How To Become An Avionics Technician: What It Is and Career Path

What is an avionics technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

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.

ScoreAvionics TechnicianUS Average

Salary

4.3

Avg. Salary $55,545

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.0

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

1.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.49%

Asian 5.35%

Black or African American 7.96%

Hispanic or Latino 27.53%

Unknown 6.58%

White 52.09%

Gender

female 8.26%

male 91.74%

Age - 31

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 31

Stress level

7.0

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.6

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.8

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an avionics technician

Explore avionics technician education requirements

Most common avionics technician degrees

Associate

41.4 %

Bachelor's

32.4 %

High School Diploma

16.1 %

Start to develop specific avionics technician skills

Skills	Percentages
FAA	10.97%
Hand Tools	9.76%
Electrical Systems	6.65%
Engineering Drawings	4.38%
Avionics Equipment	4.24%

Complete relevant avionics technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New avionics technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an avionics technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real avionics technician resumes.

Gain additional avionics technician certifications

Avionics technician certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific avionics technician certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for avionics technicians include Avionics Electronics Technician (AVN) and Certified Aviation Manager (CAM).

More About Certifications

Research avionics technician duties and responsibilities

Work regularly on the radar and GPS for helicopters while simultaneously dealing and managing supplies by keeping track of all equipment.
Repair vhf, uhf, dme, lru, and radios.Uses various hand tools.
Maintain GPS navigation systems, flight guidance controls, radar, entertainment systems, and aircraft self defense systems.
Utilize aircraft technical manuals, and technical drawings to troubleshoot, and maintain aircraft systems in a flyable status.

Prepare your avionics technician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your avionics technician resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an avionics technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable avionics technician resume templates

Build a professional avionics technician resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your avionics technician resume.