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Aircraft engine specialist vs power plant technician

The differences between aircraft engine specialists and power plant technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an aircraft engine specialist and a power plant technician. Additionally, a power plant technician has an average salary of $46,681, which is higher than the $38,619 average annual salary of an aircraft engine specialist.

The top three skills for an aircraft engine specialist include test equipment, technical data and fighter. The most important skills for a power plant technician are plant equipment, preventive maintenance, and gearboxes.

Aircraft engine specialist vs power plant technician overview

Aircraft Engine SpecialistPower Plant Technician
Yearly salary$38,619$46,681
Hourly rate$18.57$22.44
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs4,78736,418
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 35%Associate Degree, 38%
Average age4040
Years of experience44

Aircraft engine specialist vs power plant technician salary

Aircraft engine specialists and power plant technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

Aircraft Engine SpecialistPower Plant Technician
Average salary$38,619$46,681
Salary rangeBetween $22,000 And $65,000Between $30,000 And $71,000
Highest paying City--
Highest paying state--
Best paying company--
Best paying industry--

Differences between aircraft engine specialist and power plant technician education

There are a few differences between an aircraft engine specialist and a power plant technician in terms of educational background:

Aircraft Engine SpecialistPower Plant Technician
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 35%Associate Degree, 38%
Most common majorFire Science And ProtectionAviation
Most common collegeStanford UniversityPurdue University

Aircraft engine specialist vs power plant technician demographics

Here are the differences between aircraft engine specialists' and power plant technicians' demographics:

Aircraft Engine SpecialistPower Plant Technician
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 89.1% Female, 10.9%Male, 95.2% Female, 4.8%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 20.3% Asian, 7.3% White, 56.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 23.2% Asian, 6.7% White, 55.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage2%2%

Differences between aircraft engine specialist and power plant technician duties and responsibilities

Aircraft engine specialist example responsibilities.

  • Perform schedule and unschedule maintenance on communication, radar, instrument, electrical/power distribution, and integrate weapons delivery systems.
  • Diagnose and troubleshot malfunctions in electrical and electronic components, including solid state and transistorize subsystems on UH-60A aircraft.

Power plant technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage the FOD prevention program to reduce costly repairs and increase the participation in FOD awareness and FOD walk downs.
  • Maintain and repair industrial machinery such as power transmission components, hydraulics, pneumatics, plumbing systems, and electro-mechanical components.
  • Perform unschedule aircraft line maintenance on 76 assign Cessna 402-C Utiliners.

Aircraft engine specialist vs power plant technician skills

Common aircraft engine specialist skills
  • Test Equipment, 15%
  • Technical Data, 9%
  • Fighter, 8%
  • Technical Orders, 7%
  • Airframe, 7%
  • FAA, 6%
Common power plant technician skills
  • Plant Equipment, 13%
  • Preventive Maintenance, 8%
  • Gearboxes, 7%
  • Electrical Equipment, 6%
  • Safety Procedures, 6%
  • Maintenance Procedures, 5%

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