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The differences between flight test mechanics 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 a flight test mechanic and an aircraft maintenance technician. Additionally, a flight test mechanic has an average salary of $59,974, which is higher than the $53,026 average annual salary of an aircraft maintenance technician.
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 maintenance technician are FAA, airframe, and powerplant.
| Flight Test Mechanic | Aircraft Maintenance Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $59,974 | $53,026 |
| Hourly rate | $28.83 | $25.49 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 52,936 | 105,268 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 37% | Associate Degree, 43% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Flight test mechanics and aircraft maintenance technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Flight Test Mechanic | Aircraft Maintenance Technician | |
| Average salary | $59,974 | $53,026 |
| Salary range | Between $44,000 And $80,000 | Between $37,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | Nevada |
| Best paying company | - | Citi |
| Best paying industry | - | Government |
There are a few differences between a flight test mechanic and an aircraft maintenance technician in terms of educational background:
| Flight Test Mechanic | Aircraft Maintenance Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 37% | Associate Degree, 43% |
| Most common major | Aviation | Aviation |
| Most common college | Purdue University | Purdue University |
Here are the differences between flight test mechanics' and aircraft maintenance technicians' demographics:
| Flight Test Mechanic | Aircraft Maintenance Technician | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.8% Female, 4.2% | Male, 93.6% Female, 6.4% |
| 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, 9.4% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 23.1% Asian, 6.6% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 2% |