Test equipment mechanic vs flight data technician

The differences between test equipment mechanics and flight data technicians can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a test equipment mechanic and a flight data technician. Additionally, a flight data technician has an average salary of $55,827, which is higher than the $55,260 average annual salary of a test equipment mechanic.

The top three skills for a test equipment mechanic include hand tools, electrical systems and circuit boards. The most important skills for a flight data technician are flight data, R, and data products.

Test equipment mechanic vs flight data technician overview

	Test Equipment Mechanic	Flight Data Technician
Yearly salary	$55,260	$55,827
Hourly rate	$26.57	$26.84
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	65,055	80,619
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	2	2

Test equipment mechanic vs flight data technician salary

Test equipment mechanics and flight data technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Test Equipment Mechanic	Flight Data Technician
Average salary	$55,260	$55,827
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $81,000	Between $36,000 And $86,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between test equipment mechanic and flight data technician education

There are a few differences between a test equipment mechanic and a flight data technician in terms of educational background:

	Test Equipment Mechanic	Flight Data Technician
Most common degree	Associate Degree, 41%	Bachelor's Degree, 38%
Most common major	Electrical Engineering	Education
Most common college	Purdue University	Purdue University

Test equipment mechanic vs flight data technician demographics

Here are the differences between test equipment mechanics' and flight data technicians' demographics:

	Test Equipment Mechanic	Flight Data Technician
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 88.0% Female, 12.0%	Male, 75.0% Female, 25.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 15.4% Asian, 11.2% White, 59.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 6.9% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 8.2% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between test equipment mechanic and flight data technician duties and responsibilities

Test equipment mechanic example responsibilities.

Programme and used LabVIEW to automate testing and perform data recording.
Commission modules design in Sweden on EPLAN.
Develop the necessary skills need to troubleshoot mechanical and electrical problems while leading diverse maintenance and combat teams.
Operate and maintain forklifts, generators MRAP, numerous military vehicles and tractor-trailer combinations.

Flight data technician example responsibilities.

Manage and distribute cad standards to contributing design consultants and assist with any design issues as necessary.
Perform in-flight avionics/communication systems operation.
Perform in-flight avionics/communication systems operation.

Test equipment mechanic vs flight data technician skills

Common test equipment mechanic skills

Hand Tools, 37%
Electrical Systems, 34%
Circuit Boards, 9%
Mechanical Systems, 7%
Test Fixtures, 4%
Test Results, 3%

Common flight data technician skills

Flight Data, 61%
R, 27%
Data Products, 12%

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Test Equipment Mechanic vs Flight Data Technician

Updated January 8, 2025

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