How to become an aircraft loader
Official title: Aircraft loader
Also called: Air cargo ground crew, Air cargo handler, Air freight handler, Airport baggage handler, Baggage handler, Cargo handler, Goods loader (aircraft), Baggage Services Assistant, Baggage Services Officer, Cargo Assistant, Air cargo ground crew, Air cargo handler
Aircraft loader loads and unloads aircraft cargo. He/she stows cargo according to size, weight, type and destination of goods, following general loading instructions and unloads cargo from aircraft onto tractors. He/she lifts, transfers, arranges and secures baggage and cargo onto aircraft according to loading plans. He/she may weigh cargo before loading and keep records of loaded and unloaded items, secure cargo with tie-ropes or other fastenings and pad articles to prevent breakage.
Main tasks
- Carrying goods to be loaded on or unloaded from vans, trucks, wagons, ships, or aircraft
- Sorting cargo prior to loading and unloading
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Median pay: $38,592 a year. The middle half earn $28,824 to $45,300 a year.
- Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
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Questions people ask
How much does an aircraft loader earn in Singapore?
Median full-time pay is $38,592 a year (Ministry of Manpower (via data.gov.sg)). The middle half earn $28,824 to $45,300.
Will AI change the work of an aircraft loader?
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.
Sources
- Ministry of Manpower (via data.gov.sg): Resident Occupational Wages (Occupational Wage Survey) (June 2024 (data.gov.sg update 2026-04-01)), Singapore Open Data Licence v1.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
- International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
Updated 4 October 2026