Careers / Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians

Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians — Career Decision Dashboard

United States

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Median annual wage

$79,870

United States, 2025

Employment

138,090

United States, 2025

Typical education

Post-Secondary Certificate

Job Zone 3

Skills identified

35

10 related careers

Career overview

Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul aircraft engines and assemblies, such as hydraulic and pneumatic systems.

O*NET code
49-3011.00
Job zone
3
Experience required
Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years

Typical tasks

  • 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.
  • Replace or repair worn, defective, or damaged components, using hand tools, gauges, and testing equipment.
  • Inspect airframes for wear or other defects.
  • Check for corrosion, distortion, and invisible cracks in the fuselage, wings, and tail, using x-ray and magnetic inspection equipment.

Choose a location

Salary analysis — United States

$48,780
10th
$62,630
25th
$79,870
Median
$99,130
75th
$128,890
90th

10th percentile

$48,780

25th percentile

$62,630

75th percentile

$99,130

90th percentile

$128,890

Most important skills

  • Equipment Maintenance4.9
  • Repairing4.9
  • Troubleshooting4.5
  • Operations Monitoring4.3
  • Reading Comprehension4.1
  • Critical Thinking4.0
  • Complex Problem Solving3.9
  • Quality Control Analysis3.8
  • Operation and Control3.8
  • Monitoring3.6
  • Active Listening3.5
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.5

What skills do you need?

Select the skills you already have

Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.

Skill coverage

0%

0 of 19 identified skills

Matched

0

Missing

19

Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.

Skills to develop

SkillImportanceRequired levelYour levelGap
Equipment Maintenance4.95.4Not selected5.4
Repairing4.94.4Not selected4.4
Troubleshooting4.54.4Not selected4.4
Reading Comprehension4.14.1Not selected4.1
Operations Monitoring4.33.9Not selected3.9
Critical Thinking4.04.1Not selected4.1
Quality Control Analysis3.83.9Not selected3.9
Complex Problem Solving3.93.5Not selected3.5
Operation and Control3.83.6Not selected3.6
Judgment and Decision Making3.53.5Not selected3.5
Active Listening3.53.4Not selected3.4
Monitoring3.63.3Not selected3.3
Systems Evaluation3.33.5Not selected3.5
Systems Analysis3.33.4Not selected3.4
Speaking3.33.3Not selected3.3
Equipment Selection3.43.0Not selected3.0
Active Learning3.13.3Not selected3.3
Writing3.03.0Not selected3.0
Time Management3.03.0Not selected3.0

Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.

Related careers

How salary varies by location

LocationMedianEmploymentYear
New York, NY$127,1405,1102025
NJ$105,3701,9002025
Seattle, WA$103,9003,9502025
NY$102,8004,3002025
Waterbury, CT$101,660702025
Trenton, NJ$101,5901202025
Baltimore, MD$100,9405802025
Chicago, IL$100,6102,0902025
Lexington Park, MD$100,5001902025
MD$100,5001,0702025
WA$98,9804,4802025
San Jose, CA$98,7602602025
Atlanta, GA$98,3002,7702025
Kahului, HI$98,2801202025
Yuba City, CA$97,240802025
CT$96,8301,4302025
Dallas, TX$94,9208,0002025
NV$94,8902,5702025
Anchorage, AK$94,1201,0102025
Washington, DC$93,9101,4402025
All locations with published data

Career transition paths

Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.

Build a transition comparison

Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0.

Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).

Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.