1. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-State Tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
What is an Avionics Technician?
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.
What Does an Avionics Technician Do
Aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and technicians repair and perform scheduled maintenance on aircraft. They also perform aircraft inspections as required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
How To Become an Avionics Technician
Many aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and technicians learn their trade at an FAA-approved aviation maintenance technician school. Others enter with a high school education or equivalent and are trained on the job. Some workers enter the occupation after getting training in the military. Aircraft mechanics and avionics technicians typically are certified by the FAA. See Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 65, subparts D and E, for the most current requirements for becoming a certified mechanic.
Avionics Technician Career Paths
In addition to switching up your job search, it might prove helpful to look at a career path for your specific job. Now, what's a career path you ask? Well, it's practically a map that shows how you might advance from one job title to another. Our career paths are especially detailed with salary changes. So, for example, if you started out with the role of electronics technician you might progress to a role such as technician eventually. Later on in your career, you could end up with the title maintenance supervisor.
Avionics Technician
Maintenance Supervisor
7 Years
Maintenance Director
11 Years
Electrical Supervisor
7 Years
Lead Mechanic
6 Years
Maintenance Superintendent
11 Years
Senior Mechanic
6 Years
Show More
Average Salary for an Avionics Technician
Avionics Technicians in America make an average salary of $55,545 per year or $27 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $75,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $40,000 per year.
Average Avionics Technician Salary
$55,545 Yearly$26.70 hourly
What Am I Worth?
Roles and Types of Avionics Technician
The role of an avionics 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 avionics technician responsibilities:
- Build & install wire harnesses. Installation & trouble shooting of garmin glass cockpit installation & trouble shooting of various avionics, navigation, & communication system. Installation & troubleshooting of autopilot system. Current ncatt aet certificate
- Services, repairs, and overhauls aircraft avionics systems to ensure airworthiness. Repairs, replaces,
- Work on aircraft, components, or related parts of aircraft perform work outlined on applicable work forms in accordance with gpm procedures, manufacturer's manuals,
There are several types of avionics 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
Electronics Technician
Role:
Wherever there is electricity, you will find an electronic technician. In places where there is lighting, heating, computers, machinery, or public transport, sooner or later they show up.
Electronic technicians know everything about circuits, amplifiers, resistors, switches, and regulators. They design electronic devices and components, maintain electronic systems, and install electrical equipment.
Choosing to be an electronic technician might be the best decision of your life. Electricity is magic, there is never enough of it. The amount of electricity used in the U.S. alone today is 13 times the quantity needed in 1950, and this tendency is not about to reverse anytime soon.
The average hourly pay of an electric technician is $21.31. You can do the math. If not, you might want to look for another profession, keep browsing those job posts.
- Average Salary: $46,660
- Degree: Associate Degree
Aircraft Maintenance Technician
Role:
As an Aircraft Maintenance Technician, you will be making helicopters and airplanes safe for passengers and crew members. You will ensure that the aircraft meets or adheres to the Federal Aviation Regulations.
You have an important job as an Aircraft Maintenance Technician. People's lives are in your hands; therefore, you need to be skilled and knowledgeable in what you do. Firstly, you need to be detail-oriented. There is little to no room for mistakes as an Aircraft Maintenance Technician. Next is dexterity; you will mostly use your hands when working, so you should be skilled in using those. Lastly, customer service skills are also essential. You will be dealing with a lot of people with different personalities, so you need to be able to communicate properly and efficiently regardless of the person you're talking to.
As an Aircraft Maintenance Technician, you have the chance to earn around $51,482 per year, and you also have the opportunity to explore other tasks or roles. For example, you can be an Aircraft Mechanic, Lead Mechanic, Maintenance Supervisor, and Maintenance Director.
- Average Salary: $53,026
- Degree: Associate Degree
States With The Most Avionics Technician Jobs
Mouse over a state to see the number of active avionics technician jobs in each state. The darker areas on the map show where avionics technicians earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Average Salary: Job Openings:
Number Of Avionics Technician Jobs By State
| Rank | State | Number of Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida | 2,765 | $43,615 |
| 2 | California | 2,648 | $67,958 |
| 3 | Texas | 2,551 | $51,290 |
| 4 | Georgia | 1,745 | $42,799 |
| 5 | New York | 1,743 | $49,446 |
| 6 | Illinois | 1,660 | $56,533 |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | 1,535 | $59,018 |
| 8 | Ohio | 1,275 | $46,083 |
| 9 | North Carolina | 1,145 | $52,184 |
| 10 | Indiana | 1,028 | $52,226 |
| 11 | Virginia | 1,026 | $47,068 |
| 12 | New Jersey | 1,016 | $61,994 |
| 13 | Washington | 964 | $73,501 |
| 14 | Massachusetts | 925 | $56,738 |
| 15 | Colorado | 878 | $53,724 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | 853 | $52,700 |
| 17 | Michigan | 815 | $47,059 |
| 18 | Iowa | 785 | $54,147 |
| 19 | Arizona | 783 | $54,903 |
| 20 | Tennessee | 783 | $43,271 |
| 21 | Alabama | 758 | $49,168 |
| 22 | Maryland | 723 | $50,076 |
| 23 | Minnesota | 708 | $51,715 |
| 24 | South Carolina | 654 | $42,606 |
| 25 | Missouri | 649 | $52,821 |
| 26 | Oregon | 557 | $63,597 |
| 27 | Connecticut | 556 | $59,475 |
| 28 | Louisiana | 546 | $42,636 |
| 29 | Kentucky | 535 | $48,628 |
| 30 | Utah | 449 | $63,546 |
| 31 | Arkansas | 388 | $43,280 |
| 32 | Oklahoma | 376 | $51,331 |
| 33 | Mississippi | 326 | $53,567 |
| 34 | Kansas | 314 | $53,720 |
| 35 | Nevada | 296 | $66,580 |
| 36 | Nebraska | 281 | $56,553 |
| 37 | Idaho | 274 | $63,185 |
| 38 | New Hampshire | 231 | $54,220 |
| 39 | Maine | 228 | $48,857 |
| 40 | New Mexico | 208 | $48,390 |
| 41 | Montana | 206 | $50,055 |
| 42 | West Virginia | 199 | $52,012 |
| 43 | Delaware | 178 | $60,884 |
| 44 | Alaska | 171 | $64,407 |
| 45 | Rhode Island | 140 | $58,439 |
| 46 | North Dakota | 128 | $53,426 |
| 47 | Vermont | 127 | $50,569 |
| 48 | South Dakota | 120 | $44,920 |
| 49 | Hawaii | 111 | $57,170 |
| 50 | Wyoming | 77 | $56,761 |
Top Colleges for Avionics Technicians
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
4. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-State Tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
6. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-State Tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
8. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
In-State Tuition
$53,391
Enrollment
8,568
9. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,306
Enrollment
9,394
10. Rice University
Houston, TX • Private
In-State Tuition
$47,350
Enrollment
3,962
Top Skills For an Avionics 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, 11.0% of avionics technicians listed faa on their resume, but soft skills such as detail oriented and dexterity are important as well.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Avionics Technician Resume templates
Zippia allows you to choose from different easy-to-use Avionics Technician templates, and provides you with expert advice. Using the templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your Avionics Technician resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Avionics Technician diversity
Avionics Technician Gender Distribution
Male
92%
Female
8%
After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
- Among avionics technicians, 8.3% of them are women, while 91.7% are men.
- The most common race/ethnicity among avionics technicians is White, which makes up 52.1% of all avionics technicians.
- The most common foreign language among avionics technicians is Spanish at 60.3%.
Online Courses For Avionics Technician That You May Like
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Aerospace and Aeronautical Engineering: Master the Systems of Airplanes - Hydraulics, Avionics, Electric, Propulsion...
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This course introduces electrical control & protection systems which are a critical part of any electrical substation...
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Best States For an Avionics Technician
Some places are better than others when it comes to starting a career as an avionics technician. The best states for people in this position are Washington, California, Nevada, and Alaska. Avionics technicians make the most in Washington with an average salary of $73,501. Whereas in California and Nevada, they would average $67,958 and $66,580, respectively. While avionics technicians would only make an average of $64,407 in Alaska, 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. Idaho
Total Avionics Technician Jobs: 274
Highest 10% Earn:
$88,000
Location Quotient:
1.27
$63,185
Avg. Salary
2. Nevada
Total Avionics Technician Jobs: 296
Highest 10% Earn:
$97,000
Location Quotient:
1.08
$66,580
Avg. Salary
3. Alaska
Total Avionics Technician Jobs: 171
Highest 10% Earn:
$76,000
Location Quotient:
1.56
$64,407
Avg. Salary
How Do Avionics Technicians Rate Their Jobs?
Top Avionics Technician Employers
Most Common Employers For Avionics Technician
| Rank | Company | Average Salary | Hourly Rate | Job Openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aerotek | $69,558 | $33.44 | 196 |
| 2 | PEMCO Corporation | $66,499 | $31.97 | 65 |
| 3 | Collins Aerospace | $63,123 | $30.35 | 38 |
| 4 | Boeing | $62,324 | $29.96 | 138 |
| 5 | Northrop Grumman | $61,189 | $29.42 | 53 |
| 6 | Lockheed Martin | $60,225 | $28.95 | 118 |
| 7 | Gulfstream Aerospace | $59,046 | $28.39 | 134 |
| 8 | Raytheon Technologies | $58,912 | $28.32 | 32 |
| 9 | AAR | $58,095 | $27.93 | 129 |
| 10 | LAUNCH Technical Workforce Solutions | $57,776 | $27.78 | 44 |
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