TL;DR

About 20,900 avionics technicians nationally earn a mean of $93,567. Employment in the series shown fell about 23% from the first to the last year; much hiring sits in manufacturing.

Key Statistics

20,900
2023 Workforce
None
Average Age
$93,567
Average Salary

Avionics Technicians: what the data shows

Common questions about avionics technicians careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.

What is a avionics technicians?

Avionics Technicians is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 49-2091.

U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 20,900 workers.

What does a avionics technicians do?

O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Documenting/Recording Information, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Getting Information, Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Working with Computers, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.

How much does a avionics technicians make?

BLS national median annual wage: $81,390 (May 2024 in our extract).

Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $93,567 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.

Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).

Wage percentileAnnual wage
10th percentile$62,973
25th percentile$80,771
Median (50th)$92,704
75th percentile$104,144
90th percentile$122,270

What education do you need?

For Avionics Technicians, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).

These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.

What skills do you need?

O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Troubleshooting, Equipment Maintenance, Repairing, Critical Thinking, Quality Control Analysis, Operations Monitoring, and knowledge areas including Computers and Electronics, Mechanical, English Language, Engineering and Technology. See Education & Skills for detail.

Is avionics technicians in demand?

Historical employment trend in our series implies about 0.2% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).

Five-year projected employment change: -1.2%.

Ten-year projected employment change: -2.4%.

Current U.S. headcount: 20,900.

We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.

Where do avionics technicianss work?

Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:

IndustryEmploymentShare
Cross-industry20,90019.4%
Cross-industry, Private Ownership only19,57018.2%
Manufacturing9,0308.4%
Transportation Equipment Manufacturing8,6308.0%
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing8,6108.0%
Transportation and Warehousing7,5307.0%

See Industry for charts.

What degrees lead to this career?

Common majors for Avionics Technicians in O*NET:

See Related degrees.

What careers are related?

Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:

OccupationU.S. employmentMedian wage
Highway Maintenance Workers151,750$49,070
Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers97,540$38,860
Maintenance Workers, Machinery56,540$60,500
Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators16,480$67,370
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General1,531,700$48,620

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Avionics Technicians workforce.

Employment Over Time

20,900 Workforce in 2023

The Avionics Technicians workforce has been growing over time.

Historical employment trends for Avionics Technicians.

Yearly Wage Ranking

$93,567 Average Wage

In 2023, Avionics Technicians earned an average of $93,567.

Wage ranking compared to other occupations.

Wage Distribution

This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Avionics Technicians.

Salary distribution for Avionics Technicians.

Employment Growth Projections

-0.2% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)

5,059 Projected Employment (5 years)

Projected growth: -1.2%

4,998 Projected Employment (10 years)

Projected growth: -2.4%

This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.

Historical employment trends and future projections for Avionics Technicians.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Avionics Technicians and on wages for those in the field.

Occupations by Industries

This graphic shows the share of Avionics Technicians employed by various industries.

Industry distribution for Avionics Technicians.

Wage Trends by Industry

-6.4% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate

Historical wage growth trends by industry for Avionics Technicians.

Geographic Distribution

Employment and wage information by geographic location for Avionics Technicians.

State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.

Top States by Employment

Top States by Employment:

  • WA: 5,480 employees, $95,510 avg wage
  • FL: 2,190 employees, $78,760 avg wage
  • TX: 1,770 employees, $78,690 avg wage
  • GA: 1,740 employees, $73,890 avg wage
  • CA: 1,440 employees, $91,110 avg wage
  • AL: 1,170 employees, $82,060 avg wage
  • CT: 490 employees, $92,240 avg wage
  • NC: 450 employees, $65,860 avg wage
  • AZ: 440 employees, $84,590 avg wage
  • TN: 420 employees, $59,490 avg wage

Top 10 states by employment for Avionics Technicians.

Top Metropolitan Areas

Top Metropolitan Areas:

  • Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 4,870 employees, $96,270 avg wage
  • Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 840 employees, $80,980 avg wage
  • Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 760 employees, $77,540 avg wage
  • Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 760 employees, $84,380 avg wage
  • Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 460 employees, $91,170 avg wage
  • Jacksonville, FL: 340 employees, $75,510 avg wage
  • Oklahoma City, OK: 290 employees, $62,130 avg wage
  • Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 280 employees, $82,870 avg wage
  • Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL: 250 employees, $87,030 avg wage
  • San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA: 240 employees, $89,380 avg wage

Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Avionics Technicians.

Diversity

Demographic information on Avionics Technicians in the US.

Gender and Age

The workforce of Avionics Technicians in 2023 was 20,900 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.

Gender and age distribution for Avionics Technicians.

Races

Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.

Race and ethnicity distribution for Avionics Technicians.

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices and required skills for Avionics Technicians.

Majors

The most common majors achieved by Avionics Technicians in 2023 were Technical Training, Engineering, Mechanical Engineering.

Common majors for Avionics Technicians.

Education Levels

The main educational levels achieved by Avionics Technicians workers.

Education level distribution for Avionics Technicians.

Skills

Avionics Technicians need many skills, but most especially Troubleshooting, Equipment Maintenance, Repairing, Critical Thinking, Quality Control Analysis.

Required skills for Avionics Technicians.

Knowledge & Abilities

Knowledge areas and abilities required for Avionics Technicians.

Knowledge Areas

The most important knowledge areas for Avionics Technicians include Computers and Electronics, Mechanical, English Language, Engineering and Technology, Customer and Personal Service.

Knowledge areas required for Avionics Technicians.

Abilities

Key abilities needed for Avionics Technicians include Written Comprehension, Problem Sensitivity, Oral Comprehension, Near Vision, Information Ordering.

Required abilities for Avionics Technicians.

Work Activities

Common work activities performed by Avionics Technicians.

Daily Activities

Avionics Technicians spend their time on activities such as Documenting/Recording Information, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Getting Information, Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment, Making Decisions and Solving Problems.

Most important work activities for Avionics Technicians.

About

Avionics Technicians

The average yearly wage for Avionics Technicians was $93,567 in 2023.

SOC Code

49-2091 - Avionics Technicians

Insights and Analysis

Compensation snapshot: Avionics Technicians reports an average salary of $93,567.

Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 20,900 workers, indicating sustained demand.

Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -0.2%, which should inform long-term career planning.

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 Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.

All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.