public sector 72,700 GBP
Private sector 68,200 GBP

Airfield operations specialist salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Airfield operations specialist pay is not even across United Kingdom. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities and regions in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • England
  • Scotland
  • London
  • Sheffield
  • Somerset
  • Birmingham
  • Bristol
  • Leicester
  • Edinburgh
  • Manchester
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion164,100 GBP165,900 GBP80,800-252,400 GBP
ScotlandRegion114,300 GBP114,300 GBP57,400-180,500 GBP
LondonCity99,900 GBP107,700 GBP43,800-158,900 GBP
SheffieldCity99,600 GBP99,700 GBP47,400-152,900 GBP
SomersetCity97,600 GBP90,600 GBP52,000-147,900 GBP
BirminghamCity97,400 GBP105,800 GBP45,000-152,700 GBP
BristolCity95,400 GBP97,100 GBP48,200-150,100 GBP
LeicesterCity95,100 GBP92,000 GBP47,400-146,700 GBP
EdinburghCity95,000 GBP95,000 GBP46,700-146,900 GBP
ManchesterCity94,800 GBP100,100 GBP45,300-146,900 GBP
GlasgowCity93,600 GBP94,300 GBP47,200-147,900 GBP
BrightonCity93,100 GBP95,200 GBP45,600-146,700 GBP
CardiffCity92,500 GBP86,800 GBP50,700-141,000 GBP
NottinghamCity92,300 GBP92,300 GBP46,300-141,000 GBP
LiverpoolCity91,200 GBP83,000 GBP47,400-138,700 GBP
CoventryCity91,000 GBP83,800 GBP48,600-137,100 GBP
LeedsCity90,900 GBP91,000 GBP45,900-142,100 GBP
PortsmouthCity89,200 GBP95,400 GBP40,700-142,300 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity88,300 GBP88,300 GBP45,600-140,700 GBP
YorkCity88,300 GBP91,600 GBP39,800-139,100 GBP
SouthamptonCity88,000 GBP88,000 GBP45,000-138,700 GBP
SwanseaCity88,000 GBP92,900 GBP43,500-140,700 GBP
PeterboroughCity87,900 GBP83,300 GBP46,700-137,100 GBP
BradfordCity87,800 GBP94,900 GBP41,400-141,000 GBP
AberdeenCity87,200 GBP88,600 GBP39,800-134,100 GBP
PlymouthCity86,800 GBP83,800 GBP46,200-134,100 GBP
NewcastleCity86,600 GBP90,900 GBP41,000-137,100 GBP
NorwichCity86,400 GBP86,600 GBP40,300-130,400 GBP
BelfastCity86,300 GBP87,900 GBP44,300-137,100 GBP
DerbyCity83,800 GBP78,200 GBP45,200-128,200 GBP
OxfordCity83,700 GBP80,800 GBP41,400-127,700 GBP
NewportCity83,700 GBP86,800 GBP39,500-128,400 GBP
DerryCity83,200 GBP83,200 GBP42,500-130,500 GBP
ArmaghCity83,000 GBP87,600 GBP38,900-132,000 GBP
WolverhamptonCity81,900 GBP92,300 GBP38,000-132,000 GBP
LincolnCity81,700 GBP78,500 GBP43,500-123,800 GBP
ExeterCity81,300 GBP86,600 GBP36,900-127,600 GBP
PooleCity81,000 GBP75,000 GBP44,300-123,000 GBP
DundeeCity80,900 GBP80,500 GBP40,900-123,800 GBP
HartlepoolCity80,300 GBP82,200 GBP39,300-128,200 GBP
LisburnCity79,700 GBP75,900 GBP38,000-121,800 GBP
NewryCity79,700 GBP73,800 GBP38,900-119,700 GBP
CanterburyCity79,000 GBP78,900 GBP42,000-124,500 GBP
ChesterCity79,000 GBP75,900 GBP41,000-123,000 GBP
CambridgeCity78,500 GBP78,500 GBP40,300-124,500 GBP
BangorCity78,500 GBP74,100 GBP40,200-117,100 GBP
StirlingCity78,500 GBP74,100 GBP42,300-119,700 GBP
DurhamCity78,400 GBP86,800 GBP35,000-127,700 GBP
GloucesterCity78,200 GBP80,400 GBP36,700-123,000 GBP
SalisburyCity77,000 GBP79,700 GBP34,900-117,100 GBP
WakefieldCity76,000 GBP73,700 GBP40,500-114,900 GBP
WellsCity75,500 GBP69,600 GBP40,300-114,900 GBP
KirkwallCity74,700 GBP71,600 GBP41,700-116,400 GBP
WalesRegion74,700 GBP77,000 GBP34,800-118,900 GBP
WinchesterCity74,700 GBP70,900 GBP39,800-116,400 GBP
RiponCity74,600 GBP79,000 GBP37,200-118,900 GBP
InvernessCity74,500 GBP70,000 GBP39,400-112,700 GBP
St DavidsCity74,300 GBP81,000 GBP36,500-119,700 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion74,100 GBP72,800 GBP36,700-112,700 GBP
AbingdonCity74,000 GBP69,100 GBP37,900-111,700 GBP
StrontianCity73,800 GBP77,000 GBP34,400-117,100 GBP
TruroCity73,500 GBP72,400 GBP39,500-114,900 GBP
StromnessCity70,000 GBP74,700 GBP30,700-112,700 GBP

Airfield Operations Specialist in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does an airfield operations specialist make per month in United Kingdom?

    An airfield operations specialist in United Kingdom earns about 6,583 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 79,000 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for an airfield operations specialist in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level airfield operations specialists in United Kingdom start near 39,600 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 123,800 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 52,800 and 105,800 GBP.

  • Is the median airfield operations specialist salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 82,300 GBP, higher than the average of 79,000 GBP. Half of airfield operations specialists in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for airfield operations specialists in United Kingdom?

    Men working as an airfield operations specialist in United Kingdom earn around 1% more than women on average (79,600 vs 78,900 GBP a year).

  • Do airfield operations specialists in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 59% of airfield operations specialists in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 3% to 6% of base salary.

  • Do airfield operations specialists earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

    In United Kingdom, the public sector pays an airfield operations specialist about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do airfield operations specialists in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    An airfield operations specialist in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 12% every 15 months, equivalent to roughly 10% a year.