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Aircraft mechanic salary
Average aircraft mechanic salary
$60,496
Understanding Aircraft Mechanic Salaries
As of October 2025, the average salary for an Aircraft Mechanic stands at approximately $60,496 per year. This figure can fluctuate based on several factors, including geographical location, years of experience, and the specific type of aircraft serviced. For example, mechanics working in California and New York often see higher salaries compared to those in states like Alabama or Mississippi.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level positions typically start at lower salaries, around $40,000, while experienced professionals can earn upwards of $80,000 depending on their specialization. Additionally, pursuing certifications from recognized aviation authorities can enhance job prospects and salary potential.
Job Opportunities
Aircraft Mechanics can find opportunities in various sectors, including commercial aviation, military aviation, and private aircraft maintenance. By focusing on skill development and industry certifications, mechanics can position themselves for higher-paying roles, such as Lead Mechanic or Maintenance Supervisor.
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Where can an Aircraft Mechanic earn more?
Aircraft mechanic salaries by experience level
Aircraft mechanic salary estimates from across the web
Average aircraft mechanic salary by state
The highest-paying states for aircraft mechanics are Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware. The lowest average aircraft mechanic salary states are Arkansas, Kansas, and Michigan.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for aircraft mechanics
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | $69,861 | $33.59 |
| 2 | Delaware | $71,796 | $34.52 |
| 3 | South Carolina | $64,647 | $31.08 |
| 4 | Wyoming | $61,950 | $29.78 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $68,772 | $33.06 |
| 6 | Virginia | $73,904 | $35.53 |
| 7 | Louisiana | $62,270 | $29.94 |
| 8 | Maryland | $74,456 | $35.80 |
| 9 | Pennsylvania | $63,668 | $30.61 |
| 10 | Vermont | $63,545 | $30.55 |
| 11 | North Dakota | $60,659 | $29.16 |
| 12 | New York | $70,433 | $33.86 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $70,422 | $33.86 |
| 14 | Florida | $61,006 | $29.33 |
| 15 | New Mexico | $63,402 | $30.48 |
| 16 | Kentucky | $59,574 | $28.64 |
| 17 | Wisconsin | $60,825 | $29.24 |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $62,989 | $30.28 |
| 19 | Minnesota | $64,094 | $30.81 |
| 20 | Mississippi | $57,909 | $27.84 |
| 21 | Massachusetts | $67,315 | $32.36 |
| 22 | Tennessee | $58,313 | $28.04 |
| 23 | Indiana | $57,594 | $27.69 |
| 24 | Nebraska | $57,902 | $27.84 |
| 25 | Iowa | $54,714 | $26.30 |
| 26 | Illinois | $61,645 | $29.64 |
| 27 | Washington | $59,975 | $28.83 |
| 28 | California | $67,884 | $32.64 |
| 29 | Arizona | $57,386 | $27.59 |
| 30 | Alabama | $54,216 | $26.07 |
| 31 | Texas | $57,083 | $27.44 |
| 32 | Montana | $55,024 | $26.45 |
| 33 | Alaska | $34,807 | $16.73 |
| 34 | Colorado | $58,880 | $28.31 |
| 35 | Ohio | $55,136 | $26.51 |
| 36 | Georgia | $54,757 | $26.33 |
| 37 | Arkansas | $53,410 | $25.68 |
| 38 | District of Columbia | $62,927 | $30.25 |
| 39 | West Virginia | $55,722 | $26.79 |
| 40 | Maine | $55,244 | $26.56 |
| 41 | South Dakota | $55,473 | $26.67 |
| 42 | New Hampshire | $56,836 | $27.32 |
| 43 | Oregon | $60,380 | $29.03 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $54,695 | $26.30 |
| 45 | North Carolina | $54,776 | $26.33 |
| 46 | Idaho | $55,538 | $26.70 |
| 47 | Hawaii | $32,096 | $15.43 |
| 48 | Utah | $43,655 | $20.99 |
| 49 | Missouri | $53,873 | $25.90 |
| 50 | Kansas | $52,188 | $25.09 |
| 51 | Michigan | $49,181 | $23.64 |
Highest paying cities for aircraft mechanics
The highest-paying cities for aircraft mechanics are Newport News, VA, Fresno, CA, and Greenville, SC.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newport News, VA | $74,017 | $35.59 |
| 2 | Fresno, CA | $69,524 | $33.42 |
| 3 | Greenville, SC | $64,330 | $30.93 |
| 4 | Minneapolis, MN | $64,161 | $30.85 |
| 5 | New Orleans, LA | $62,495 | $30.05 |
| 6 | Fort Lauderdale, FL | $61,222 | $29.43 |
| 7 | Seattle, WA | $60,068 | $28.88 |
| 8 | San Antonio, TX | $57,656 | $27.72 |
| 9 | Yuma, AZ | $57,656 | $27.72 |
| 10 | Indianapolis, IN | $57,365 | $27.58 |
| 11 | Savannah, GA | $55,254 | $26.56 |
| 12 | Helena, MT | $55,098 | $26.49 |
| 13 | Burlington, NC | $55,060 | $26.47 |
| 14 | Columbus, OH | $54,844 | $26.37 |
| 15 | Oklahoma City, OK | $54,621 | $26.26 |
| 16 | Mobile, AL | $53,806 | $25.87 |
| 17 | Kansas City, MO | $53,645 | $25.79 |
| 18 | Wichita, KS | $51,947 | $24.97 |
| 19 | Clearfield, UT | $43,739 | $21.03 |
| 20 | Anchorage, AK | $32,958 | $15.85 |
Aircraft Mechanics are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Aircraft mechanic salary details
An aircraft mechanic's salary ranges from $41,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $87,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an aircraft mechanic's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $87,000 | $7,250 | $42 |
| 75th Percentile | $73,000 | $6,083 | $35 |
| Average | $60,496 | $5,041 | $29 |
| 25th Percentile | $49,000 | $4,083 | $24 |
| 10th Percentile | $41,000 | $3,417 | $20 |
Highest paying aircraft mechanic jobs
The highest paying types of aircraft mechanics are systems mechanic, aircraft structure mechanic, and helicopter mechanic.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aviation Maintenance Technician | $51,794 | $4,316 | $24.90 | 102,259 |
| Light Wheel Mechanic | $41,948 | $3,496 | $20.17 | 90,297 |
| Systems Mechanic | $67,679 | $5,640 | $32.54 | 92,087 |
| Helicopter Mechanic | $61,876 | $5,156 | $29.75 | 33,954 |
| Airframe And Powerplant Mechanic | $54,430 | $4,536 | $26.17 | 34,350 |
| Equipment Mechanic | $45,435 | $3,786 | $21.84 | 50,409 |
Top companies hiring aircraft mechanics now:
Which companies pay aircraft mechanics the most?
Aircraft mechanic salaries at AECOM and PACCAR are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average aircraft mechanic salary at companies like Structure Group and Erickson are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AECOM | $72,137 | $34.68 |
| 2 | PACCAR | $66,939 | $32.18 |
| 3 | Structure Group | $66,323 | $31.89 |
| 4 | Erickson | $66,087 | $31.77 |
| 5 | PAE | $65,976 | $31.72 |
| 6 | Elbit Systems of America | $64,985 | $31.24 |
| 7 | Pacific Architects and Engineers | $63,325 | $30.44 |
| 8 | ICONMA | $62,455 | $30.03 |
| 9 | Zenetex | $62,293 | $29.95 |
| 10 | AerSale | $61,847 | $29.73 |
| 11 | Surdex | $61,828 | $29.73 |
| 12 | Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings | $61,806 | $29.71 |
| 13 | Ishpi Information Technologies, Inc. (dba Ishpi) | $61,701 | $29.66 |
| 14 | TAD PGS | $61,537 | $29.59 |
| 15 | Lynden | $61,509 | $29.57 |
| 16 | HEICO | $61,475 | $29.56 |
| 17 | Hawthorne Global Aviation Services | $61,444 | $29.54 |
| 18 | M.I.T. International, Inc. | $60,769 | $29.22 |
| 19 | Techtronic Industries TTI | $60,701 | $29.18 |
| 20 | Boeing | $59,669 | $28.69 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Aircraft Mechanic salary by industry
The average aircraft mechanic salary varies across industries:
- The average aircraft mechanic salary in the government industry is $64,412, the highest of any industry.
- The average aircraft mechanic salary in the finance industry is $62,029.
- Aircraft mechanics in the transportation industry earn an average salary of $56,459, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for aircraft mechanics
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Government | $64,412 | $30.97 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $62,029 | $29.82 |
| 3 | Professional | $61,420 | $29.53 |
| 4 | Technology | $57,959 | $27.86 |
| 5 | Transportation | $56,459 | $27.14 |
High paying aircraft mechanic jobs
Aircraft mechanic salary trends
The average aircraft mechanic salary has risen by $10,789 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average aircraft mechanic earned $49,707 annually, but today, they earn $60,496 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for aircraft mechanics over the last decade.
Compare aircraft mechanic salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average aircraft mechanic salary over time
Compare aircraft mechanic salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Aircraft mechanic salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $60,500 | $29.08 | +3.5% |
| 2024 | $58,400 | $28.06 | +1.8% |
| 2023 | $57,300 | $27.54 | +3.0% |
| 2022 | $55,600 | $26.71 | +1.4% |
| 2021 | $54,800 | $26.34 | +3.0% |
Recently added aircraft mechanic salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeppesen | Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) Jacksonville and Component Operations Aircraft Mechanics-K | Jacksonville, FL | 06/30/2025 | $62,837 |
| Ohio University | Aircraft Mechanic 2 | Athens, OH | 06/30/2025 | $61,984 |
| Saltchuk | AAC-Aircraft Mechanic KOA | Kailua, HI | 06/29/2025 | $62,527 |
| Aerotek | Aircraft Mechanic-Unlicensed | Central Point, OR | 06/28/2025 | $87,654 |
| Aerotek | Aircraft Mechanic | Fort Lauderdale, FL | 06/28/2025 | $73,045 |
| Department of The Air Force | Aircraft Mechanic (Title 32) | Peoria, IL | 06/28/2025 | $71,041 |
| Department of The Air Force | Aircraft Mechanic | Dover, DE | 06/28/2025 | $68,891 |
| Northrop Grumman | Aircraft Low Observable Mechanic 1-Whiteman AFB MO | Whiteman Air Force Base, MO | 06/27/2025 | $37,500 |
| Aerotek | Aircraft Mechanic | Oklahoma City, OK | 06/27/2025 | $75,132 |
| Reliable Robotics | Aircraft Mechanic | San Martin, CA | 06/27/2025 | $86,000 |
Aircraft mechanic salary FAQs
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