Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
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.
34,020 people do this job in the US. $65,380 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 4%
- 0%
- 96%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 3%. Today's estimate: 4%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 26 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Join structural assemblies, such as wings, tails, or fuselage.Done yearly or less by most who do it. | 14% | 5 h1.7 h to 2.5 work days | Stays with people | |
| Assemble prototypes or integrated-technology demonstrators of new or emerging environmental technologies for aircraft.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 9% | 6.7 h1.7 h to 3.3 work days | Stays with people | |
| Align, fit, assemble, connect, or install system components, using jigs, fixtures, measuring instruments, hand tools, or power tools.Done daily by most who do it. | 7% | 1.3 h25 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Set, align, adjust, or synchronize aircraft armament or rigging or control system components to established tolerances or requirements, using sighting devices and hand tools.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 7% | 1.7 h38 min to 5 h | Stays with people | |
| Fabricate parts needed for assembly or installation, using shop machinery or equipment.Done daily by most who do it. | 6% | 1.7 h25 min to 4.2 h | Stays with people | |
| Assemble parts, fittings, or subassemblies on aircraft, using layout tools, hand tools, power tools, or fasteners, such as bolts, screws, rivets, or clamps.Done daily by most who do it. | 6% | 1.3 h25 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Assemble prefabricated parts to form subassemblies.Done daily by most who do it. | 5% | 1.1 h17 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Position and align subassemblies in jigs or fixtures, using measuring instruments and following blueprint lines and index points.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 5% | 50 min17 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people | |
| Fit and fasten sheet metal coverings to surface areas or other sections of aircraft prior to welding or riveting.Done hourly or more by most who do it. | 4% | 1.3 h25 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Adjust, repair, rework, or replace parts or assemblies to ensure proper operation.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 1.3 h25 min to 4.2 h | Stays with people | |
| Inspect or test installed units, parts, systems, or assemblies for fit, alignment, performance, defects, or compliance with standards, using measuring instruments or test equipment.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 50 min17 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people | |
| Read blueprints, illustrations, or specifications to determine layouts, sequences of operations, or identities or relationships of parts.Done hourly or more by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 4% | 25 min8 min to 1.3 h | 97%Half by now |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Engine and Other Machine Assemblers8% now, 9% by 2028
- Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters5% now, 5% by 2028
- Electromechanical Equipment Assemblers5% now, 5% by 2028
- Electrical and Electronic Equipment Assemblers17% now, 17% by 2028
- Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic10% now, 13% by 2028
- Avionics Technicians6% now, 15% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).