How to Become an Aircraft Mechanic

What an Aircraft Mechanic Does

BLS describes aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and technicians as workers who install, test, adjust and repair equipment and systems in aircraft. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians diagnose mechanical or electrical problems, repair wings, brakes, electrical systems and other components, and replace defective parts with hand tools or power tools.

They read manufacturers instructions to find repair specifications, test parts with gauges and other instruments, inspect completed work to confirm that it meets performance standards, and keep records of the maintenance and repair work they do.

• Diagnose mechanical or electrical problems
• Repair wings, brakes, electrical systems and other components
• Test parts with gauges and instruments
• Inspect finished work and keep maintenance records

Work Environment

BLS says aircraft mechanics work in hangars, in repair stations or on airfields, and that most of these worksites are near major airports. The environment may be loud because of aircraft engines and equipment. Most work full time and may work 8-hour or 10-hour shifts, including nights, weekends and holidays.

Training Paths

How to become an aircraft mechanic depends on the route a person takes, and this section sets out the training the Bureau of Labor Statistics describes.

BLS says aircraft mechanics and service technicians typically enter the occupation after attending an FAA-approved aviation maintenance technician program. These programs award a certificate of completion that the FAA recognizes as an alternative to the experience requirements stated in regulations. Some enter with an associate degree; others have a high school diploma and train on the job or in the military.

A school is not required. The FAA says graduation from the appropriate course of an FAA-certificated aviation maintenance technician school is one way to meet the experience requirement, and that the military route is completing the Joint Service Aviation Maintenance Technician Certification Council course. The FAA does not prescribe any general education requirement.

The schools ranked on this site are the FAA-certificated Part 147 schools whose programs meet the entry bar on the aviation ranking.

Accredited Programs That Train for This Job

The school route to this job runs through accredited programs, and these ranked lists compare them.

• Aviation Mechanic Schools FAA Part 147 aviation maintenance schools 148

The FAA A&P Mechanic Certificate

The FAA Aviation Mechanic certificate has two ratings, Airframe (A) and Powerplant (P). A mechanic who holds both has what is commonly called an A&P certificate. BLS says the FAA offers separate certificates for bodywork (airframe mechanics) and engine work (powerplant mechanics), and that employers may prefer mechanics with both. The certificate is valid until it is surrendered, suspended or revoked.

To be eligible, an applicant must be at least 18 years old, be able to read, write, speak and understand English, and pass all of the prescribed tests within a period of 24 months (14 CFR 65.71). The tests are a knowledge test, an oral test and a practical test.

The experience requirement is in 14 CFR 65.77. An applicant must present either an authenticated document from a certificated aviation maintenance technician school, or documentary evidence satisfactory to the FAA of at least 18 months of practical experience with the procedures, practices, materials, tools and equipment used in constructing, maintaining or altering airframes or powerplants, appropriate to the rating sought, or at least 30 months of practical experience concurrently performing the duties appropriate to both the airframe and powerplant ratings.

The FAA notes that part 65 provides for nothing less than 18 months of experience for a single rating, or 30 months for both. A school graduation document is the alternative to that experience, not an addition to it.

What Part 147 Means for a School

Part 147 of the federal aviation regulations governs aviation maintenance technician schools. A school holds an FAA certificate with Airframe, Powerplant, or Airframe and Powerplant ratings, and it must give each graduate an authenticated document stating the date of graduation and the curriculum completed. That document is what 65.77 refers to.

The regulation requires a curriculum aligned with the FAA airman certification standards, a student-to-instructor ratio of no more than 25 to 1 in any shop class, and a minimum pass rate: at least 70 percent of students who take an FAA mechanic test within 60 days after graduation must pass, measured over the most recent three years.

The FAA does not require a certificate for every aviation job. It says possession of an Aviation Mechanic certificate for employment by an air carrier is not an FAA regulatory requirement, though air carriers often call for one as a hiring requirement. It also says aircraft maintenance must be done by a certified mechanic with the appropriate ratings, or by someone working under that mechanic.

Aircraft Mechanic Pay

BLS reports a May 2025 median of $79,870 a year for aircraft mechanics and service technicians (SOC 49-3011). The lowest-paid tenth earned under $48,780 and the highest-paid tenth over $128,890. Percentiles are points in the wage distribution, not stages of a career, and OEWS counts wage and salary jobs only.

Among states with at least 500 jobs in the occupation, the highest medians are in New Jersey ($105,370) , New York ($102,800) , and Maryland ($100,500) .

The aircraft mechanic salary page has the full state and metro tables, and the salary hub compares all five trades.

Job Outlook

BLS projects employment of aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and technicians to grow 6 percent from 2025 to 2035, faster than the average for all occupations, with about 13,100 openings a year. The BLS profile covers aircraft mechanics and avionics technicians together, so its outlook describes both. For aircraft mechanics and service technicians alone, the BLS Employment Projections table lists 140,000 jobs in 2025 and 147,600 in 2035, counting the self-employed.

BLS says growing demand for passenger travel and goods transportation will increase air traffic over the coming years.

Related Pages

• Aircraft Mechanic SalaryMedian $79,870, BLS May 2025
• Aviation Mechanic Graduate Earnings by StateFrom the blog
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