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The differences between avionics technicians and aircraft maintenance technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an avionics technician and an aircraft maintenance technician. Additionally, an avionics technician has an average salary of $55,545, which is higher than the $53,026 average annual salary of an aircraft maintenance technician.
The top three skills for an avionics technician include FAA, hand tools and electrical systems. The most important skills for an aircraft maintenance technician are FAA, airframe, and powerplant.
| Avionics Technician | Aircraft Maintenance Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $55,545 | $53,026 |
| Hourly rate | $26.70 | $25.49 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 25,603 | 105,268 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 41% | Associate Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 33 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An avionics technician specializes in the installation, maintenance, and repair of aircraft tools and devices such as navigation, radar, radio, and other systems. They are primarily responsible for conducting regular testing and inspections for all devices, documenting every repair or change, replacing every defective or malfunctioning part, and assembling complex components. Furthermore, there are instances when technicians are required to weld and solder, even climb high places, during repairs.
Aircraft Maintenance Technicians make commercial, government/private airplanes, and helicopters safe for their crew and passengers. They ensure that aircrafts meet Federal Aviation Regulations.
Avionics technicians and aircraft maintenance technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Avionics Technician | Aircraft Maintenance Technician | |
| Average salary | $55,545 | $53,026 |
| Salary range | Between $40,000 And $75,000 | Between $37,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | Everett, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Aerotek | Citi |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Government |
There are a few differences between an avionics technician and an aircraft maintenance technician in terms of educational background:
| Avionics Technician | Aircraft Maintenance Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 41% | Associate Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Aviation |
| Most common college | Purdue University | Purdue University |
Here are the differences between avionics technicians' and aircraft maintenance technicians' demographics:
| Avionics Technician | Aircraft Maintenance Technician | |
| Average age | 33 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.7% Female, 8.3% | Male, 93.6% Female, 6.4% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 6.6% Hispanic or Latino, 27.5% Asian, 5.4% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 9.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 23.1% Asian, 6.6% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 14% | 2% |