Occupation · SOC 49-3011
Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul aircraft engines and assemblies, such as hydraulic and pneumatic systems.
Median wage
$78,680
$47,790–$120,080
Projected growth
+4.0%
Average growth
Annual openings
560
per year
Employed (US)
136,390
Job Zone 3
Typical preparation
Medium preparation
Stackable credential programs
305 mapped
Core skills
Equipment MaintenanceRepairingTroubleshootingOperations MonitoringReading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingComplex Problem SolvingQuality Control Analysis
Knowledge areas
MechanicalPublic Safety and SecurityEngineering and TechnologyEnglish LanguageTransportation
Technology & tools
Facilities management softwareAnalytical or scientific softwareComputer aided manufacturing CAM softwareInformation retrieval or search softwareAccounting software
Representative 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.Inspect airframes for wear or other defects.Replace or repair worn, defective, or damaged components, using hand tools, gauges, and testing equipment.Check for corrosion, distortion, and invisible cracks in the fuselage, wings, and tail, using x-ray and magnetic inspection equipment.Measure parts for wear, using precision instruments.Remove or install aircraft engines, using hoists or forklift trucks.Service and maintain aircraft and related apparatus by performing activities such as flushing crankcases, cleaning screens, and or moving parts.Assemble and install electrical, plumbing, mechanical, hydraulic, and structural components and accessories, using hand or power tools.Test operation of engines and other systems, using test equipment, such as ignition analyzers, compression checkers, distributor timers, or ammeters.Reassemble engines following repair or inspection and reinstall engines in aircraft.Maintain, repair, and rebuild aircraft structures, functional components, and parts, such as wings and fuselage, rigging, hydraulic units, oxygen systems, fuel systems, electrical systems, gaskets, or seals.Measure the tension of control cables.Read and interpret pilots' descriptions of problems to diagnose causes.Obtain fuel and oil samples and check them for contamination.Examine engines through specially designed openings while working from ladders or scaffolds, or use hoists or lifts to remove the entire engine from an aircraft.Listen to operating engines to detect and diagnose malfunctions, such as sticking or burned valves.Remove or cut out defective parts or drill holes to gain access to internal defects or damage, using drills and punches.Communicate with other workers to coordinate fitting and alignment of heavy parts, or to facilitate processing of repair parts.Inventory and requisition or order supplies, parts, materials, and equipment.Clean, refuel, and change oil in line service aircraft.Modify aircraft structures, space vehicles, systems, or components, following drawings, schematics, charts, engineering orders, and technical publications.Clean engines, sediment bulk and screens, and carburetors, adjusting carburetor float levels.Accompany aircraft on flights to make in-flight adjustments and corrections.Install and align repaired or replacement parts for subsequent riveting or welding, using clamps and wrenches.Locate and mark dimensions and reference lines on defective or replacement parts, using templates, scribes, compasses, and steel rules.Spread plastic film over areas to be repaired to prevent damage to surrounding areas.Fabricate defective sections or parts, using metal fabricating machines, saws, brakes, shears, and grinders.Clean, strip, prime, and sand structural surfaces and materials to prepare them for bonding.Determine repair limits for engine hot section parts.Disassemble engines and inspect parts, such as turbine blades or cylinders, for corrosion, wear, warping, cracks, and leaks, using precision measuring instruments, x-rays, and magnetic inspection equipment.Remove, inspect, repair, and install in-flight refueling stores and external fuel tanks.Trim and shape replacement body sections to specified sizes and fits and secure sections in place, using adhesives, hand tools, and power tools.Cure bonded structures, using portable or stationary curing equipment.Prepare and paint aircraft surfaces.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Airframe visual inspection — perform under direct supervision to identify obvious wear, cracks, and surface defects on assigned aircraft sections in a certified maintenance facility.Maintenance manuals and service bulletins — read and interpret basic procedural steps under technician guidance to determine approved repair methods in a hangar environment.Hand tools and basic gauges — select and use under direct supervision to replace worn or damaged aircraft components on scheduled maintenance tasks.Preventive maintenance repair logs — complete accurately under supervisor review, documenting routine service actions performed on aircraft in a Part 145 repair station.Landing gear and hydraulic system components — examine for visible leaks, cracks, and breaks following a checklist under direct oversight in a line maintenance setting.Routine inspection protocols — follow step-by-step regulatory checklists under supervision to support scheduled airworthiness inspections on general aviation aircraft.Corrosion indicators and surface distortion — recognize and report on fuselage, wings, and tail sections during walk-around inspections at an entry-level maintenance position.Testing and diagnostic equipment — operate basic instruments under guidance to verify component function after repair or installation in a supervised shop environment.Safety rules and personal protective equipment — apply consistently while working around aircraft systems, fuel, and hazardous materials on an active ramp or hangar floor.Completed maintenance work — assist in verifying against task card requirements under certified technician oversight before aircraft return-to-service certification.
developing
Aircraft component inspections — conduct independently across landing gear, hydraulic systems, and deicers using approved inspection criteria in a commercial or regional airline maintenance environment.Service bulletins and airworthiness directives — interpret and apply to determine feasibility and approved repair sequences with minimal supervisor input in a Part 145 facility.Repair logs and maintenance records — maintain accurately and completely for both preventive and corrective actions, ensuring regulatory compliance in a high-tempo line maintenance operation.Defective or worn components — repair or replace using hand tools, gauges, and testing equipment with routine proficiency following manufacturer tolerances in a scheduled maintenance setting.X-ray and magnetic inspection equipment — operate to detect invisible cracks and internal defects in fuselage, wings, and tail structures during periodic heavy maintenance checks.Routine and special regulatory inspections — execute in accordance with FAA and airline operations specifications, applying critical thinking to resolve minor discrepancies discovered during the process.Hydraulic, pneumatic, and electrical aircraft systems — monitor operational parameters during ground runs and system tests to identify anomalies in a structured maintenance environment.Troubleshooting procedures — apply logical diagnostic sequences to isolate malfunctioning components across familiar aircraft systems using manufacturer fault isolation manuals.Facilities management and maintenance tracking software — use to retrieve work orders, record discrepancies, and update aircraft status in a digitized maintenance operations center.Airframe structural integrity — assess for corrosion, distortion, and fatigue damage using approved non-destructive testing methods during scheduled inspections at an MRO facility.
proficient
Aircraft return-to-service certification — independently inspect completed maintenance work and certify airworthiness in compliance with FAA regulations across a full range of scheduled and unscheduled events.Complex maintenance manuals and multi-source technical data — analyze and reconcile to determine optimal repair strategies for non-routine structural or systems damage in a heavy maintenance environment.Comprehensive repair logs and technical records — author and audit to ensure full traceability and regulatory compliance for all corrective and preventive maintenance across an entire aircraft fleet segment.Non-routine component failures — diagnose and resolve using advanced troubleshooting, systems analysis, and engineering coordination across multiple aircraft systems in an airline or MRO environment.Full airframe non-destructive inspections — plan and execute independently using x-ray, magnetic particle, eddy current, and ultrasonic methods to detect hidden structural defects during major maintenance checks.Special and out-of-phase regulatory inspections — manage end-to-end, coordinating with quality assurance and planning to meet airworthiness authority requirements in a certificated repair station.Critical system anomalies — evaluate and make airworthiness judgment calls by applying deductive and inductive reasoning to ambiguous maintenance findings during active fleet operations.Cross-functional technical discrepancies — resolve by interpreting engineering orders, coordinating with manufacturers, and applying systems evaluation skills in a complex, multi-discipline maintenance event.CAM and analytical diagnostic software — utilize proficiently to model repair solutions, analyze system performance data, and support complex maintenance decisions in a technology-enabled MRO.Aircraft structural and system condition trends — monitor and analyze longitudinally to anticipate maintenance needs and prevent unscheduled removals across a high-utilization commercial fleet.
advanced
Maintenance quality standards and certification criteria — establish and enforce organization-wide, setting the benchmark for airworthiness compliance across all aircraft types in a certificated repair station or airline.Technical training programs — design and deliver for apprentice and mid-level mechanics, translating regulatory requirements and best practices into structured on-the-job development curricula.Maintenance department policies and standard operating procedures — author and implement to drive safety, efficiency, and regulatory compliance across an enterprise-level aviation maintenance operation.Fleet-wide maintenance strategies — develop and lead by integrating reliability data, regulatory intelligence, and engineering analysis to optimize aircraft availability and cost of ownership.Organizational safety management systems — champion by embedding a culture of cautiousness, dependability, and integrity throughout all maintenance disciplines and shift operations.Regulatory audits and airworthiness authority engagements — lead and represent the organization, coordinating responses to FAA or EASA findings and negotiating compliance timelines at an executive level.Cross-departmental maintenance initiatives — direct by aligning engineering, supply chain, planning, and line maintenance teams to resolve systemic aircraft reliability issues at scale.Emerging aircraft technologies and evolving regulatory requirements — assess and integrate into organizational maintenance capabilities, ensuring technician readiness for new type certifications and advanced systems.Maintenance operations performance metrics — define, track, and present to senior leadership using spreadsheet, presentation, and enterprise software tools to drive continuous improvement decisions.Senior technician and supervisor talent pipelines — mentor and develop, applying active listening and instructional expertise to build the next generation of certified mechanics within the organization.
Also known as
552 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Nondestructive Inspection Helper (Air Force 2A712)Special Mission Aviator Helper (Air Force 1A911)Airborne Mission Systems Specialist Apprentice, HC-130P/N (Air Force 1A331G)Avionics Test Station, Components, And Electronic Warfare Systems Helper (Air Force 2A011)Fighter Aircraft Integrated Avionics Helper, F-16 Avionics (Air Force 2A314C)Missile And Space Systems Electronic Maintenance Helper, ALCM (Air Force 2M011B)Aircraft Metals Technology (Air Force 2A7X1)Mobility Force Aviator, KC-135 Boom Operator (Air Force 1A1X2H)Special Mission Aviator Senior Enlisted Leader, MH-139 Flight Engineer (Air Force 1A193G)Aviation Maintenance Engineering Officer (Navy 8118)Airplane MechanicMH-60R Electronics Systems Organizational Career Maintenance Technician (Navy E25A)Carburetor SpecialistAerospace Propulsion Jet Engine MechanicMissile And Space Systems Maintenance Helper (Air Force 2M012)Flight Engineer Apprentice, MC-130P (Air Force 1A131T)Aircraft Electrical Systems Technician, KC-130 (Marine Corps 6336)Special Mission Aviator Craftsman, UH-1/MH-139 (Air Force 1A971P)Naval Aircrewman (Tactical Helicopter) (Navy AWR)Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Officer (Marine Corps 6004)Avionics Test Station, Components, And Electronic Warfare Systems Apprentice, B-1/E-8/F-15 Avionics Systems (Air Force 2A031M)Special Mission Aviator Craftsman, MC-130J Loadmaster (Air Force 1A173E)Special Mission Aviator Senior Enlisted Leader, C-146 Loadmaster (Air Force 1A193H)Airborne Mission Systems Specialist Journeyman, MC-130P (Air Force 1A351T)Airplane RiggerSpecial Mission Aviator Apprentice, HC-130J Loadmaster (Air Force 1A133D)Aircraft Maintenance Technician (Aircraft Maintenance Tech)Missile And Space Systems Electronic Maintenance Apprentice (Air Force 2M031)Mobility Force Aviator, KC-10 Flight Engineer (Air Force 1A1X2J)Flight Engineer Journeyman, C-5 (Air Force 1A151A)Special Mission Aviator Journeyman, MH-139 Flight Engineer (Air Force 1A153G)Missile And Space Systems Electronic Maintenance Journeyman, ALCM (Air Force 2M051B)Airborne Mission Systems Specialist Craftsman, EC-130J (Air Force 1A371H)Airframe-and-Power-Plant-Mechanic ApprenticeRocket Engine MechanicAvionics Test Station, Components, And Electronic Warfare Systems Apprentice, Avionics Sensor Systems and ElectronicWarfare Systems (Air Force 2A031P)Flight Engineer Journeyman, CAA (Air Force 1A151Y)Avionics Test Station, Components, And Electronic Warfare Systems Helper, Avionics Sensor Systems and ElectronicWarfare Systems (Air Force 2A011P)Rotor Blade InstallerFlight Engineer Journeyman, HC-130N/P (Air Force 1A151G)