Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul aircraft engines and assemblies, such as hydraulic and pneumatic systems.
MAY 2025 · OCCUPATIONAL WAGES
A wage reference for United States.
Published wage percentiles describe a distribution within the source occupation group. They provide context for a career decision; employer packages and job offers have their own terms.
Source wage group: Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians
This wage group may include multiple detailed occupations. The figures are for the source group, which may be broader than Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians. They are not an exact-title, employer, experience or seniority match.
May 2025 · USD · United States. Annual and hourly figures are shown only when the source publishes them; neither is calculated from the other.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational wage data, distributed through the O*NET® OnLine service.
Median annual wage$79,870USD per year · Published 50th percentile
Median hourly wage$38.40USD per hour · Published 50th percentile
Annual wage thresholds
USD per year
Hourly wage thresholds
USD per hour
| Percentile | Annual wage (USD/year) | Hourly wage (USD/hour) |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $48,780 | $23.45 |
| 25th | $62,630 | $30.11 |
| 50th · Median | $79,870 | $38.40 |
| 75th | $99,130 | $47.66 |
| 90th | $128,890 | $61.97 |
“≥” means at least the published amount; “≤” means at most that amount. These are bounds, not exact values. “Not published” means the source did not provide that figure. Occupational wages follow the source definition and do not establish an employer’s base salary, equity or total compensation.
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THE WORK BEHIND THE TITLE
What this career involves.
Occupation definitions describe common work. Responsibilities and requirements vary by employer and specific job.
Selected title examples
Aerospace Propulsion Jet Engine MechanicAircraft AC Mechanic (Aircraft Air Conditioning Mechanic)Aircraft Accessories MechanicAircraft Avionics Technician (Aircraft Avionics Tech)Aircraft Body and Bonded Structure RepairerAircraft Cylinder MechanicAircraft ElectricianAircraft Engine MechanicAircraft Engine SpecialistAircraft Engine Technician (Aircraft Engine Tech)Aircraft Equipment RepairerAircraft Magneto Mechanic
Expand more title examples (48)
Aircraft MaintainerAircraft Maintenance Technician (Aircraft Maintenance Tech)Aircraft MechanicAircraft Motor MechanicAircraft Pneudraulics RepairerAircraft Powertrain RepairerAircraft RestorerAircraft Rigging and Controls MechanicAircraft Service Technician (Aircraft Service Tech)Aircraft Sheet Metal MechanicAircraft Steel FabricatorAircraft Structural RepairerAircraft Structures MechanicAircraft Technician (Aircraft Tech)Aircraft WorkerAircraft X-Ray Examiner (Aircraft X-Radiation Examiner)Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic (A and P Mechanic)Airframe and Powerplant Technician (A and P Tech)Airframe MechanicAirframe Technician (Airframe Tech)Airline MechanicAirplane MechanicAirplane RiggerAirplane Technician (Airplane Tech)Airplane TesterAviation Maintenance Technician (AMT)Aviation MechanicAviation Support Equipment RepairerCarburetor ExpertCarburetor SpecialistDinkey Engine MechanicEngine InstallerEnginemanExperimental Aircraft MechanicExperimental Rocketsled MechanicFAA Certified Powerplant Mechanic (Federal Aviation Administration Certified Powerplant Mechanic)Flight Test MechanicFlight Test Shop MechanicFuel System Maintenance WorkerGSE Tech (Ground Support Equipment Technician)Heat and Vent Aircraft MechanicHelicopter Engine MechanicHelicopter MechanicHelicopter RepairerHydraulic MechanicIgnition MechanicJet Aircraft ServicerJet Engine Mechanic
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.
Expand more tasks (32)
- 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.
- 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.
- Test operation of engines and other systems, using test equipment, such as ignition analyzers, compression checkers, distributor timers, or ammeters.
- Assemble and install electrical, plumbing, mechanical, hydraulic, and structural components and accessories, using hand or power tools.
- 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.
- Install and align repaired or replacement parts for subsequent riveting or welding, using clamps and wrenches.
- Accompany aircraft on flights to make in-flight adjustments and corrections.
- 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.
Skills used in this work
- Equipment Maintenance
- Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Expand more skills (29)
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Equipment Selection
- Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Installation
- Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Science
- Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Management of Material Resources
- Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Operations Analysis
- Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
- Technology Design
- Generating or adapting equipment and technology to serve user needs.
- Management of Financial Resources
- Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.
- Programming
- Writing computer programs for various purposes.
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