How To Become A Baggage Handler: What It Is and Career Path

What is a baggage handler and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Where do suitcases go after passengers check in at the airport? They don't just magically appear on the right plane. A team of baggage handlers at the airport works tirelessly to make sure that travelers get reunited with their precious suitcases at the end of their trip.

A baggage handler does a lot of lifting. They lift suitcases onto conveyor belts, onto transport vehicles, and onto planes. They need to have a lot of physical stamina because some of those bags can be heavy!

That doesn't mean that a baggage handler's job is as easy as lifting things up and putting them down. They also need to know how to operate machinery such as conveyor belts and tow tractors that transport suitcases to airplanes. A baggage handler also needs to have a good eye for details in order to make sure that suitcases get onto the right plane!

ScoreBaggage HandlerUS Average

Salary

3.3

Avg. Salary $41,779

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

6.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.94%

Asian 7.34%

Black or African American 13.14%

Hispanic or Latino 16.18%

Unknown 6.00%

White 56.41%

Gender

female 17.01%

male 82.99%

Age - 51

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 51

Stress Level

8.3

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

6.6

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

9.5

Work Life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a baggage handler

Explore baggage handler education requirements

Most common baggage handler degrees

High School Diploma

51.9 %

Bachelor's

15.6 %

Associate

14.6 %

Start to develop specific baggage handler skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	25.30%
Loaders	20.28%
Delta	10.22%
Belt Loaders	9.05%
Operational Processes	7.83%

Complete relevant baggage handler training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New baggage handlers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a baggage handler based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real baggage handler resumes.

Research baggage handler duties and responsibilities

Assist with cleaning and de-icing aircraft.
Help delta employees lift heavy suit cases and move them.
Receive shipment of delta cargo and safely store and deliver to customers/plane.
Work in extremely loud environment and work at height of planes de-icing.

Prepare your baggage handler resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your baggage handler resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a baggage handler resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Baggage Handler Resume templates

Build a professional Baggage Handler resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Baggage Handler resume.

Apply for baggage handler jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a baggage handler job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do baggage handlers rate their job?