How to hire aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Adjust, repair, rework, or replace parts or assemblies to ensure proper operation. • Assemble parts, fittings, or subassemblies on aircraft, using layout tools, hand tools, power tools, or fasteners, such as bolts, screws, rivets, or clamps. • Assemble prefabricated parts to form subassemblies. • Attach brackets, hinges, or clips to secure or support components or subassemblies, using bolts, screws, rivets, chemical bonding, or welding. • Clean aircraft structures, parts, or components, using aqueous, semi-aqueous, aliphatic hydrocarbon, or organic solvent cleaning products or techniques to reduce carbon or other harmful emissions. • Inspect or test installed units, parts, systems, or assemblies for fit, alignment, performance, defects, or compliance with standards, using measuring instruments or test equipment. • Mark identifying information on tubing or cable assemblies, using etching devices, labels, rubber stamps, or other methods. • Read blueprints, illustrations, or specifications to determine layouts, sequences of operations, or identities or relationships of parts. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: High school diploma or equivalent] • Strong active listening, critical thinking, monitoring, reading comprehension and speaking skills • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $31.43 an hour ($65,380 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to adjust, repair, rework, or replace parts or assemblies to ensure proper operation. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to assemble parts, fittings, or subassemblies on aircraft, using layout tools, hand tools, power tools, or fasteners, such as bolts, screws, rivets, or clamps. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to assemble prefabricated parts to form subassemblies. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to attach brackets, hinges, or clips to secure or support components or subassemblies, using bolts, screws, rivets, chemical bonding, or welding. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- How do you keep track of your own work quality during a busy shift or week? Give an example of catching a problem early.
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers do
- Adjust, repair, rework, or replace parts or assemblies to ensure proper operation.
- Assemble parts, fittings, or subassemblies on aircraft, using layout tools, hand tools, power tools, or fasteners, such as bolts, screws, rivets, or clamps.
- Assemble prefabricated parts to form subassemblies.
- Attach brackets, hinges, or clips to secure or support components or subassemblies, using bolts, screws, rivets, chemical bonding, or welding.
- Clean aircraft structures, parts, or components, using aqueous, semi-aqueous, aliphatic hydrocarbon, or organic solvent cleaning products or techniques to reduce carbon or other harmful emissions.
- Inspect or test installed units, parts, systems, or assemblies for fit, alignment, performance, defects, or compliance with standards, using measuring instruments or test equipment.
- Mark identifying information on tubing or cable assemblies, using etching devices, labels, rubber stamps, or other methods.
- Read blueprints, illustrations, or specifications to determine layouts, sequences of operations, or identities or relationships of parts.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers
- Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 1 to 2 years (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Moderate-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: -5.6% over ten years, declining · about 3,100 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Washington | $110,470 |
| Pennsylvania | $81,680 |
| Connecticut | $78,630 |
| Texas | $76,640 |
| Arizona | $73,930 |
| North Carolina | $51,930 |
| Utah | $51,130 |
| Arkansas | $46,290 |
See aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers pay in every state
Related hiring guides
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- Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers
- Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers
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Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: 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. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.