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Flight technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a flight technician. Flight technicians usually study electrical engineering, electrical engineering technology, or aviation. 41% of flight technicians hold a associate degree, and 36% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 543 real flight technician resumes to see exactly what flight technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for flight technicians are the DeVry University and the DeVry University.
There are also many online flight technician courses to help get the education required to be a flight technician.
There are certain flight technician certifications that you should consider. These flight technician certifications include Certified Aviation Manager (CAM) and Master Certified Electronics Technician (CETma).
What education do you need to become a flight technician?
What degree do you need to be a flight technician?
- Associate, 41%
- Bachelor's, 36%
- High School Diploma, 12%
- Master's, 6%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a flight technician?
Most common colleges for flight technicians
| Flight technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| DeVry University | 10.53% |
| University of Phoenix | 10.53% |
| Southern Illinois University Carbondale | 7.89% |
| Florida State University | 7.89% |
| ECPI University | 5.26% |
Best majors for flight technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electrical Engineering | 16.1% |
| 2 | Electrical Engineering Technology | 12.2% |
| 3 | Aviation | 10.2% |
| 4 | Business | 9.8% |
| 5 | Automotive Technology | 8.8% |
Best colleges for flight technicians
The best colleges for flight technicians are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Northeastern University.
A flight technician with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for flight technicians. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become flight technicians.
1. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
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. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$35,814
Enrollment
5,925
5. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Enrollment
24,841
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
7. Oklahoma State University
Stillwater, OK • Private
In-state tuition
$9,019
Enrollment
20,323
8. Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Carbondale, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$14,704
Enrollment
9,447
9. University of Houston
Houston, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$8,913
Enrollment
37,291
10. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Enrollment
9,394
20 best online courses for flight technicians
Advertising disclosure
1. Fundamentals of Flight mechanics
How do planes take off? How do they fly? How do pilots maintain control of them? And how high can airplanes fly? Get answers to all these questions and more with this specialization exploring the fundamentals of flight mechanics. You will learn how the laws of physics apply to airplanes and discover important concepts in aviation including lift, drag, and propulsion...
2. Flight mechanics - Propulsive balance and energy
This course is dedicated to energy management, i.e. speed and altitude control. The various sources of drag are first described and modeled, as well as thrust origin, and evolution with speed and altitude. Using these models, we can evaluate the propulsive balance and derive important concepts like flight regimes, best climb speed, or propulsion ceiling. We take then a glance at cruise performances and the evolution of range with weight. This course is a part of the specialization "Fundamentals...
3. Flight Mechanics - From Theory to Certification of Aircraft
Modeling theory, aircraft 6DOF simulation, flight dynamics, flight simulators and aircraft certification...
4. Airline Operations: Flight Planning and Flight Dispatch
Airline Operations: Master the essentials of aviation - aircraft operational control and dispatch...
5. Flight Mechanics - Anemobarometry
This course focuses on the physics of the atmosphere and its consequences on speed and altitude measurements. At the end of this course, you will understand precisely the meaning of the speed and altitude indication available to the pilot of an airplane. You will understand the difference between standard and actual atmosphere and be able to perform basic altitude and speed correction computations. You will understand why jet airliners need to be pressurized, or why a clogged Pitot tube can...
6. Flight mechanics - Lift and trajectory
In this course, you will understand the influence of the angle of attack and speed on the lift. Then we will focus on hazards and limitations, like stall, spiral dive, or flutter. You will understand why stall phenomenon and Mach number limit the maximum lift and altitude the airplane can achieve. Then, you must understand what is flutter and why the altitude and speed of the airplane must be restricted to a safe domain. In the end, we will explain how to control the trajectory of the airplane...
7. Phantom & Mavic Flightschool - flight training & Go4 app
Master your flying skills & the DJI Go flight modes like Tapfly, Active Track, Waypoints, Point of interest & more!...
8. Part 1 FAA Private Pilot Ground School (Part 61)
Introduction to flight training, Aircraft Structure, Systems and Flight Instruments...
9. Development of Secure Embedded Systems
Three people died after the crash landing of an Asiana Airlines aircraft from Seoul, Korea, at San Fransisco International Airport (SFO) on July 6, 2013. The American National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) established that the crash most probably was caused by the flight crew's (in)actions. Three teenage girls lost their lives; two in the airplane and another was accidentally run over by a firetruck.\n\nThe human factor is often cause for accidents. NTSB and others report that more than 50...
10. Looker Data Explorer - Qwik Start
This is a Google Cloud Self-Paced Lab. In this lab, you will create a series of visualizations from the Airports and Flights datasets and save them to a dashboard in Looker...
11. Aerospace Engineering: Aircraft Systems and Avionics
Aerospace and Aeronautical Engineering: Master the Systems of Airplanes - Hydraulics, Avionics, Electric, Propulsion...
12. Aerospace Engineering: Aircraft Fundamentals and Advanced
Aerospace and Aeronautical Engineering: Master the Mechanics of Airplanes - Aerodynamics, Flight Maneuvers, JET Engines...
13. IT/Desktop Computer Support- Troubleshooting for Technicians
Learn how to troubleshoot desktop computer issues as an IT Support Technician on real-world organisational networks...
14. Make an Open Source Drone
A fun project in which you learn about drones by making one. Use the Pixhawk or Multiwii AIO flight controllers...
15. Computer Hardware, Operating System and Networking
For Any Graduates/Engineering/Diploma/Arts & Science/Freshers/Home Users/Individuals/Desktop Support/FM/Service Engineer...
16. Introduction to 2 & 3D Drone Modeling With Agisoft Metashape
Building 2D & 3D Models with drone images and Metashape. Drone flight setups and basic modeling with Metashape...
17. Desktop IT Support Level 1 & 2 in real life (Troubleshooting
Learn everything in real life Troubleshooting for IT Help Desk , Helpdesk , IT Support , System Administration and IT...
18. Model, Simulate and Control a Drone in MATLAB & SIMULINK
Simulate a DJI Mavic Pro in Matlab & SIMULINK and design your own PID controllers for altitude and attitude control...
19. Applied Control Systems 3: UAV drone (3D Dynamics & control)
Modeling + state space systems + Model Predictive Control + feedback control + Python simulation: UAV quadcopter drone...
20. Garnett Cross Training in the Maintenance of Oil Hydraulics
This course will prepare you to work with hydraulic systems, plan maintenance and perform troubleshooting...
Top 10 most affordable universities for flight technicians
The most affordable schools for flight technicians are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - long beach, and university of florida.
If the best universities for flight technicians are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for flight technicians.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
5. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
6. West Virginia University Institute of Technology
Beckley, WV • Private
In-state tuition
$7,464
Cost of attendance
17,166
7. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon
Bayamon, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Cost of attendance
13,508
10. Brigham Young University - Idaho
Rexburg, ID • Private
In-state tuition
$4,118
Cost of attendance
12,223
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for flight technicians
The hardest universities for flight technicians to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Northeastern University.
Some great schools for flight technicians are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for flight technicians based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
6. California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,566
7. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
8. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
9. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,545
10. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for flight technicians
The easiest schools for flight technicians to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, capitol technology university, and pennsylvania state university - altoona.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a flight technician without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for flight technicians.
1. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
2. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
3. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona
Altoona, PA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,094
4. Indiana State University
Terre Haute, IN • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,019
5. Central Washington University
Ellensburg, WA • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,062
6. Pennsylvania State University - DuBois
DuBois, PA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,079
7. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, TX • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,068
8. Pennsylvania State University - Berks
Reading, PA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,107
9. Ferris State University
Big Rapids, MI • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,070
10. South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,149
Average flight technician salary by education level
| Flight technician education level | Flight technician salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $45,985 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $42,684 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $44,372 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $44,986 |
Flight technician education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025