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The differences between aircraft technicians and airframe 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 technician and an airframe mechanic. Additionally, an airframe mechanic has an average salary of $60,976, which is higher than the $50,212 average annual salary of an aircraft technician.
The top three skills for an aircraft technician include FAA, airframe and aircraft components. The most important skills for an airframe mechanic are landing gear, safety procedures, and hand tools.
| Aircraft Technician | Airframe Mechanic | |
| Yearly salary | $50,212 | $60,976 |
| Hourly rate | $24.14 | $29.32 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 28,265 | 34,067 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 39% | High School Diploma, 41% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Aircraft technicians and airframe mechanics have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Aircraft Technician | Airframe Mechanic | |
| Average salary | $50,212 | $60,976 |
| Salary range | Between $36,000 And $69,000 | Between $43,000 And $86,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | - |
| Highest paying state | Nevada | - |
| Best paying company | Aviation Technology Group | - |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | - |
There are a few differences between an aircraft technician and an airframe mechanic in terms of educational background:
| Aircraft Technician | Airframe Mechanic | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 39% | High School Diploma, 41% |
| Most common major | Aviation | Aviation |
| Most common college | SUNY Farmingdale | Purdue University |
Here are the differences between aircraft technicians' and airframe mechanics' demographics:
| Aircraft Technician | Airframe Mechanic | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 94.1% Female, 5.9% | Male, 94.6% Female, 5.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 23.4% Asian, 6.8% White, 54.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 11.0% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 21.0% Asian, 5.3% White, 56.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |