Installation, Maintenance, and Repair · Holland code RCI
Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul aircraft engines and assemblies, such as hydraulic and pneumatic systems.
Also called: Aircraft Maintenance Technician (Aircraft Maintenance Tech), Aircraft Mechanic, Aircraft Technician (Aircraft Tech), Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic (A and P Mechanic), Aircraft Maintainer, Aircraft Restorer, Aircraft Service Technician (Aircraft Service Tech), Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT).
O*NET 49-3011.00
At a glance
- US median annual pay
- $79,870
- Middle half earn $62,630 to $99,130. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
- Most common education
- Post-Secondary Certificate
- 66% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
- Preparation needed
- Job Zone 3 of 5
- Medium preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
What the work involves
The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.
- 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.
Skills and knowledge it leans on
Skills
- Reading Comprehension4.1 / 5
- Critical Thinking4.0 / 5
- Monitoring3.6 / 5
- Active Listening3.5 / 5
- Speaking3.3 / 5
- Active Learning3.1 / 5
Knowledge areas
- Mechanical4.7 / 5
- Public Safety and Security3.8 / 5
- Engineering and Technology3.8 / 5
- English Language3.7 / 5
- Transportation3.7 / 5
- Education and Training3.3 / 5
Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.
Who tends to enjoy it
How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.
- Realistic95
- Investigative47
- Artistic0
- Social5
- Enterprising14
- Conventional62
The same work abroad
Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.
European occupation titles (ESCO)
- aerospace engineering technician · DE Flugzeugbautechniker/Flugzeugbautechnikerin · FR technicien en ingénierie aérospatiale/technicienne en ingénierie aérospatiale
- aircraft engine inspector · DE Triebwerkinspektor/Triebwerkinspektorin · FR inspecteur de moteurs d’avions/inspectrice de moteurs d’avions
- aircraft engine tester · DE Triebwerkprüfer/Triebwerkprüferin · FR testeur de moteurs d’avions/testeuse de moteurs d’avions
- aircraft maintenance engineer · DE Luftfahrzeugtechniker Instandhaltung/Luftfahrzeugtechnikerin Instandhaltung · FR technicien de maintenance aéronautique/technicienne de maintenance aéronautique
- aircraft engine specialist · DE Fluggerätemechaniker Fachrichtung Triebwerkstechnik/Fluggerätemechanikerin Fachrichtung Triebwerkstechnik · FR spécialiste de moteurs d’avion
- aircraft gas turbine engine overhaul technician · DE Fluggerätemechaniker für Gasturbinen-Triebwerke/Fluggerätemechanikerin für Gasturbinen-Triebwerke · FR technicien aéronautique de révision de moteurs à turbine à gaz/technicienne aéronautique de révision de moteurs à turbine à gaz
Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)
- Engineering technicians (3113)74,200 employed
- Aircraft maintenance and related trades (5234)17,600 employed
- Aircraft pilots and air traffic controllers (3511)33,200 employed
Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.
Pay across Europe, for the whole group
Median annual earnings of all employees in “Craft and related trades workers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.
| Country | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Belgium | €40,086 |
| Germany | €38,638 |
| Austria | €38,194 |
| Sweden | €37,856 |
| Netherlands | €37,077 |
| Ireland | €36,098 |
| France | €27,145 |
| Italy | €26,488 |
| Spain | €22,817 |
| Portugal | €11,142 |
| Poland | €10,099 |
Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.
Exposure to AI
This occupation sits in the lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -0.66. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.
Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.
Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (49-3011).
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