Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician maps to BLS occupations averaging about $96,935, with roughly 335,390 workers nationwide in those roles. Median in-state published tuition is about $4,320; common paths include Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians and Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers.
Key Statistics
Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician: what the data shows
Common questions about aircraft powerplant technology/technician degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a aircraft powerplant technology/technician degree?
A Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician program is classified under NCES CIP 47.0608 in the Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians field family (47.06).
A program that prepares individuals to apply technical knowledge and skills to repair, service, and maintain all types of aircraft powerplant and related systems. Instruction includes engine inspection and maintenance, lubrication and cooling, electrical and ignition systems, carburetion, fuels and fuel systems, propeller and fan assemblies
IPEDS counted 99 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
Types of aircraft powerplant technology/technician degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 47.06 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Airframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician (CIP 47.0607)
- Alternative Fuel Vehicle Technology/Technician (CIP 47.0614)
- Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician (CIP 47.0603)
- Automobile Mechanics Technology (CIP 47.0604)
- Avionics Maintenance Technology/Technician (CIP 47.0609)
- Bicycle Mechanics and Repair Technology/Technician (CIP 47.0610)
- Diesel Mechanics Technology/Technician (CIP 47.0605)
- Engine Machinist (CIP 47.0615)
- High Performance and Custom Engine Technician/Mechanic (CIP 47.0617)
- Marine Maintenance/Fitter and Ship Repair Technology/Technician (CIP 47.0616)
- Medium/Heavy Vehicle and Truck Technology/Technician (CIP 47.0613)
- Motorcycle Maintenance and Repair Technology/Technician (CIP 47.0611)
- Recreation Vehicle (RV) Service Technician (CIP 47.0618)
- Small Engine Mechanics and Repair Technology/Technician (CIP 47.0606)
- Vehicle Emissions Inspection and Maintenance Technology/Technician (CIP 47.0612)
How long does it take to get a aircraft powerplant technology/technician degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 47.0608 in our file:
- 501 Associate (80.4% of IPEDS total)—about two years of full-time study
- 99 Bachelor's (15.9% of IPEDS total)—typically four years
- 23 Master's (3.7% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
What degree do you need?
For Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a aircraft powerplant technology/technician degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | 136,390 | $78,680 |
| Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers | 32,890 | $61,680 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | 75,710 | $155,020 |
| Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | 43,640 | $39,270 |
| Brickmasons and Blockmasons | 53,520 | $60,800 |
| Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians | 36,880 | $52,080 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a aircraft powerplant technology/technician degree worth it?
About 6.1% of graduates in this field family were not working and not enrolled one year after completion in Scorecard's national program medians.
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $4,320 and median net price is $8,868.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$4,320 Median In-State Public
$16,757 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician majors are, on average, $4,320 for in-state public colleges, and $16,757 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
100,000 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ivy Tech Community College | IN | 58,267 |
| 2 | Ivy Tech Community College | IN | 58,267 |
| 3 | Liberty University | VA | 50,012 |
| 4 | Liberty University | VA | 50,012 |
| 5 | Miami Dade College | FL | 46,182 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barstow Community College | CA | $1,104 |
| 2 | Barstow Community College | CA | $1,104 |
| 3 | Antelope Valley Community College District | CA | $1,124 |
| 4 | Antelope Valley Community College District | CA | $1,124 |
| 5 | Antelope Valley Community College District | CA | $1,124 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Mexico State University-Grants | NM | $68 |
| 2 | New Mexico State University-Grants | NM | $68 |
| 3 | Fort Peck Community College | MT | $400 |
| 4 | Fort Peck Community College | MT | $400 |
| 5 | College of the Sequoias | CA | $480 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician programs.
Graduation Rates
Graduation rate data is not available for this degree program.
Graduation/completion rates for Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician programs across institutions.
Where students complete this major (IPEDS)
Bachelor's-level completions (IPEDS Completions, award level 5) summed by institution state. State is taken from IPEDS Directory (HD2023) for each reporting institution.
Geographic concentration
The largest number of reported bachelor's completions for Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician is in FL (99 completions). That state represents about 100.0% of U.S. bachelor's completions reported for this CIP in the IPEDS file we use.
Among states, the highest concentration relative to all bachelor's degrees awarded in-state is FL (0.04% of that state's bachelor's completions).
Top states by count of bachelor's completions for this CIP (IPEDS).
| State | Bachelor's completions (this CIP) | % of U.S. total (this CIP) | % of state's all bachelor's |
|---|---|---|---|
| FL | 99 | 100.0% | 0.04% |
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 47.06 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Airframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician CIP 47.0607
- Alternative Fuel Vehicle Technology/Technician CIP 47.0614
- Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician CIP 47.0603
- Automobile Mechanics Technology CIP 47.0604
- Avionics Maintenance Technology/Technician CIP 47.0609
- Bicycle Mechanics and Repair Technology/Technician CIP 47.0610
- Diesel Mechanics Technology/Technician CIP 47.0605
- Engine Machinist CIP 47.0615
- High Performance and Custom Engine Technician/Mechanic CIP 47.0617
- Marine Maintenance/Fitter and Ship Repair Technology/Technician CIP 47.0616
- Medium/Heavy Vehicle and Truck Technology/Technician CIP 47.0613
- Motorcycle Maintenance and Repair Technology/Technician CIP 47.0611
- Recreation Vehicle (RV) Service Technician CIP 47.0618
- Small Engine Mechanics and Repair Technology/Technician CIP 47.0606
- Vehicle Emissions Inspection and Maintenance Technology/Technician CIP 47.0612
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 47.0608 in the survey year used in our extract (623 total across levels below).
- 501 Associate (80.4% of IPEDS total)
- 99 Bachelor's (15.9% of IPEDS total)
- 23 Master's (3.7% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $96,935. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | $88,062 | 136,390 |
| Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers | $61,189 | 32,890 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | $188,333 | 75,710 |
| Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | $53,312 | 43,640 |
| Brickmasons and Blockmasons | $74,538 | 53,520 |
| Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians | $58,116 | 36,880 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Program outcomes (College Scorecard)
National medians across bachelor's programs in the Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians CIP family (n/a programs reporting debt). Not specific to every Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician graduate.
- $80,809 median earnings four years after enrollment (national program median)
- 6.1% of graduates not working and not enrolled one year out (program cohort)
Source: College Scorecard program-level outcomes aggregated by 4-digit CIP family.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$102,611 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician majors is $102,611.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician majors.
Occupations by Share
335,390 2023 Workforce
The number of Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician.
Age distribution for Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
99 Total Degrees Awarded
89 Male (89.90%)
10 Female (10.10%)
Gender distribution of Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
59 White (59.60%)
9 Black or African American (9.09%)
8 Asian (8.08%)
8 Hispanic or Latino (8.08%)
5 Two or More Races (5.05%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician majors.
About
A program that prepares individuals to apply technical knowledge and skills to repair, service, and maintain all types of aircraft powerplant and related systems. Instruction includes engine inspection and maintenance, lubrication and cooling, electrical and ignition systems, carburetion, fuels and fuel systems, propeller and fan assemblies
In 2023, 100,000 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician.
CIP Code
47.0608 - Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician
What the data shows
Men earned 9.3% of 3,372 Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician completions in the IPEDS file used here.
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $96,935. The largest mapped role by headcount is Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians (136,390 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $4,320 in-state at public colleges and $16,757 at private institutions for programs in this field.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.