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The differences between aircraft refuelers and aircraft maintenance 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 refueler and an aircraft maintenance technician. Additionally, an aircraft maintenance technician has an average salary of $53,026, which is higher than the $32,978 average annual salary of an aircraft refueler.
The top three skills for an aircraft refueler include customer service, FBO and private aircraft. The most important skills for an aircraft maintenance technician are FAA, airframe, and powerplant.
| Aircraft Refueler | Aircraft Maintenance Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $32,978 | $53,026 |
| Hourly rate | $15.85 | $25.49 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 3,254 | 105,268 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 44% | Associate Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Primarily, aircraft fuelers are responsible for fueling and maintaining aircraft of different sizes. The fuelers make sure that the fuel of the aircraft is ready for takeoff. They safely hook up and unhook the equipment, fill fuel for the airplane's wings, and fill out its fuel transaction forms. Their job includes quality control of the aircraft equipment on a daily basis. They must be comfortable in using numbers for the calculation of fuel weight and volume.
Aircraft Maintenance Technicians make commercial, government/private airplanes, and helicopters safe for their crew and passengers. They ensure that aircrafts meet Federal Aviation Regulations.
Aircraft refuelers and aircraft maintenance technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Aircraft Refueler | Aircraft Maintenance Technician | |
| Average salary | $32,978 | $53,026 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $43,000 | Between $37,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | Reno, NV | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Atlantic Companies Holding Corporation | Citi |
| Best paying industry | Government | Government |
There are a few differences between an aircraft refueler and an aircraft maintenance technician in terms of educational background:
| Aircraft Refueler | Aircraft Maintenance Technician | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 44% | Associate Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Business | Aviation |
| Most common college | SUNY Farmingdale | Purdue University |
Here are the differences between aircraft refuelers' and aircraft maintenance technicians' demographics:
| Aircraft Refueler | Aircraft Maintenance Technician | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.5% Female, 9.5% | Male, 93.6% Female, 6.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 22.9% Asian, 6.9% White, 54.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |