Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Wide pay band SOC 49-3011

Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians

The published band from $48,780 to $128,890 is the distinctive signal for this role, not a twin of Signal and Track Switch Repairers.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians: Signal and Track Switch Repairers ($92K) , Watch and Clock Repairers ($67K) , Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers ($74K) , Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment ($85K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 49-3011 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Inspect completed work to certify that maintenance meets standards and that aircraft are ready for operation
  2. 2. Read and interpret maintenance manuals, service bulletins, and other specifications to determine the feasibility and method of repairing…
  3. 3. Maintain repair logs, documenting all preventive and corrective aircraft maintenance
  4. 4. Examine and inspect aircraft components, including landing gear, hydraulic systems, and deicers to locate cracks, breaks, leaks, or other…
  5. 5. Conduct routine and special inspections as required by regulations
  6. 6. Replace or repair worn, defective, or damaged components, using hand tools, gauges, and testing equipment
  7. 7. Inspect airframes for wear or other defects
  8. 8. Check for corrosion, distortion, and invisible cracks in the fuselage, wings, and tail, using x-ray and magnetic inspection equipment
  9. 9. Measure parts for wear, using precision instruments
  10. 10. Remove or install aircraft engines, using hoists or forklift trucks
  11. 11. Service and maintain aircraft and related apparatus by performing activities such as flushing crankcases, cleaning screens, and or moving…
  12. 12. Test operation of engines and other systems, using test equipment, such as ignition analyzers, compression checkers, distributor timers…

Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians: O*NET ranks Equipment Maintenance first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 49-3011 - lead skill Equipment Maintenance at 4.9 ; lead knowledge Mechanical. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Equipment Maintenance 4.9
  2. 2. Repairing 4.9
  3. 3. Troubleshooting 4.5
  4. 4. Operations Monitoring 4.3
  5. 5. Reading Comprehension 4.1
  6. 6. Critical Thinking 4.0
  7. 7. Complex Problem Solving 3.9
  8. 8. Operation and Control 3.8

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Mechanical 4.7
  2. 2. Public Safety and Security 3.8
  3. 3. Engineering and Technology 3.8
  4. 4. English Language 3.7
  5. 5. Transportation 3.7
  6. 6. Education and Training 3.3
Published pay band (10th to 90th)
$48,780 to $128,890
median $79,870 · ~2.6× spread
$80K
National median
↑ +4%
Growth 2024-2034
11,300
Annual openings
138,090
Estimated US jobs
Signal and Track Switch Repairers
Highest-pay peer · $92K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Postsecondary nondegree award

Top Paying States for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians

1. Maryland $100,500
2. Alaska $91,150
3. New York $102,800
4. Connecticut $96,830
5. Hawaii $90,830
6. California $86,100
7. Washington $98,980
8. Massachusetts $93,040
9. New Jersey $105,370
10. Nevada $94,890

Other Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations titles

  1. 1. Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers $74,330
  2. 2. Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment $84,890
  3. 3. Watch and Clock Repairers $67,230
  4. 4. Precision Instrument and Equipment Repairers, All Other $68,990
  5. 5. Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door $74,340
  6. 6. Signal and Track Switch Repairers $92,460

The OEWS band for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians runs from $48,780 (10th) to $128,890 (90th), about 2.6× wide, with median $79,870. That spread, not the midpoint alone, is the distinctive published fact.

Employment Projections expect +4% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 11,300 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Postsecondary nondegree award as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Maryland at $100,500. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Signal and Track Switch Repairers at $92,460. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians pay-rank #6 in Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations

Among 51 detailed Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations with a published OEWS median, Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians is pay-rank #6, the upper third of that major group. The order is ROW_NUMBER on national median (title as tiebreak), not a worker-level percentile.

Other upper-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

The 10th-to-90th percentile spread for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians is unusually wide, so the state map and peer comparison carry more signal than the median alone.

Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 49-3011

Maryland · top state for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians

$101K published median

Alaska · #2 state pay

$91K · behind Maryland

Signal and Track Switch Repairers

Highest-pay peer vs Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians · $92K

Watch and Clock Repairers

Lower-pay peer beside Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians · $67K

Compare Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians with another occupation →

Pay-band next reads

Entry-Level vs Experienced Pay

What percentile bands reveal

Using Salary Data for Negotiation

Leverage BLS percentiles

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations titles sit near Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians at the top of the pay table? ▼
Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians is pay-rank #6 of 51 detailed Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations with an OEWS median, upper third. Nearest upper-third titles: First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers ($80K), Avionics Technicians ($82K), Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment ($85K), Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door ($74K). Rank is ROW_NUMBER on national median.
What do aircraft mechanics and service technicians do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians. Leading ones include: 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…; 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…. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for aircraft mechanics and service technicians? ▼
For SOC 49-3011, O*NET importance scores lead with Equipment Maintenance (4.9), Repairing (4.9), Troubleshooting (4.5), Operations Monitoring (4.3). Knowledge areas emphasize Mechanical, Public Safety and Security, Engineering and Technology. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
How wide is the published pay band for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians? ▼
OEWS places the 10th percentile at $48,780 and the 90th at $128,890 for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians (2.6× spread). The national median is $79,870. OEWS does not isolate experience, employer, or geography as the cause of that spread.
What employment change does BLS publish for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians is +4%. Projected annual openings: about 11,300. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians? ▼
BLS assigns Postsecondary nondegree award as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians? ▼
Maryland ($100,500), Alaska ($91,150), New York ($102,800) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 49-3011. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics