Career
Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
Keep aircraft safe to fly.
$79,870
Median pay
+5.4%
Job growth, 2025–35
11,400
Openings a year
Postsecondary nondegree award
Typical education
Under 2 years
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Inspect completed work to certify that maintenance meets standards and that aircraft are ready for operation.
- Read and interpret maintenance manuals, service bulletins, and other specifications to determine the feasibility and method of repairing or replacing malfunctioning or damaged components.
- Maintain repair logs, documenting all preventive and corrective aircraft maintenance.
- Examine and inspect aircraft components, including landing gear, hydraulic systems, and deicers to locate cracks, breaks, leaks, or other problems.
- Conduct routine and special inspections as required by regulations.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Inspect completed work to certify that maintenance meets standards and that aircraft are ready for operation.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Equipment Maintenance, Repairing, Troubleshooting, Operations Monitoring.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
Under 2 years of education after high school (postsecondary nondegree award), for a median of $79,870 a year and 11,400 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Agricultural Mechanics and Equipment/Machine Technology/TechnicianCIP 01.0205
- Airframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/TechnicianCIP 47.0607
- Aircraft Powerplant Technology/TechnicianCIP 47.0608
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Avionics Technicians$82,280 · +9.4%
- Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers$65,380 · -5.6%
- Aircraft Service Attendants$40,450 · +5.6%
- Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians$82,890 · +11.9%
- Engine and Other Machine Assemblers$53,710 · -17.0%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.