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The differences between power plant technicians and avionics 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 power plant technician and an avionics technician. Additionally, an avionics technician has an average salary of $55,545, which is higher than the $46,681 average annual salary of a power plant technician.
The top three skills for a power plant technician include plant equipment, preventive maintenance and gearboxes. The most important skills for an avionics technician are FAA, hand tools, and electrical systems.
| Power Plant Technician | Avionics Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $46,681 | $55,545 |
| Hourly rate | $22.44 | $26.70 |
| Growth rate | 6% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 36,418 | 25,603 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 38% | Associate Degree, 41% |
| Average age | 40 | 33 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Power plant technicians, paid at an average of $790K per year, must have skills in concentration, dexterity, mechanics, and problem-solving. They will need a high school diploma or GED at the very least, though some employers do prefer a college or vocational school degree, as well as strong math and science backgrounds. Those who choose this career will be called on to controlling and monitoring -power plant equipment, like boilers, turbines, and generators.
An avionics technician specializes in the installation, maintenance, and repair of aircraft tools and devices such as navigation, radar, radio, and other systems. They are primarily responsible for conducting regular testing and inspections for all devices, documenting every repair or change, replacing every defective or malfunctioning part, and assembling complex components. Furthermore, there are instances when technicians are required to weld and solder, even climb high places, during repairs.
Power plant technicians and avionics technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Power Plant Technician | Avionics Technician | |
| Average salary | $46,681 | $55,545 |
| Salary range | Between $30,000 And $71,000 | Between $40,000 And $75,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | Everett, WA |
| Highest paying state | - | Washington |
| Best paying company | - | Aerotek |
| Best paying industry | - | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a power plant technician and an avionics technician in terms of educational background:
| Power Plant Technician | Avionics Technician | |
| Most common degree | Associate Degree, 38% | Associate Degree, 41% |
| Most common major | Aviation | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Purdue University | Purdue University |
Here are the differences between power plant technicians' and avionics technicians' demographics:
| Power Plant Technician | Avionics Technician | |
| Average age | 40 | 33 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 95.2% Female, 4.8% | Male, 91.7% Female, 8.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 23.2% Asian, 6.7% White, 55.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% | Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 6.6% Hispanic or Latino, 27.5% Asian, 5.4% White, 52.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 2% | 14% |