Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul aircraft engines and assemblies, such as hydraulic and pneumatic systems.
- Median pay
- $79,870
- Doing it now
- 140,000
- By 2035
- Up 5.4%
- Usually needs
- Postsecondary nondegree award
a year
across the country
11,400 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Read and interpret maintenance manuals, service bulletins, and other specifications to determine the feasibility and method of repairing or replacing malfunctioning or damaged components.
- Inspect completed work to certify that maintenance meets standards and that aircraft are ready for operation.
- Maintain repair logs, documenting all preventive and corrective aircraft maintenance.
- Conduct routine and special inspections as required by regulations.
- Examine and inspect aircraft components, including landing gear, hydraulic systems, and deicers to locate cracks, breaks, leaks, or other problems.
- Inspect airframes for wear or other defects.
- Maintain, repair, and rebuild aircraft structures, functional components, and parts, such as wings and fuselage, rigging, hydraulic units, oxygen systems, fuel systems, electrical systems, gaskets, or seals.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansSee 24 colleges that teach it
- Agricultural MechanizationSee 24 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Hands-on and practical
Organised and precise
Analytical and curious
Careers like this one
- Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics$50,620
- Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines$65,510
- Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists$61,770
- Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians$56,550
- Avionics Technicians$82,280
- Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment$84,890
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $79,870 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.