Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between aircraft maintenance technicians and lead 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 a lead mechanic. Additionally, a lead mechanic has an average salary of $54,471, 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 a lead mechanic are hand tools, preventive maintenance, and HVAC.
| Aircraft Maintenance Technician | Lead Mechanic | |
| Yearly salary | $53,026 | $54,471 |
| Hourly rate | $25.49 | $26.19 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 4% |
| Number of jobs | 105,268 | 86,668 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 43% | Associate Degree, 31% |
| Average age | 40 | 49 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Aircraft Maintenance Technicians make commercial, government/private airplanes, and helicopters safe for their crew and passengers. They ensure that aircrafts meet Federal Aviation Regulations.
A lead mechanic coordinates the teams of mechanics and ensures the timely completion of repairs. Lead mechanics supervise their subordinates, order mechanical parts, and inspect their work making sure that the standards are met. They are responsible for repairing, overhauling, and maintaining vehicles or farm equipment. It is their job to provide support and give advice on matters associated with repairs. They also conduct road tests and maintain the repair of equipment. They should also have leadership and strong communication skills.
Aircraft maintenance technicians and lead mechanics have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Aircraft Maintenance Technician | Lead Mechanic | |
| Average salary | $53,026 | $54,471 |
| Salary range | Between $37,000 And $75,000 | Between $40,000 And $73,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Anchorage, AK |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | Alaska |
| Best paying company | Citi | California Resources |
| Best paying industry | Government | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an aircraft maintenance technician and a lead mechanic in terms of educational background:
| Aircraft Maintenance Technician | Lead Mechanic | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 43% | Associate Degree, 31% |
| Most common major | Aviation | Automotive Technology |
| Most common college | Purdue University | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred |
Here are the differences between aircraft maintenance technicians' and lead mechanics' demographics:
| Aircraft Maintenance Technician | Lead Mechanic | |
| Average age | 40 | 49 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 93.6% Female, 6.4% | Male, 96.8% Female, 3.2% |
| Race ratio | Black 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, 8.3% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.8% Asian, 2.1% White, 68.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 4% |