Occupations · Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul aircraft engines and assemblies, such as hydraulic and pneumatic systems.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 49-3011.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 81% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $88,280 | 7,180 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $79,130 | 6,610 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $85,550 | 4,860 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $98,730 | 3,760 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $86,010 | 3,670 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $95,920 | 3,200 |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $89,270 | 3,100 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $80,850 | 3,060 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ | $79,650 | 3,010 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $64,420 | 2,650 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $89,960 | 2,570 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $84,000 | 2,150 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: Postsecondary nondegree award · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- 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.
- 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.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2025-08
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2025-08
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 1 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.
Now listed 8
No longer listed 4
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| aircraft maintenance technician | 7232.5 | exact |
| aircraft engine assembler | 8211.1.1 | close |
| aircraft assembler | 8211.1 | close |
| aircraft engine inspector | 3115.1.2 | close |
| aircraft maintenance engineer | 3153.1 | close |
| aircraft engine specialist | 7232.2 | close |
| aerospace engineering technician | 3115.1.1 | broader |
| avionics technician | 7421.2 | broader |
| aircraft gas turbine engine overhaul technician | 7232.3 | broader |
| aircraft engine tester | 3115.1.3 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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