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Aircraft maintenance technician vs aviation structural mechanic

The differences between aircraft maintenance technicians and aviation structural mechanics 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 technician and an aviation structural mechanic. Additionally, an aviation structural mechanic has an average salary of $61,535, which is higher than the $53,026 average annual salary of an aircraft maintenance technician.

The top three skills for an aircraft maintenance technician include FAA, airframe and powerplant. The most important skills for an aviation structural mechanic are landing gear, aircraft airframe, and structural components.

Aircraft maintenance technician vs aviation structural mechanic overview

Aircraft Maintenance TechnicianAviation Structural Mechanic
Yearly salary$53,026$61,535
Hourly rate$25.49$29.58
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs105,26836,647
Job satisfaction5-
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 43%High School Diploma, 41%
Average age4040
Years of experience44

Aircraft maintenance technician vs aviation structural mechanic salary

Aircraft maintenance technicians and aviation structural mechanics have different pay scales, as shown below.

Aircraft Maintenance TechnicianAviation Structural Mechanic
Average salary$53,026$61,535
Salary rangeBetween $37,000 And $75,000Between $46,000 And $82,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CA-
Highest paying stateNevada-
Best paying companyCiti-
Best paying industryGovernment-

Differences between aircraft maintenance technician and aviation structural mechanic education

There are a few differences between an aircraft maintenance technician and an aviation structural mechanic in terms of educational background:

Aircraft Maintenance TechnicianAviation Structural Mechanic
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 43%High School Diploma, 41%
Most common majorAviationAviation
Most common collegePurdue UniversitySUNY Farmingdale

Aircraft maintenance technician vs aviation structural mechanic demographics

Here are the differences between aircraft maintenance technicians' and aviation structural mechanics' demographics:

Aircraft Maintenance TechnicianAviation Structural Mechanic
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 93.6% Female, 6.4%Male, 87.4% Female, 12.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 23.1% Asian, 6.6% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%Black or African American, 9.3% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 23.7% Asian, 6.6% White, 54.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage2%2%

Differences between aircraft maintenance technician and aviation structural mechanic duties and responsibilities

Aircraft maintenance technician example responsibilities.

  • Manage the FOD prevention program to reduce costly repairs and increase the participation in FOD awareness and FOD walk downs.
  • Work in building maintenance HVAC, plumbing, and electrical systems.
  • Develop lesson plans using ISD utilizing PowerPoint, excel and word documents.
  • Prepare daily lesson plans, handout materials, overhead transparencies, PowerPoint slides, and other training aids.
  • Install, repair, troubleshoot aviation and navigation systems install on military aircraft
  • Maintain all photo and etch equipment.
  • Show more

Aviation structural mechanic example responsibilities.

  • Attain CDI, work center supervisor, and hydraulic contamination qualifications along with numerous others.
  • Work from SRM, TRM, AMM, EO and various other aircraft documentation to accomplish repair objectives.
  • Reinforce junior personnel's ability to utilize technical publications while performing maintenance thus increasing their ability to troubleshoot and repair discrepancies.
  • Maintain HAZMAT inventory as primary for AIMD.
  • Used x-ray machines to retrieve FOD from flaps.
  • Perform integrated combat turns and hot pit refuels.
  • Show more

Aircraft maintenance technician vs aviation structural mechanic skills

Common aircraft maintenance technician skills
  • FAA, 11%
  • Airframe, 11%
  • Powerplant, 9%
  • Ladders, 6%
  • Hand Tools, 5%
  • Aircraft Components, 5%
Common aviation structural mechanic skills
  • Landing Gear, 10%
  • Aircraft Airframe, 6%
  • Structural Components, 5%
  • Pneumatic Systems, 5%
  • Ground Support Equipment, 5%
  • Corrosion Control, 4%

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