Airports Council International Compensation Survey USA - 2025


Airports

Current Survey Status

Still Accepting Input!

Participating This Year?

Click Here to let us know if you plan on participating in the survey this year, or if you need further information!

Contact Us

Ellie Nakhforoush
+1 408 571 6378
ellie@wmgnet.com

Steve Treder
+1 408 337 0304
stevet@wmgnet.com

PolicyCentral

Compensation related policy and practices information for our surveys is collected and analyzed at PolicyCentral, with over 100 topics from which you can choose.

Learn more

Need Help?
Call us at +1 408 399 4900 
or send an e-mail to:
policycentral@wmgnet.com

Survey Blog

2025 Survey Materials Available
25 July 2024

2024 Survey Results Available on DataCentral®
27 February 2024

2023 Survey Results Available on DataCentral®
27 February 2023

2022 Survey Results Available on DataCentral®
16 February 2022

2021 Survey Results Available on DataCentral®
08 February 2021

2020 Survey Results Available on DataCentral®
07 February 2020

2019 Survey Results Available on DataCentral®
01 February 2019

2018 Survey Results Available on DataCentral®
06 February 2018

2017 Survey Results Available on DataCentral®
01 February 2017

2016 Survey Results Available on DataCentral®
05 February 2016

Western Management Group has been engaged by the Airports Council International – North America to develop and conduct the annual compensation survey of positions which are unique within Airports/Airport Authority organizations within the United States.

In creating this survey, we consulted with ACI-NA and its Compensation and Benefits Survey Working Group (C&B Working Group), whose members have extensive HR backgrounds.  The survey is designed to create airport human resource profiles, (e.g., governance, annual budget, employment demographics) in three principal areas: compensation, human resource policies and practices, and benefits.  

The 2024 survey results included participation from 135 U.S. airports.

We also have a Canadian version of the ACI-NA Compensation and Benefits Survey.


Advisory / Design Team

We would like to thank the members of the Advisory / Design Team, for their support and assistance in designing this survey.

Edmonton Regional Airports Authority
Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport District
Houston Airport System
Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority
Sacramento County Airport System
Tucson Airport Authority
Victoria Airport Authority
Wayne County Airport Authority


Key Features

  • Total Cash Compensation data including Base Salary,  Performance Bonuses, Team Awards, Discretionary Bonuses, and Profit Sharing/Gainsharing
  • Geographic breakouts of data for major regions, states, and over 100 major metropolitan areas throughout the U.S.
  • Breakouts available by revenue, budget, headcount, total passengers, total cargo, governance type and airport size
  • 135 U.S. participants were included in the 2024 edition
  • 138 benchmark jobs, each with detailed job descriptions

New This Year

New Survey Jobs

Manager GIS
GIS Analyst
Manager Pass and ID

Please refer to the survey Input Instructions for a full list of updated and revised survey content.


Survey Schedule

July 2024
1 August 2024
1 November 2024                                   
1 November 2024
 February 2025
Distribution of Input Materials
Effective Date of Data 
Deadline for Submission of Data - Extended to 27 December 2024
Deadline for Submission of PolicyCentral®
 benefits and policy information 
Results available to participants via DataCentral®

Survey Fees

All survey results are delivered via our DataCentral® online survey report tool, and the report fees for your company will depend on the size of your airport. 

With DataCental you will have YEAR ROUND access to both the Standard Reports which includes data from ALL participants on ALL jobs, and the Custom Reports where you can create your own report selections based on your choice of companies, product sectors, geographies, revenue, etc. With the Custom Report you have complete control of the complexity of analyses, comparisons, and customization of results from the survey database, and you can run an unlimited number of reports to satisfy your needs on a 24x7 basis. All results are provided in both PDF and XLS Formats, including uploadable XLS versions.

Airport Size    Fee
Large $ 4,500
Medium $ 2,650
Small-A $ 1,400
Smallest-B $ 550

Your airport size is determined by ACI-NA.  It is formula-based and a function of the airport’s passenger and cargo activity.  The passenger and cargo levels are accounted for through the determination of an airport’s “traffic units” (TUs), as defined by ACI-NA.

Survey Discounts

We firmly believe in rewarding our survey participants for helping to make our surveys better. You can earn significant discounts this year!

On-Time Discount if you submit your data by 1 November 2024

$ 100 for Large Airports
$ 75 for Medium Airports
$ 50 for Small-A Airports
$ 25 for Smallest-B Airports

Early Order Discount if you place your report order by 31 January 2025 - just complete the "Order Details" worksheet on your SmartScreen®

$ 100 for Large Airports
$ 75 for Medium Airports
$ 50 for Small-A Airports
$ 25 for Smallest-B Airports

Previous Participant Discount for all 2024 ACI-NA Compensation Survey Participants

$ 550 for Large Airports
$ 350 for Medium Airports
$ 225 for Small-A Airports
$ 135 for Smallest-B Airports

PolicyCentral® Discount if you complete/update the "CORE" topics in PolicyCentral as shown in the Input Instructions

$ 100 for Large Airports
$ 75 for Medium Airports
$ 50 for Small-A Airports
$ 25 for Smallest-B Airports


Survey Results and Samples - DataCentral®

There are two levels of results access available depending on your needs…whether you only need the Standard Report in PDF or XLS format covering ALL of the participants and ALL of the jobs, or Custom Report access which provides complex reporting “drill-down” capabilities.  Regardless of the level chosen, all participants will receive a FULL YEAR of 24x7 access to DataCentral® to download your reports online, or run unlimited Custom Reports and get immediate results. Both levels described below will provide the analyses in both PDF and XLS Formats.

STANDARD DOWNLOADABLE REPORTS 
Download the full survey Standard Report which contains ALL data from ALL participants.  Your data is included in the computation of job data statistics and totals.  Available in both Adobe Acrobat.pdf and Excel.xls formats, at no additional cost. 

  • Job Descriptions:  Uploadable job descriptions in Excel, Word and Adobe Acrobat are also provided at no additional cost.
  • Summary Report:  Displays a line of data for each job, including basic statistics such as:
Average or Median Actual Base Pay 
Average or Median Performance Based Variable Cash
Average or Median Profit Sharing/Gain Sharing

Total Number of Incumbents 
Total Number of Companies

View a sample of the Summary Report

  • Detail Report:  Provides a full page of data analysis for each job, including statistics on each pay element such as:
90th, 75th, 50th, 25th 10th Percentiles 
Number of Employees Reported 
Employee Weighted Average 
Number of Companies 
Company Weighted Average
Earnings Mix: Showing Base, Bonus and Profit Sharing/Gain Sharing as a percentage of Total Cash  
Prevalence and Impact Statistics and Analysis for various Pay Elements

View a sample of the Detail Report

  • Breakout Report:  Includes Employee Weighted Average or Median pay data for each job broken out by Geographic Area, Revenue, Airport Size, Headcount, Cargo, Passengers, and more.
Average or Median Actual Base Pay 
Average or Median Performance Based Variable Cash
Average or Median Profit Sharing/Gain Sharing
Average or Median Actual Total Compensation
Total Number of Incumbents 
Total Number of Companies 

View a sample of the Breakout Report
  • Uploadable Excel Report:  Provides a job-by-job spreadsheet report with all of the major statistics and pay elements laid out in a readily uploadable format for third party analysis software.
CUSTOM GENERATED REPORTS 
The Custom Report Option offers detailed and full customized reporting capability.  Ideal for participants who need reports based on a selected set of participants or to meet specific scoping criteria.  You have complete control and flexibility in defining your own reports to include the pay elements and statistics you require.

Airport Size by Revenue or Employment
Governance Type
Geographic Area
Data Elements and Statistics Calculations
Custom Percentiles
Standard Deviations
Weighted and Simple Averages
Data Aging

And much more!

Includes all of the above reports from the Standard level PLUS

  • Uploadable Excel Breakout Report:  Similar to the Uploadable Excel Report above, PLUS adds the ability to split the results into categories such as Region or State.
  • Market Comparison Report:  Provides a tabular and graphic comparison of your own company data to that of your selected market. An easy way to show competitive standing of your company.
View a sample of the Market Comparison Report

For a live demonstration of the power, flexibility and capabilities of DataCentral go to www.wmgnet.com and scroll down to ”Our Features” under “DataCentral” and click on “Take a Test Drive”, or call Ellie Nakhforoush at +1 408 571 6378 for additional guidance.

Recent Participants - 2024

A.B. Won Pat International Airport Authority, Guam
Akron-Canton Airport
Albert J Ellis Airport
Allegheny County Airport Authority
Appleton International Airport
Arapahoe County Public Airport Authority
Auburn University Regional Airport
Austin Bergstrom International Airport
Bishop International Airport Authority
Bismarck Airport
Bloomington Normal Airport Authority
Broward County Aviation Department
Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority
Capital Region Airport Authority
Capital Region Airport Commission
Casper/Natrona County International Airport
Cedar Rapids Airport Commission
Charleston County Aviation Authority
Charlotte County Airport Authority
Charlotte Douglas International Airport
Charlottesville - Albermarle Airport Authority
Chesapeake Airport Authority
Chicago Department of Aviation
City and County of Denver
City of Albuquerque Aviation Department
City of Atlanta Department of Aviation
City of Boise Airport
City of Dallas Department of Aviation
City of Little Rock Airport Commission
City of Palm Springs - Department of Aviation
City Of Phoenix Aviation Department
City of San Antonio - Aviation Department
City of Springfield Airport Board
Clark County Department of Aviation
Cleveland Airport System
Coastal Carolina Regional Airport
Colorado Springs Municipal Airport
Columbia Metropolitan Airport
Columbus Regional Airport Authority
Connecticut Airport Authority
Dallas - Fort Worth International Airport Board
Des Moines Airport Authority
Dothan-Houston County Airport Authority
Durango-La Plata County Airport
El Paso International Airport
Erie Regional Airport Authority
Eugene Airport
Fayetteville Regional Airport
Flathead Municipal Airport Authority
Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority
Friedman Memorial Airport
General Mitchell International Airport
Gerald R. Ford International Airport Authority
Grand Forks Regional Airport Authority
Grand Junction Regional Airport Authority
Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority
Greater Baton Rouge Airport District
Greater Orlando Aviation Authority
Green Bay - Austin Straubel International Airport
Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport District
Hillsborough County Aviation Authority
Houston Airport System
Huntsville-Madison County Airport Authority
Idaho Falls Regional Airport
Indianapolis Airport Authority
Jackson County Airport Authority
Jacksonville Aviation Authority
John Wayne Airport - County of Orange
Kenton County Airport Board
Lafayette Airport Commission
Lancaster Airport Authority
Lee County Port Authority
Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority
Long Beach Airport
Louisville Regional Airport Authority
Lynchburg Regional Airport
Manchester - Boston Regional Airport
Maryland Aviation Administration
MBS International Airport Commission
McClellan Jet Services
Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority
Meridian Airport Authority
Metropolitan Airport Authority of Rock Island County
Metropolitan Airports Commission, Minneapolis - St. Paul
Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority
Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority
Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority
Missoula County Airport Authority
Morristown Municipal Airport
Municipal Airport Authority The City of Fargo
New Orleans Aviation Board
Norfolk Airport Authority
Northwest Arkansas National Airport
Oakland International Airport - Port Of Oakland
Oklahoma City Airport Trust
Omaha Airport Authority
Ontario International Airport Authority
Pease Development Authority
Pensacola International Airport
Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport
Philadelphia Division of Aviation
Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority
Piedmont Triad Airport Authority
Port of Portland
Port of Seattle
Portland International Jetport
Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority
Rapid City Regional Airport
Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority
Roanoke Regional Airport Commission
Rochester Airport Company
Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport
Salt Lake City Department of Airports
San Bernardino International Airport Authority
San Diego County Regional Airport Authority
San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport
Santa Barbara Airport
Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority
Savannah Airport Commission
Snohomish County Airport (Paine Field)
South Texas Regional Airport - City of Hondo
Spokane Airport Board
St. Joseph County Airport Authority
St. Louis Regional Airport Authority
Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority
Syracuse Regional Airport Authority
Tri-Cities Airport Authority
Tucson Airport Authority
Tulsa Airports Improvement Trust
Tweed-New Haven Regional Airport
University of Illinois Willard Airport
Watertown International Airport
Wayne County Airport Authority
Williston Basin International Airport, City of Williston
Yuma County Airport Authority

Survey Job Coverage

NEW AND REVISED POSITIONS INDICATED IN BOLD RED ITALICS

C-SUITE

Chief Executive Officer-Aviation & Port (CEO)
Chief Executive Officer-Aviation Only (CEO)
Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Chief Audit Officer
Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
Chief Engineering Officer

ACCOUNTING / FINANCE / AUDIT / PROCUREMENT

Director Finance and Administration
Manager Accounting
Supervisor Accounting
Supervisor Accounts Payable
Supervisor Accounts Receivable
Controller
Treasurer
Manager Grants
Grants Specialist
Budget Manager
Rates and Charges Specialist
Finance / Accounting Assistant
Manager Audit
Internal Auditor
Risk Manager
Director of Procurement
Manager Procurement and Contracts

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES

Director Information Technology and Telecommunications
Manager Information Technology
Information Technology Administrator
Information Technology Technician
Information Technology Support Specialist
Manager GIS
GIS Analyst


LEGAL / HUMAN RESOURCES

General Counsel
Senior Staff Attorney
Staff Attorney
Director Human Resources and Administration
Director Human Resources
Manager Human Resources 2
Manager Human Resources 1
Human Resources Generalist
Equal Employment Opportunity Specialist (EEO)
Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Programs Manager (DBE)
Human Resources Assistant

MAINTENANCE / GROUNDS

Director Facilities Maintenance
Manager Facilities Maintenance
Supervisor Facilities Maintenance
Manager Airfield Maintenance
Supervisor Airfield Maintenance
Airfield Electrician Lead
Airfield Electrician
Electro/Mechanical Systems Technician
Airfield Equipment Operator
Airport Maintenance Operator 3
Airport Maintenance Operator 2
Airport Maintenance Operator 1
Dispatcher - Maintenance
Manager Environmental Programs
Environmental Services Program Manager
Environmental Services Specialist
Noise Abatement Program Manager
Noise Abatement Analyst
Manager Wildlife Program
Wildlife Management Specialist
Supervisor Fleet Maintenance
Fleet Maintenance / Equipment Technician
Asset Manager

MARKETING / PUBLIC RELATIONS

Vice President Business Development & Marketing
Manager Marketing
Marketing & Advertising Specialist
Director Public or Government Affairs
Manager Public or Government Affairs
Public or Government Affairs Specialist
Manager Airport Art Program
Airport Art Program Coordinator
Community Programs Manager
Director Customer Experience
Customer Relations Manager
Customer Service Representative/Receptionist

OPERATIONS

Manager Airport
Manager Airport Operations
Airport Operations Duty Manager
Airport Operations Specialist
Airport Operations Duty Agent
Director Commercial Services
Manager General Aviation
Aircraft Attendant Line Services
Manager Aviation Services
Manager Parking and Ground Transportation
Manager Ground Transportation
Manager Parking
Manager Communications Center
Supervisor Communications Center
Dispatcher - Emergency
Dispatcher/Receptionist - Non Emergency
Manager Pass and ID
Supervisor Pass and ID
Pass and ID Clerk
Supervisor Airport Traffic Enforcement
Transportation Coordinator
Airport Traffic Officer
Airport Baggage Handling System Analyst

PLANNING / CONCESSIONS / DEVELOPMENT

Director Business Development
Manager Air Service Development
Director Airport Planning
Manager Airport/Airspace Planning
Airport Architect
Planner
Program Manager - Technical
Project Manager - Technical
Program Manager - Non-Technical
Project Manager - Non-Technical
Director Real Estate
Manager Real Estate/Concessions
Property Administrator
Properties Specialist 2
Properties Specialist 1
Manager Airport Construction
Airport Engineer
Construction Project Coordinator

SECURITY / SAFETY

Director Public Safety
Manager Airport Security
Emergency Preparedness Specialist
Security Operations Specialist 2
Security Operations Specialist 1
Public Safety Chief
Public Safety Captain
Public Safety Officer
Airport Police Chief
Airport Police Captain
Airport Police Sergeant
Airport Canine Handler
Airport Police Officer
Airport Fire Chief
Airport Fire Captain
Airport Fire Lieutenant
Airport Fire Fighter
Airport Fire Fighter Paramedic
Safety Program Manager