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The differences between aircraft maintenance supervisors and section chiefs 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 maintenance supervisor and a section chief. Additionally, a section chief has an average salary of $78,816, which is higher than the $77,005 average annual salary of an aircraft maintenance supervisor.
The top three skills for an aircraft maintenance supervisor include maintenance tasks, OSHA and airframe. The most important skills for a section chief are safety procedures, training programs, and professional development.
| Aircraft Maintenance Supervisor | Section Chief | |
| Yearly salary | $77,005 | $78,816 |
| Hourly rate | $37.02 | $37.89 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 62,560 | 13,655 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 49 | 49 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An aircraft maintenance supervisor heads a team of mechanics and technicians that maintains aircraft. They ensure that all protocols mandated by aviation regulations and policies are followed. They are responsible for ensuring that maintenance personnel work efficiently, adhere to safety guidelines, and maintain all assigned aircraft. An aircraft maintenance supervisor must have experience in aviation as well as having good communication skills and organizational skills.
A section chief's job varies with the type of organization. In most cases, a section chief is the head of a given section in an organization that is tasked with performing certain duties. A section chief is the head of a unit and provides leadership, motivation, and management of a section of employees. Their duties and responsibilities include reviewing and overseeing budgets, expenditure, and section activities.
Aircraft maintenance supervisors and section chiefs have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Aircraft Maintenance Supervisor | Section Chief | |
| Average salary | $77,005 | $78,816 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $97,000 | Between $37,000 And $163,000 |
| Highest paying City | Victorville, CA | Washington, DC |
| Highest paying state | California | New York |
| Best paying company | Airborne Maintenance & Engineering Services | Learjet |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Government |
There are a few differences between an aircraft maintenance supervisor and a section chief in terms of educational background:
| Aircraft Maintenance Supervisor | Section Chief | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 38% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Aviation | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred |
Here are the differences between aircraft maintenance supervisors' and section chiefs' demographics:
| Aircraft Maintenance Supervisor | Section Chief | |
| Average age | 49 | 49 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.7% Female, 5.3% | Male, 88.4% Female, 11.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.3% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 2.1% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% | Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 2.1% White, 67.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 4% |