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The differences between aviation maintenance technicians and aerospace engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an aviation maintenance technician and an aerospace engineer. Additionally, an aerospace engineer has an average salary of $100,401, which is higher than the $51,794 average annual salary of an aviation maintenance technician.
The top three skills for an aviation maintenance technician include electrical troubleshooting, FAA and maintenance procedures. The most important skills for an aerospace engineer are C++, DOD, and FAA.
| Aviation Maintenance Technician | Aerospace Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $51,794 | $100,401 |
| Hourly rate | $24.90 | $48.27 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 102,259 | 42,086 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 37% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 33 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An Aviation Maintenance Technician carries out repairs and maintenance on all sorts of aircraft, like airplanes and helicopters. They ensure that aircraft are in perfect working condition.
An aerospace engineer specializes in designing, maintaining, and repairing aircraft and spacecraft. Their responsibilities revolve around conducting tests and procedures to identify faults and inconsistencies, lead production processes, performing repairs and improvements, designing systems, and ensuring that all equipment complies with the safety regulations and standards. They are also responsible for producing technical materials such as reports, proposals, and manuals. Furthermore, there are instances where they must set the policies and standards on the equipment they are developing while utilizing their expertise in mathematics, engineering, and sciences.
Aviation maintenance technicians and aerospace engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Aviation Maintenance Technician | Aerospace Engineer | |
| Average salary | $51,794 | $100,401 |
| Salary range | Between $35,000 And $75,000 | Between $71,000 And $140,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Arizona |
| Best paying company | - | Thrush Aircraft |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an aviation maintenance technician and an aerospace engineer in terms of educational background:
| Aviation Maintenance Technician | Aerospace Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 37% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Aviation | Aerospace Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between aviation maintenance technicians' and aerospace engineers' demographics:
| Aviation Maintenance Technician | Aerospace Engineer | |
| Average age | 33 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.3% Female, 8.7% | Male, 88.8% Female, 11.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 6.7% Hispanic or Latino, 29.3% Asian, 4.9% White, 50.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 4.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 10.8% Asian, 11.0% White, 69.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 14% | 8% |