Utah (20,167), New Mexico (18,034), and Colorado (17,999). Among the top 10 states with the highest number of public sector jobs, only Oklahoma and Virginia have more public sector aerospace employment than private sector jobs. Utah, which was previously part of this group in the 2020 aerospace report, has since experienced a significant decrease in public sector employment. This limited number of states underscores the critical importance of evaluating the role of public sector aerospace activity in Oklahoma and other states with similar structures. Air Force – Active Duty and Civilian. Air Force personnel have long played a key role in aerospace activity in Oklahoma and the Greater OKC region. Measured by the number of active-duty Air Force personnel, the state ranks 17th with 5,944 in fiscal year 2024. More importantly, Oklahoma ranks 1st among the states in the number of permanent civilian Air Force employees, with nearly all based at Tinker Air Force Base. Much of the strength of the overall state aerospace labor force is traced to 17,895 highly skilled permanent civilian Air Force employees working in the state. Oklahoma has consistently ranked at or near the top among the states the past two decades, currently rivaled only by Texas (16,331), Ohio (15,522), Georgia (14,816), Utah (12,776), and Florida (12,055), the only other states with 10,000 or more federal civilian Air Force personnel. Air National Guard/Air Force Reserve. Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve personnel are no less important components of the aviation market across the states. State-level Air National Guard units typically maintain active air wings in support of the defense mission of the Air Force. These personnel include flight crew, flight operations and management, aircraft maintenance specialists, intelligence, medical, and many other specialties. Concentrations of Air Guard personnel tend to be greater in larger states but also reflect proximity to large Air Force bases. Every state has an active Air National Guard with total personnel typically ranging from 1,000 to 3,000. Oklahoma ranks 17th with 2,188 Air National Guard members and 12th among the states with 1,780 Air Force Reserve personnel in fiscal year 2024. States with large numbers of active-duty Air Force personnel tend to have higher numbers of Reserve personnel. Approximately 20 states have very small numbers of Air Force Reserve personnel. These states also tend to have few Air Force civilian and active- duty personnel. FAA Civilian Personnel. The significant size of the FAA Center in Oklahoma City elevates Oklahoma to 4th among the states and the District of Columbia with 3,318 permanent civilian FAA workers in 2024. Oklahoma trails only Texas (3,889), the District of Columbia (3,676), and California (3,421) in permanent FAA employees.
Greater OKC Region Aerospace and Aviation - 2025
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