Aircraft Mechanic
Inspect, diagnose, and repair aircraft parts and systems so planes are safe to fly.
Top earners: $100k+
- Median pay (U.S.)
- $79,870
- Degree
- No degree required
- Training time
- Data coming soon
- Speed to entry
- Data coming soon
- Hands-on or desk
- Hands-on
- Where you work
- In person
Labels like Hands-on and People-focused are BWTD classifications based on occupational data[9]. How we classify
Career data
What it pays
Top earners: $100k+. The top 10% nationally earn more than $100,000.
- Median
- $79,870
- Half of workers earn more than this, and half earn less.
- Middle 50%
- $62,630–$99,130
- Half of all workers earn somewhere in this range.
- Top 10%
- Over $128,890
- One in ten workers earns more than this.
Figures are for aircraft mechanics and service technicians specifically (not avionics technicians).
National figures for all workers in this occupation (May 2025, United States). This is not starting pay and not a guarantee. Pay varies with location, experience, employer, and hours. Personal stories on BWTD show one person's experience and are reported separately.
Job outlook
What you'd actually do
Aircraft mechanics diagnose mechanical and electrical problems, repair components like wings, brakes, and electrical systems, test parts with gauges and instruments, and inspect finished work to make sure it meets performance standards. Careful records are part of every job.
Typical duties
- Diagnose mechanical or electrical problems
- Repair wings, brakes, electrical systems, and other aircraft components
- Examine replacement aircraft parts for defects
- Replace defective parts, using handtools or power tools
- Read and interpret manufacturers' instructions to identify repair specifications
- Test aircraft parts with gauges and other instruments
- Inspect completed work to ensure that it meets performance standards
- Keep records of maintenance and repair work
How people get in
Education[4]
Typical entry-level education: Postsecondary nondegree award
Aircraft mechanics typically enter the occupation after attending an FAA-approved aviation maintenance technician program.
Training
The FAA offers separate certificates for airframe (bodywork) and powerplant (engine) mechanics. Employers may prefer mechanics who hold both ratings, known as A&P.
Licensing & certification[5][6]
To earn an FAA mechanic certificate, an applicant needs either a document from a certificated aviation maintenance technician school, or proof of at least 18 months of practical experience for one rating (airframe or powerplant), or 30 months for both. Applicants must be at least 18, be able to read, write, speak, and understand English, and pass a written test plus oral and practical tests, all within 24 months.
What the work is like
Qualities that matter
- Detail oriented
- Dexterity
- Mechanical skills
- Observational skills
- Physical strength
- Problem solving
As listed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
How to get started
- Look up FAA-certificated aviation maintenance technician schools near you.
- Learn the difference between the airframe and powerplant ratings (employers may prefer both).
- If you're already working around aircraft, ask how documented experience could count toward certification.
Requirements vary by state and employer. Always confirm licensing, certification, and hiring requirements where you plan to work.
Sources
- [1]
Median annual wage for aircraft mechanics and service technicians $79,870 (May 2025). Lowest 10% earned less than $48,780; highest 10% more than $128,890.
Source updated Aug 27, 2026 · Accessed Oct 1, 2026 · Aircraft mechanics specifically; avionics technicians are reported separately.
- [2]
National annual wage percentiles, May 2025: 25th $62,630; 75th $99,130.
Accessed Oct 1, 2026 · Retrieved from the BLS Public Data API, series OEUN000000000000049301112 (25th percentile) and OEUN000000000000049301114 (75th percentile); values match the OOH figures. On the tables page, choose National (May 2025).
- [3]
Projected growth 6% from 2025 to 2035, faster than average.
Source updated Aug 27, 2026 · Accessed Oct 1, 2026 · Projection covers aircraft and avionics mechanics and technicians combined.
- [4]
Typical entry-level education: postsecondary nondegree award. Mechanics typically attend an FAA-approved aviation maintenance technician program; employers may prefer A&P (both ratings).
Source updated Aug 27, 2026 · Accessed Oct 1, 2026
- [5]
Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 14 CFR 65.77 (Mechanic experience requirements)
Applicants need a document from a certificated aviation maintenance technician school, or at least 18 months of practical experience for one rating, or 30 months for both airframe and powerplant.
Source updated May 24, 2022 · Accessed Oct 1, 2026 · Date is the section's last amendment (87 FR 31415).
- [6]
Applicants must be at least 18; read, write, speak, and understand English (with a narrow exception for some work outside the U.S.); pass a written test (65.75) and oral and practical tests (65.79); and pass all prescribed tests within 24 months (65.71).
Source updated Dec 2, 2024 · Accessed Oct 1, 2026 · Date is the latest substantive amendment among these sections (65.75).
- [7]
Work in hangars, repair stations, or on airfields; 8- or 10-hour shifts including nights, weekends, and holidays; noise and vibration common.
Source updated Aug 27, 2026 · Accessed Oct 1, 2026
- [8]
O*NET OnLine: Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians (49-3011.00), O*NET 31.0 Database
Work context: 75% work in cramped spaces or awkward positions at least once a week (51% weekly, 24% every day).
Accessed Oct 1, 2026 · O*NET 31.0 (August 2026 release); worker survey data dated 08/2025.
- [9]
O*NET OnLine: Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians (49-3011.00), O*NET 31.0 Database
Ratings used for BWTD classifications (1–5 scales): Spend Time Sitting 2.50; Spend Time Using Your Hands 4.59; Performing General Physical Activities importance 4.03; Deal With External Customers or the Public 3.17.
Accessed Oct 1, 2026 · Supports BWTD classifications "Hands-on" and "In person" (methodology v1). People-focused not assigned.
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Built Without the Degree has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.