Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, & Systems Assemblers

Also Called:

Assembler,

Sheet Metal Assembler and Riveter (SMAR),

Sheet Metal Mechanic,

Structures Technician

What they do: 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.

Supply Chain & Transportation icon

Supply Chain & Transportation

Career Cluster

What do they typically do on the job?

  • Assemble parts, fittings, or subassemblies on aircraft, using layout tools, hand tools, power tools, or fasteners, such as bolts, screws, rivets, or clamps.
  • Read blueprints, illustrations, or specifications to determine layouts, sequences of operations, or identities or relationships of parts.
  • Attach brackets, hinges, or clips to secure or support components or subassemblies, using bolts, screws, rivets, chemical bonding, or welding.

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.

Cautiousness

Integrity

Attention to Detail

Dependability

Interests

Career interests describe the perspectives and interests of people who enjoy the type of work involved in this career.

Discover what your interests are by taking the Interest Profiler Quiz

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Realistic

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Conventional

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Investigative

Abilities

Whether you have received formal training or not, these types of abilities are helpful in this career.

Hand and Finger Use

  • Put together small parts with your fingers

  • Hold or move items with your hands

Ideas and Logic

  • Notice when problems happen

  • Order or arrange things

Verbal

  • Listen and understand what people say

  • Read and understand what is written

Skills

People who want to pursue this career have skills in these areas.

Basic Skills

  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements

  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions

Problem Solving

  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Does this sound like something you'd like to do?

1. Do some research

  • Identify how your interests, values, and strengths match this occupation
  • Talk to someone who works in this field or spend a day job shadowing
  • Use the colleges and training directory to explore programs related to this career

2. Plan your next move

  • Talk to your college and career counselor or school admissions staff
  • Visit Idaho Launch
  • Search for available Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, & Systems Assemblers jobs on Idaho Works

Data for NSI career cards comes from the following: Idaho Department of Labor, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, O*NET, MyNextMove, and Career OneStop