Chopper vs helicopter mechanic

The differences between choppers and helicopter mechanics can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a helicopter mechanic has an average salary of $61,876, which is higher than the $35,246 average annual salary of a chopper.

The top three skills for a chopper include customer service, POS and groceries. The most important skills for a helicopter mechanic are hand tools, safety procedures, and FAA.

Chopper vs helicopter mechanic overview

	Chopper	Helicopter Mechanic
Yearly salary	$35,246	$61,876
Hourly rate	$16.95	$29.75
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	529	33,954
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 53%	High School Diploma, 37%
Average age	42	40
Years of experience	-	4

Chopper vs helicopter mechanic salary

Choppers and helicopter mechanics have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Chopper	Helicopter Mechanic
Average salary	$35,246	$61,876
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $56,000	Between $44,000 And $86,000
Highest paying City	-	Hollister, CA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Apple
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between chopper and helicopter mechanic education

There are a few differences between a chopper and a helicopter mechanic in terms of educational background:

	Chopper	Helicopter Mechanic
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 53%	High School Diploma, 37%
Most common major	Business	Aviation
Most common college	-	Purdue University

Chopper vs helicopter mechanic demographics

Here are the differences between choppers' and helicopter mechanics' demographics:

	Chopper	Helicopter Mechanic
Average age	42	40
Gender ratio	Male, 66.2% Female, 33.8%	Male, 93.0% Female, 7.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.3% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 13.2% Asian, 8.5% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.3%	Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 23.4% Asian, 6.3% White, 55.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	10%	2%

Differences between chopper and helicopter mechanic duties and responsibilities

Chopper example responsibilities.

Ask the customer if they would like a carry out if they have alot of groceries.
Maintain general cleanliness of Chicago streets and alleyways.
Mow and trim turf, pick up refuse and brush, clean restrooms, shelters and other facilities.

Helicopter mechanic example responsibilities.

Used drills, countersinks, deburr tools, and wedge lock guns.
Test, troubleshoot and repair advance aircraft hydraulic systems.
Complete all repairs and maintenance work to company and FAA standards.
Document logs to ensure company compliance of OSHA standards and employee safety.
Inspect completed work to certify that it meet FAA standards and that assets are functional.
Confer with inspectors, OSHA, EPA, and engineering firms on all construction/code relate issues/developments.

Chopper vs helicopter mechanic skills

Common chopper skills

Customer Service, 99%
POS, 1%
Groceries, 0%

Common helicopter mechanic skills

Hand Tools, 9%
Safety Procedures, 9%
FAA, 6%
Maintenance Manuals, 5%
Helicopter Maintenance, 5%
Landing Gear, 4%

Chopper vs. similar jobs

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Chopper vs Helicopter Mechanic

Updated January 8, 2025

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