These experts maintain and repair all types of aircraft, from planes to helicopters, balloons, and blimps. Their duties include diagnosing electrical and mechanical issues and replacing defective and worn parts. They conduct maintenance checks on aircraft to prevent problems before they happen. They may conduct testing on the communication and diagnostic systems of a plane. Also, they may decide to work on one specific part of a plane, such as an aircraft engine, structure, or frame. Additionally, they generate performance statistics and other operational data.

The minimum educational requirement for this role is a high school diploma or its equivalent. However, applicants can earn certificates in aircraft mechanics, aircraft technology, aviation science, or aviation mechanics. You must possess communication, troubleshooting, attention to detail, maths, and mechanical skills. Also, you must have at least two years of relevant work experience. You'll be earning $57,988 on average yearly. It ranges between $38,000 and $88,000.

What Does an Aircraft Technician Do

There are certain skills that many aircraft technicians have in order to accomplish their responsibilities. By taking a look through resumes, we were able to narrow down the most common skills for a person in this position. We discovered that a lot of resumes listed detail oriented, dexterity and strength.

Learn more about what an Aircraft Technician does

How To Become an Aircraft Technician

If you're interested in becoming an aircraft technician, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 28.7% of aircraft technicians have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 2.6% of aircraft technicians have master's degrees. Even though some aircraft technicians have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

Learn More About How To Become an Aircraft Technician

Aircraft Technician Career Paths

Average Salary for an Aircraft Technician

Aircraft Technicians in America make an average salary of $50,212 per year or $24 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $69,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $36,000 per year.
Average Aircraft Technician Salary
$50,212 Yearly
$24.14 hourly

What Am I Worth?

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Roles and Types of Aircraft Technician

The role of an aircraft technician 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 technician responsibilities:

  • Work on aircraft, components, or related parts of aircraft as a sheet metal technician perform work outlined on applicable work forms in accordance with gpm procedures, manufacturer's manuals,
  • Carry out assigned work in an expeditious manner, exercising sound judgment in executing each work project accomplish all work in compliance with procedures
  • 1) communicate as required to receive

There are several types of aircraft technician, including:

Technician

Role:

To be a technician, you have to know your stuff. Some may refer to you as an expert in your field or maybe people will know you as skilled in an art or craft. Then again, you may just be needed to look after technical equipment.

Your workload as a technician will vary, depending on what you're trained in. You may be needed to set up a new computer system or maybe you'll need to fix an electricity problem. Either way, you'll probably only need to work 40 hours a week.

The degree of education required for this job depends on what you're specific skillset is. Some technicians only need a high school diploma, others may want to complete an associate's program or earn a certificate to help their employment opportunities. There's definitely something for everyone in the field of technicians.
  • Average Salary: $38,045
  • Degree: Bachelor's Degree

Aircraft Mechanic

Role:

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.
  • Average Salary: $60,496
  • Degree: Associate Degree

Avionics Technician

Role:

Avionics technicians are also called aviation electronics technicians. They repair, maintain, and inspect the electrical systems in aircraft with specialized knowledge and training. Primarily as an avionics technician, you are responsible for conducting testing and inspections for all devices on a regular basis.

Also, you are to document every change or repair, replace every malfunctioning part and also assemble complex components. It is your duty to ensure that every piece of avionics equipment works properly before the aircraft takes off and also to make sure that they don't interfere with every other electronic device. Furthermore, you are to provide an accurate diagnosis of any difficult avionic problems that may arise. It is important that you organize ground support and test equipment for flight tests. The coordination of work with engineers, aircraft maintenance staff, and other technicians is also a part of your duties.

To be an avionics technician, you must study automotive technology, aviation, or electrical engineering. You also need to hold at least an associate degree or a bachelor's degree in any of these relevant fields. Avionics technicians make an average salary of $54,453 per year.

  • Average Salary: $55,545
  • Degree: Associate Degree

States With The Most Aircraft Technician Jobs

Mouse over a state to see the number of active aircraft technician jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where aircraft technicians earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.

Average Salary: Job Openings:

Number Of Aircraft Technician Jobs By State

RankStateNumber of JobsAverage Salary
1California1,588$62,070
2Florida1,419$47,324
3Texas1,296$52,579
4New York1,122$54,644
5North Carolina928$43,523
6Illinois906$45,534
7Georgia871$43,887
8Pennsylvania804$44,893
9Massachusetts653$47,838
10New Jersey637$55,384
11Ohio624$47,398
12Virginia615$60,838
13Maryland549$61,378
14Colorado538$57,096
15Michigan523$39,071
16Indiana522$46,767
17Minnesota520$50,569
18Missouri518$45,794
19Arizona508$48,145
20Tennessee461$46,283
21South Carolina422$50,196
22Wisconsin418$48,493
23Washington416$55,756
24Iowa340$44,388
25Alabama334$46,194
26Connecticut323$52,050
27Kentucky323$47,962
28Louisiana310$49,368
29Oklahoma266$44,183
30Utah263$38,103
31Nevada249$62,428
32Oregon243$45,940
33Mississippi223$45,582
34Kansas219$42,295
35Maine188$36,559
36Arkansas182$42,535
37Nebraska181$47,150
38New Mexico160$52,841
39West Virginia159$45,363
40Alaska146$35,968
41New Hampshire128$39,202
42Montana124$44,203
43Delaware122$58,567
44Idaho108$42,801
45Vermont87$42,529
46South Dakota76$44,842
47Rhode Island76$46,111
48Hawaii72$40,910
49North Dakota69$45,716
50Wyoming36$51,734

Aircraft Technician Education

Aircraft Technician Majors

28.7 %
10.5 %

Aircraft Technician Degrees

Associate

39.2 %

Bachelors

28.7 %

High School Diploma

15.6 %

Top Colleges for Aircraft Technicians

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Liberal Arts
Criminal Justice
Mechanical Engineering Technology
Aviation

2. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-State Tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Education
Business
Mechanical Engineering
Computer Science
Electrical Engineering

3. University of Minnesota - Crookston

Crookston, MN • Private

In-State Tuition

$11,822

Enrollment

1,834

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Accounting
Communication
Plant Sciences
Criminal Justice

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Computer Science
Business
Education
Mechanical Engineering
Electrical Engineering

5. Baker College

Owosso, MI • Private

In-State Tuition

$9,800

Enrollment

8,319

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Accounting
Automotive Technology
Criminal Justice
Education

6. Siena Heights University

Adrian, MI • Private

In-State Tuition

$27,124

Enrollment

2,035

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Criminal Justice
Liberal Arts
Accounting
Education

7. SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill

Cobleskill, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,654

Enrollment

2,231

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Business
Liberal Arts
Education
Plant Sciences
Automotive Technology

8. SUNY College of Agriculture & Technology at Morrisville

Morrisville, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,670

Enrollment

2,758

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Liberal Arts
Automotive Technology
Business
Criminal Justice
Plant Sciences

9. Kansas State University

Manhattan, KS • Private

In-State Tuition

$10,383

Enrollment

17,611

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Education
Business
Mechanical Engineering
Accounting
Plant Sciences

10. University of Alaska Anchorage

Anchorage, AK • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,580

Enrollment

10,482

Admissions
Most Popular Majors
Education
Business
Accounting
Aviation
Mechanical Engineering

Top Skills For an Aircraft Technician

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, 11.3% of aircraft technicians listed faa on their resume, but soft skills such as detail oriented and dexterity are important as well.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Aircraft Technician Resume templates

Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Aircraft Technician templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Aircraft Technician resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.

Aircraft Technician Resume
Aircraft Technician Resume
Aircraft Technician Resume
Aircraft Technician Resume
Aircraft Technician Resume
Aircraft Technician Resume
Aircraft Technician Resume
Aircraft Technician Resume
Aircraft Technician Resume
Aircraft Technician Resume
Aircraft Technician Resume
Aircraft Technician Resume
Aircraft Technician Resume
Aircraft Technician Resume
Aircraft Technician Resume
Aircraft Technician Resume

Aircraft Technician Demographics

Aircraft Technician Gender Distribution

Male
Male
94%
Female
Female
6%

After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:

  • Among aircraft technicians, 5.9% of them are women, while 94.1% are men.

  • The most common race/ethnicity among aircraft technicians is White, which makes up 54.9% of all aircraft technicians.

  • The most common foreign language among aircraft technicians is Spanish at 54.1%.

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Best States For an Aircraft Technician

Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as an aircraft technician. The best states for people in this position are Nevada, California, Maryland, and Virginia. Aircraft technicians make the most in Nevada with an average salary of $62,428. Whereas in California and Maryland, they would average $62,070 and $61,378, respectively. While aircraft technicians would only make an average of $60,838 in Virginia, 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 Technician Jobs: 249
Highest 10% Earn:
$107,000
Location Quotient:
1.55

2. Delaware

Total Aircraft Technician Jobs: 122
Highest 10% Earn:
$88,000
Location Quotient:
1.27

3. Colorado

Total Aircraft Technician Jobs: 538
Highest 10% Earn:
$85,000
Location Quotient:
1.18
Full List Of Best States For Aircraft Technicians

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Top Aircraft Technician Employers

Most Common Employers For Aircraft Technician

RankCompanyAverage SalaryHourly RateJob Openings
1PEMCO Corporation$58,674$28.2122
2Boeing$57,783$27.7868
3Lear$56,791$27.3016
4Northrop Grumman$56,614$27.2215
5Lockheed Martin$55,537$26.7044
6General Dynamics$54,701$26.3012
7Aerotek$53,372$25.6648
8Gulfstream Aerospace$52,088$25.0484
9AAR$51,742$24.8819
10USAF Police Alumni Association$50,870$24.4696

Aircraft Technician Videos