1. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-State Tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
What is an Aircraft Mechanic?
Aircraft Mechanic have a big job. There's an emphasis on big because have you seen how big airplanes are? As an aircraft mechanic, you'll be responsible for repairing and providing scheduled maintenance on aircraft.
A lot of aircraft hang out near the airport, but where you'll actually be working could vary. Some work in hangars, others on the airfield. There's several ways you could become an aircraft mechanic. The majority learn through a Federal Aviation Administration approved aviation maintenance technician school. A few learn on-the-job. Some receive their training through the military. Whatever way you decide, just know there is no right way to becoming an aircraft mechanic.
What Does an Aircraft Mechanic Do
Aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and technicians repair and perform scheduled maintenance on aircraft. They also perform aircraft inspections as required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
How To Become an Aircraft Mechanic
Many aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and technicians learn their trade at an FAA-approved aviation maintenance technician school. Others enter with a high school education or equivalent and are trained on the job. Some workers enter the occupation after getting training in the military. Aircraft mechanics and avionics technicians typically are certified by the FAA. See Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 65, subparts D and E, for the most current requirements for becoming a certified mechanic.
Aircraft Mechanic Career Paths
In addition to switching up your job search, it might prove helpful to look at a career path for your specific job. Now, what's a career path you ask? Well, it's practically a map that shows how you might advance from one job title to another. Our career paths are especially detailed with salary changes. So, for example, if you started out with the role of crew chief you might progress to a role such as supervisor eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title maintenance director.
Aircraft Mechanic
Maintenance Director
11 Years
Maintenance Superintendent
11 Years
Maintenance Supervisor
7 Years
Electrical Supervisor
7 Years
Lead Mechanic
6 Years
Mechanical Maintenance Supervisor
7 Years
Show More
Average Salary for an Aircraft Mechanic
Aircraft Mechanics in America make an average salary of $60,496 per year or $29 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $87,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $41,000 per year.
Average Aircraft Mechanic Salary
$60,496 Yearly$29.08 hourly
What Am I Worth?
Roles and Types of Aircraft Mechanic
The role of an aircraft mechanic includes a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities can vary based on an individual's specific job, company, or industry.Here are some general aircraft mechanic responsibilities:
- Reads and interprets manufacturers' and maintenance manuals, opnav 4790, service bulletins, technical data, engineering data,
- 4 ten-hour days weekly. Important: due to contractual requirements, an airframe
- Performs inspections, functional checks, and preventive maintenance on assigned aircraft to include phase, daily, preflight, postflight,
There are several types of aircraft mechanic, including:
Mechanic
Role:
These are the people you run to when what your dad said would fix the light that came on in your car didn't actually work. There's a reason they're called mechanics.
Mechanics get down and dirty when it comes to repairing, inspecting and maintaining cars. While they generally work in well-ventilated repair shops, they usually come home with at least a little grease on their hands.
They don't just let anybody become a mechanic (we're looking at you, dad). Most mechanics complete a program at a postsecondary institution and become industry certified before they're qualified to work on your car. That way you know your car is literally in good hands.
- Average Salary: $47,149
- Degree: High School Diploma
Aircraft Maintenance Technician
Role:
As an Aircraft Maintenance Technician, you will be making helicopters and airplanes safe for passengers and crew members. You will ensure that the aircraft meets or adheres to the Federal Aviation Regulations.
You have an important job as an Aircraft Maintenance Technician. People's lives are in your hands; therefore, you need to be skilled and knowledgeable in what you do. Firstly, you need to be detail-oriented. There is little to no room for mistakes as an Aircraft Maintenance Technician. Next is dexterity; you will mostly use your hands when working, so you should be skilled in using those. Lastly, customer service skills are also essential. You will be dealing with a lot of people with different personalities, so you need to be able to communicate properly and efficiently regardless of the person you're talking to.
As an Aircraft Maintenance Technician, you have the chance to earn around $51,482 per year, and you also have the opportunity to explore other tasks or roles. For example, you can be an Aircraft Mechanic, Lead Mechanic, Maintenance Supervisor, and Maintenance Director.
- Average Salary: $53,026
- Degree: Associate Degree
Structures Mechanic
Role:
A structures mechanic is responsible for a wide range of structural assembly operations of machinery in a production department. He/She or she performs assembly, fabrications, repairs, and fittings of parts and structures to ensures that they meet the required specifications. They also carry out inspections to check how machines are operating and then create and maintain repair logs and records.
Structures mechanics mostly work in the manufacturing industry. In order to succeed in their role, they should have the relevant technical skills such as engineering. They should also have analytical skills, strong attention to detail, problem-solving skills, manual dexterity, communication skills, and the ability to work in a team.
Structures mechanics typically work 40 hours a week Monday to Friday from 9 to 5. They mostly work in a factory setting and may occasionally work long hours as well as over the weekends to complete urgent projects.
- Average Salary: $61,579
- Degree: Associate Degree
States With The Most Aircraft Mechanic Jobs
Mouse over a state to see the number of active aircraft mechanic jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where aircraft mechanics earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Average Salary: Job Openings:
Number Of Aircraft Mechanic Jobs By State
Top Colleges for Aircraft Mechanics
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,306
Enrollment
9,394
3. Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS • Private
In-State Tuition
$10,383
Enrollment
17,611
4. Baker College
Owosso, MI • Private
In-State Tuition
$9,800
Enrollment
8,319
5. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-State Tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
6. Worldwide Campus
Daytona Beach, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$9,360
Enrollment
10,254
7. Utah State University
Logan, UT • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,138
Enrollment
21,658
8. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$9,816
Enrollment
21,047
9. Lewis University
Romeoville, IL • Private
In-State Tuition
$32,450
Enrollment
4,217
10. Vermont Technical College
Randolph, VT • Private
In-State Tuition
$15,108
Enrollment
1,350
Top Skills For an Aircraft Mechanic
The skills section on your resume can be almost as important as the experience section, so you want it to be an accurate portrayal of what you can do. Luckily, we've found all of the skills you'll need so even if you don't have these skills yet, you know what you need to work on. Out of all the resumes we looked through, 11.1% of aircraft mechanics listed hand tools on their resume, but soft skills such as detail oriented and dexterity are important as well.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Aircraft Mechanic Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Aircraft Mechanic templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Aircraft Mechanic resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Aircraft Mechanic diversity
Aircraft Mechanic Gender Distribution
Male
93%
Female
7%
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among aircraft mechanics, 6.9% of them are women, while 93.1% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among aircraft mechanics is White, which makes up 54.7% of all aircraft mechanics.
- The most common foreign language among aircraft mechanics is Spanish at 58.2%.
Online Courses For Aircraft Mechanic That You May Like
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Full Time
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Best States For an Aircraft Mechanic
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as an aircraft mechanic. The best states for people in this position are Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, and New York. Aircraft mechanics make the most in Maryland with an average salary of $74,456. Whereas in Virginia and Delaware, they would average $73,904 and $71,796, respectively. While aircraft mechanics would only make an average of $70,433 in New York, you would still make more there than in the rest of the country. We determined these as the best states based on job availability and pay. By finding the median salary, cost of living, and using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Location Quotient, we narrowed down our list of states to these four.
1. Nevada
Total Aircraft Mechanic Jobs: 255
Highest 10% Earn:
$120,000
Location Quotient:
1.17
$69,861
Avg. Salary
2. Delaware
Total Aircraft Mechanic Jobs: 138
Highest 10% Earn:
$110,000
Location Quotient:
1.06
$71,796
Avg. Salary
3. South Carolina
Total Aircraft Mechanic Jobs: 552
Highest 10% Earn:
$99,000
Location Quotient:
1.18
$64,647
Avg. Salary
How Do Aircraft Mechanics Rate Their Jobs?
Top Aircraft Mechanic Employers
Most Common Employers For Aircraft Mechanic
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AECOM | $72,137 | $34.68 | 103 |
| 2 | PEMCO Corporation | $67,674 | $32.54 | 116 |
| 3 | PAE | $65,976 | $31.72 | 84 |
| 4 | Lear | $63,502 | $30.53 | 79 |
| 5 | Computer Science Corporation | $61,224 | $29.43 | 61 |
| 6 | Boeing | $59,669 | $28.69 | 297 |
| 7 | Northrop Grumman | $59,088 | $28.41 | 123 |
| 8 | AAR | $59,082 | $28.40 | 110 |
| 9 | Lockheed Martin | $58,533 | $28.14 | 254 |
| 10 | USAF Police Alumni Association | $58,170 | $27.97 | 476 |
Aircraft Mechanic Videos
Aircraft Mechanic
What is an Aircraft Mechanic?
Cheryl Meehan: Aircraft Mechanic
Becoming an Aircraft Mechanic FAQs
Do Aircraft Mechanics Make Good Money?
Yes, aircraft mechanics make good money. The median annual salary for an aircraft mechanic is just over $67,000 in a year. The average hourly wage for an aircraft mechanic is just over $32 per hour.
How Long Does It Take To Become An Aircraft Mechanic?
It typically takes two to four years to become an aircraft mechanic. This is because a career as an aircraft mechanic will require an associate degree. However, some employers may prefer aircraft mechanics with bachelor's-level training in aircraft mechanical technology.
Have more questions? See all answers to common installation, maintenance and repair questions.