Career
Avionics technicians
Keep an aircraft's electronics working.
$82,280
Median pay
+9.4%
Job growth, 2025–35
1,700
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
- Adjust, repair, or replace malfunctioning components or assemblies, using hand tools or soldering irons.
- Lay out installation of aircraft assemblies and systems, following documentation such as blueprints, manuals, and wiring diagrams.
- Keep records of maintenance and repair work.
- Test and troubleshoot instruments, components, and assemblies, using circuit testers, oscilloscopes, or voltmeters.
- Connect components to assemblies such as radio systems, instruments, magnetos, inverters, and in-flight refueling systems, using hand tools and soldering irons.
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?
“Adjust, repair, or replace malfunctioning components or assemblies, using hand tools or soldering irons.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Troubleshooting, Equipment Maintenance, Repairing, 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 $82,280 a year and 1,700 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Aerospace EngineeringSee the degree →
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, OtherCIP 14.0299
- Avionics Maintenance Technology/TechnicianCIP 47.0609
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians$82,890 · +11.9%
- Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians$79,870 · +5.4%
- Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians$73,900 · +2.6%
- Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers$65,380 · -5.6%
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment$74,090 · +0.3%
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.