How To Become A Hydraulic Mechanic: What It Is and Career Path

What is a hydraulic mechanic and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

The average hydraulic mechanic salary is $52,254. The most common degree is a high school diploma degree with an aviation major. It usually takes 2-4 years of experience to become a hydraulic mechanic. Hydraulic mechanics with a Fluid Power Industrial Hydraulic Technician (CFPIHT) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 6% and produce 9,000 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreHydraulic MechanicUS Average

Salary

4.1

Avg. Salary $52,254

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.8

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.62%

Asian 5.78%

Black or African American 9.72%

Hispanic or Latino 22.81%

Unknown 5.06%

White 56.02%

Gender

female 6.13%

male 93.87%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

7.8

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.9

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.2

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a hydraulic mechanic

Explore hydraulic mechanic education requirements

Most common hydraulic mechanic degrees

High School Diploma

42.7 %

Associate

26.7 %

Bachelor's

13.7 %

Start to develop specific hydraulic mechanic skills

Skills	Percentages
Hand Tools	22.09%
Safety Procedures	19.28%
Test Equipment	9.17%
Repair Hydraulic	5.72%
Preventative Maintenance	4.41%

Complete relevant hydraulic mechanic training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New hydraulic mechanics learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a hydraulic mechanic based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real hydraulic mechanic resumes.

Research hydraulic mechanic duties and responsibilities

Utilize and reference additional supporting documentation including FAA approve engineering data/drawings, supporting company policies/procedures and supervisory instructions.
License in APU operation, blade fold and wing stow as well as aircraft towing.
Preform checks and services as well as ground operations including running of APU for grind checks and flight control checks.
Remove and replace ailerons, stabilizers, aileron servos and stabilizer servos.

Prepare your hydraulic mechanic resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your hydraulic mechanic resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a hydraulic mechanic resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable hydraulic mechanic resume templates

Build a professional hydraulic mechanic resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your hydraulic mechanic resume.