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Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians

General Information

Description

Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul aircraft engines and assemblies, such as hydraulic and pneumatic systems.

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Business Breakdown

People in this career work in these sectors.

  1. Private, for profit60.17%
  2. Federal government35.71%
  3. State and local government2.59%
  4. Self-employed1.09%
  5. Private, not for profit0.41%

Workplace at a Glance

What you can expect to experience while on the job

  • Responsibility
  • Exposure to job hazards
  • Physical activity
  • Decision making
  • Repetitiveness
  • Level of competition
  • Time pressure

Industry areas

  • Transportation, Distribution & Logistics

Job Outlook

Overall employment of aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and technicians is projected to grow 6 percent from 2021 to 2031, about as fast as the average for all occupations. About 13,100 openings for aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and technicians are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

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Job Outlook

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Overall employment of aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and technicians is projected to grow 6 percent from 2021 to 2031, about as fast as the average for all occupations. About 13,100 openings for aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and technicians are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Similar Careers

Related Military Careers

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    • Aircraft Mechanics
      • Aircraft mechanics supervise or perform the inspection, service, and repair of the Military's fleet of helicopters and airplanes. These mechanics troubleshoot and maintain the aircraft’s structure, engines, and other components, including mission-critical features such as weapons and electronic warfare, and coatings for stealth purposes. Navigate to Military Career Page
    • Aircraft Engine Mechanics
      • Some aircraft mechanics in the Military work solely on the engines, or powerplants, of the aircraft. These mechanics troubleshoot and perform organizational, intermediate, and depot level maintenance on the engines and related components of the Military’s airplanes and helicopters. Aircraft engine mechanics must have specialized knowledge of the mechanical, electrical, and hydraulics principles applying to jet and turboprop engines. Navigate to Military Career Page
    • Non-Destructive Testers
      • Non-destructive testers find the smallest imperfections and take necessary corrective measures to keep the Military's equipment working safely. They utilize everything from x-rays to ultrasound to perform the job. Navigate to Military Career Page
    • Preventive Maintenance Analysts
      • Preventive maintenance analysts develop schedules to ensure the Military’s equipment is regularly inspected and maintained. They plan and control work methods, maintenance, and production schedules, operating procedures, and performance standards. They establish priorities and allocate resources to support mission requirements.   Navigate to Military Career Page
    • Unmanned Vehicle (UV) Operations Specialists
      • Unmanned vehicle operations specialists operate, maintain, and control the Military’s fleet of unmanned vehicles. These vehicles include unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), aerial systems (UAS), ground vehicles (UGV), surface vehicles (USV), and underwater vehicles (UUV). The specialists control these vehicles to perform reconnaissance and strike missions. They also operate sensors for target detection, deploy ground and air systems, and perform basic maintenance on systems as needed. Personnel normally specialize by the type of vehicle they operate. Navigate to Military Career Page
    • Welders and Metal Workers
      • Welders and metal workers deal with shaping, brazing, soldering, and forming metals to aid in different construction efforts that serve military missions worldwide. They install sheet metal products, such as roofs, air ducts, gutters, and vents. They also create custom parts to repair the structural components of ships, tanks, submarines, landing craft, buildings, and equipment. These enlisted workers use a wide range of skills, processes, and tools. Navigate to Military Career Page
    • Aerospace Engineers
      • Aerospace engineers direct research programs and design military aircraft and aerospace equipment. They serve as aviation technical specialists in air warfare research projects and supervise aircraft design projects from development to evaluation of experimental equipment. They formulate policies and coordinate procurement programs for aircraft and aircraft subsystems, and serve as engineering and technical management liaisons across military branches, contracting organizations, and other government agencies. Navigate to Military Career Page
    • Air Crew Members
      • Air crew members perform in-flight duties to ensure the successful completion of combat, reconnaissance, transport, and search and rescue missions. They perform inspections to ensure equipment is in working order and are responsible for properly storing cargo for flight. They operate, monitor, and perform limited maintenance on mission-critical systems. Their responsibilities may vary by type of aircraft, and include such tasks as operating mine sweeping, refueling, photography, and electronic warfare systems. Navigate to Military Career Page
    • Avionics Technicians
      • Avionics technicians inspect, service, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair avionics systems that perform communications, navigation, collision avoidance, target acquisition, and automatic flight-control functions. They perform operational tests on aircraft components to determine condition, analyze performance, and isolate malfunctions in the radar, sensors, weapons control, electronic warfare (EW), flight control, and engine control systems. They repair and replace systems and equipment when deficiencies are identified. Navigate to Military Career Page
    • Electrical Instrument and Equipment Repairers
      • Electrical instrument and equipment repairers install, maintain, and repair instruments and equipment, including communications equipment, radar and sonar systems, tactical data systems, and computers. They use a variety of approaches to troubleshoot and replace faulty components, subassemblies, and assemblies to restore instruments and equipment to optimum operating condition. Navigate to Military Career Page
    • Fleet Maintenance Managers
      • Fleet maintenance managers supervise and coordinate the repair and maintenance of the Military’s airplanes, ships, trucks, and other vehicles. They establish maintenance schedules, develop work procedures, and direct the operation of maintenance crews. They assist in fuel operations and may manage machine shops. From repairing equipment damaged in battle to providing preventive maintenance, these managers are critical for keeping the Military’s fleet strong. Navigate to Military Career Page
    • Flight Engineering Technicians
      • Flight engineering technicians perform aircraft inspections; including air crew visual inspection; aircraft maintenance; and preflight, through-flight, and postflight inspections. They perform aircraft-related administrative tasks, flight/ground training, internal/external cargo movement, and passenger transport. They also serve as crew members aboard military aircraft. Navigate to Military Career Page
No Information for this section

Salary

Average Salary

Salary

$65,380

Military salary*

$56,738

Explore this career in the Military

State-by-state Salary

Gray states indicate no data available

$83,360
$46,630
No Information for this section

Education

Most Common Education Levels

People in this career achieve this level of education.

  • Post-secondary certificate 60%
  • Associate's degree 24%
  • High school 12%
  • Bachelor's degree 2%
  • Some college 0%
  • Master's degree 0%
  • Doctoral degree 0%
  • Post baccalaureate 0%
  • Less than high school 0%
  • Post-doctoral training 0%
  • Post-master's certificate 0%
  • First professional degree 0%

Related College Majors

Select major to see colleges that offer it

Knowledge

  • Mechanical
  • Engineering and Technology
  • Mathematics
  • Chemistry
  • Customer and Personal Service

Skills at a Glance

Skills helpful in this career

  • Verbal skills
  • Critical thinking & problem solving
  • Equipment operation & maintenance
  • Math & science skills
  • Technology design & control
  • Leadership
No Information for this section

* Military pay may be higher based on specialty pays or bonuses. Learn more about Military benefits.

Data supplied by Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Center of Education Statistics, Defense Manpower Data Center (View our update schedule). Contact any business, college or military service branch to answer additional questions.