Avionics Technicians
Install, inspect, test, adjust, or repair avionics equipment, such as radar, radio, navigation, and missile control systems in aircraft or space vehicles.
- Median pay
- $82,280
- Doing it now
- 19,800
- By 2035
- Up 9.4%
- Usually needs
- Postsecondary nondegree award
a year
across the country
1,700 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Set up and operate ground support and test equipment to perform functional flight tests of electrical and electronic systems.
- Test and troubleshoot instruments, components, and assemblies, using circuit testers, oscilloscopes, or voltmeters.
- Keep records of maintenance and repair work.
- Coordinate work with that of engineers, technicians, and other aircraft maintenance personnel.
- Interpret flight test data to diagnose malfunctions and systemic performance problems.
- Install electrical and electronic components, assemblies, and systems in aircraft, using hand tools, power tools, or soldering irons.
- Adjust, repair, or replace malfunctioning components or assemblies, using hand tools or soldering irons.
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
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space EngineeringSee 76 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
- Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists$61,770
- Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians$79,870
- Electronic Equipment Installers and Repairers, Motor Vehicles$48,420
- Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment$84,890
- Motorcycle Mechanics$48,580
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 $82,280 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.