Annual Salary
£21,000 to £28,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
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Swap to Distribution or Logistics or go back to all job sectors
Airport baggage handlers load and unload luggage and cargo from aircraft.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; on shifts
There will be
0.2% more Airport baggage handler jobs in 2027.
As a baggage handler, you would:
You could work on an aircraft, at an airport or in a warehouse.
Your working environment may be outdoors in all weathers.
You can get into this job through:
You could do a college course, which would teach you some of the skills and knowledge that could help you get into this job.
Courses include:
Colleges offering these courses are usually located in towns and cities near to major airports.
There are no set entry requirements for this route but it may help you to get in if you have:
You could apply for a place on an apprenticeship. These include:
These can take between 1 and 2 years to complete. You'll do on-the-job training and spend time at a college or training provider.
You'll usually need:
There are no specific entry requirements but some employers may prefer you to have some GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), particularly in maths and English.
Experience of warehouse work, forklift training or a large good vehicle (LGV) licence could be useful when applying directly for jobs.
You'll need to:
Seasonal work may be available, with large increases in the number of travellers during busy holiday periods.
With experience, you could work as a 'lead ramp hand', lining up planes ready for the next flight. You could also train staff on equipment and procedures.
You could move into:supervising and management; passenger handling operations; airport ground crew services
You can find out more about working as a baggage handler from Careers That Move.
You'll need: