Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians Salary: $88,062 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 136,390 aircraft mechanics and service technicians nationally earn a mean of $88,062. Projections imply about 1.7% annual growth; much hiring sits in transportation and warehousing.
Key Statistics
Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians: what the data shows
Common questions about aircraft mechanics and service technicians careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a aircraft mechanics and service technicians?
Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 49-3011.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 136,390 workers.
What does a aircraft mechanics and service technicians do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Getting Information, Documenting/Recording Information, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a aircraft mechanics and service technicians make?
BLS national median annual wage: $78,680 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $88,062 — 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 percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $51,194 |
| 25th percentile | $66,896 |
| Median (50th) | $87,199 |
| 75th percentile | $102,583 |
| 90th percentile | $126,183 |
What education do you need?
For Aircraft Mechanics and Service 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 Equipment Maintenance, Repairing, Troubleshooting, Operations Monitoring, Quality Control Analysis, Complex Problem Solving, and knowledge areas including Mechanical, English Language, Engineering and Technology, Customer and Personal Service. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is aircraft mechanics and service technicians in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 1.7% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 8.6%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 18.0%.
Current U.S. headcount: 136,390.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do aircraft mechanics and service technicianss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 136,390 | 19.4% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 122,210 | 17.4% |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 84,710 | 12.1% |
| Support Activities for Transportation | 43,330 | 6.2% |
| Support Activities for Air Transportation | 43,120 | 6.1% |
| Air Transportation | 35,570 | 5.1% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Civil Engineers | 355,410 | $99,590 |
| 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 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | 293,930 | $100,070 |
| Materials Engineers | 22,770 | $108,310 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians workforce.
Employment Over Time
136,390 Workforce in 2023
The Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$88,062 Average Wage
In 2023, Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians earned an average of $88,062.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians.
Salary distribution for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians.
Employment Growth Projections
1.7% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
53,820 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 8.6%
58,470 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 18.0%
This occupation is projected to grow at 1.7% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians.
Wage Trends by Industry
5.9% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Aircraft Mechanics and Service 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:
- TX: 15,900 employees, $80,430 avg wage
- FL: 14,470 employees, $79,270 avg wage
- CA: 12,820 employees, $85,750 avg wage
- OK: 8,020 employees, $79,010 avg wage
- GA: 5,950 employees, $84,060 avg wage
- NC: 5,410 employees, $75,440 avg wage
- TN: 4,980 employees, $77,210 avg wage
- AZ: 4,620 employees, $79,040 avg wage
- AL: 4,600 employees, $77,020 avg wage
- WA: 4,230 employees, $83,700 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 7,180 employees, $86,920 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 6,610 employees, $81,960 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 4,860 employees, $85,850 avg wage
- Tulsa, OK: 4,610 employees, N/A avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 3,760 employees, $106,180 avg wage
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 3,670 employees, $85,260 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 3,200 employees, $98,220 avg wage
- Memphis, TN-MS-AR: 3,100 employees, $78,210 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 3,060 employees, $85,240 avg wage
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 3,010 employees, $83,110 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians.
Diversity
Demographic information on Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians in 2023 was 136,390 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Aircraft Mechanics and Service 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 Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians in 2023 were Business Administration, Aviation, Technical Training.
Common majors for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians workers.
Education level distribution for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians.
Skills
Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians need many skills, but most especially Equipment Maintenance, Repairing, Troubleshooting, Operations Monitoring, Quality Control Analysis.
Required skills for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians include Mechanical, English Language, Engineering and Technology, Customer and Personal Service, Mathematics.
Knowledge areas required for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians include Written Comprehension, Control Precision, Problem Sensitivity, Finger Dexterity, Information Ordering.
Required abilities for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians.
Daily Activities
Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians spend their time on activities such as Getting Information, Documenting/Recording Information, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards, Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment.
Most important work activities for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians.
About
Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians
The average yearly wage for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians was $88,062 in 2023.
SOC Code
49-3011 - Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians reports an average salary of $88,062.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 136,390 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 1.7%, 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.