Flight test mechanic vs aircraft electrician

The differences between flight test mechanics and aircraft electricians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a flight test mechanic and an aircraft electrician. Additionally, a flight test mechanic has an average salary of $59,974, which is higher than the $54,605 average annual salary of an aircraft electrician.

The top three skills for a flight test mechanic include electrical systems, ground support equipment and aircraft structures. The most important skills for an aircraft electrician are electrical systems, hazardous materials, and diagnose malfunctions.

Flight test mechanic vs aircraft electrician overview

	Flight Test Mechanic	Aircraft Electrician
Yearly salary	$59,974	$54,605
Hourly rate	$28.83	$26.25
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	52,936	19,166
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 37%	Associate Degree, 36%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Flight test mechanic vs aircraft electrician salary

Flight test mechanics and aircraft electricians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Flight Test Mechanic	Aircraft Electrician
Average salary	$59,974	$54,605
Salary range	Between $44,000 And $80,000	Between $38,000 And $77,000
Highest paying City	-	Edgewood, MD
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Northrop Grumman
Best paying industry	-	Manufacturing

Differences between flight test mechanic and aircraft electrician education

There are a few differences between a flight test mechanic and an aircraft electrician in terms of educational background:

	Flight Test Mechanic	Aircraft Electrician
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 37%	Associate Degree, 36%
Most common major	Aviation	Electrical Engineering
Most common college	Purdue University	Purdue University

Flight test mechanic vs aircraft electrician demographics

Here are the differences between flight test mechanics' and aircraft electricians' demographics:

	Flight Test Mechanic	Aircraft Electrician
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 95.8% Female, 4.2%	Male, 92.0% Female, 8.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.1% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 21.6% Asian, 5.8% White, 56.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 22.7% Asian, 6.9% White, 55.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	2%	2%

Differences between flight test mechanic and aircraft electrician duties and responsibilities

Flight test mechanic example responsibilities.

Work with FAA personnel inspecting aircraft upon arrival to airfield.
Inspect complete work to certify that maintenance meets FAA standards and that aircraft are ready for operation.
Work in there fleet department repairing and diagnosis on all emergency apparatuses and ambulances and police vehicles also include maintenance schedules.
Receive and implement combat orders and direct deployment of personnel in offensive, defensive operations.

Aircraft electrician example responsibilities.

Remove, analyze, identify issue install properly working pressure transducers, effectively accomplishing priorities to go underway.
Comply with Cessna and FAA specs.
Prepare and load live ammunition onto aircraft.
Set up and mark wires per FAA specifications.
Clean helicopter/turbojet transmissions, gearboxes, drive shafts and relate components.
Inspect work for quality defects as well as prevent FOD mishaps -Report unsafe work conditions/actions to supervisors

Flight test mechanic vs aircraft electrician skills

Common flight test mechanic skills

Electrical Systems, 18%
Ground Support Equipment, 17%
Aircraft Structures, 7%
Hydraulic Systems, 5%
Aircraft Systems, 4%
Flight Control, 3%

Common aircraft electrician skills

Electrical Systems, 27%
Hazardous Materials, 16%
Diagnose Malfunctions, 8%
Switchboards, 6%
Hand Tools, 6%
Troubleshoot, 5%

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Flight Test Mechanic vs Aircraft Electrician

Updated January 8, 2025

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