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Aircraft Maintenance Technology

Types of Degrees Aircraft Maintenance Technology Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Aircraft Maintenance Technology can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	4,682
Associate’s Degree	1,480
Bachelor’s Degree	26
Master’s Degree	1,348

What Aircraft Maintenance Technology Majors Need to Know

Programs in Aircraft Maintenance Technology build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Aircraft Maintenance Technology graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Aircraft Maintenance Technology emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Mechanical — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Public Safety and Security — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Aircraft Maintenance Technology program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Equipment Maintenance — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Repairing — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Troubleshooting — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Quality Control Analysis — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Aircraft Maintenance Technology careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Finger Dexterity — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Manual Dexterity — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Information Ordering — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Aircraft Maintenance Technology graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.2 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.0 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.0 / 7
Handling and Moving Objects	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Controlling Machines and Processes	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Aircraft Maintenance Technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Spreadsheet software	Spreadsheet software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Electrical power management system software	Industrial control software	—
Enterprise resource planning ERP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Computer aided design CAD software	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Operational Data Store ODS software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Disassembler software	Compiler and decompiler software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Aircraft Maintenance Technology graduates include:

• Structures Mechanic
• Aircraft Sheet Metal Mechanic
• Assembly Riveter
• General Assembler
• Warehouse Assembler
• Spar Finisher
• Automatic Riveting Machine Operator
• Auxiliary Powerplant Operator
• Truss Assembler
• Rib Builder
• Tab Builder
• Harness Builder
• Plumbing and Hydraulic Aircraft Mechanic
• Aircraft Structures and Surfaces Assembler
• Aircraft Layout Worker

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Aircraft Maintenance Technology graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Postsecondary certificate	37.3%
High school diploma or equivalent	35.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	12.2%
Bachelor’s degree	9.2%
Some college courses	3.8%
Less than a high school diploma	1.8%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Aircraft Maintenance Technology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 89.6% of Aircraft Maintenance Technology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	797	10.4%
Men	6,840	89.6%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Aircraft Maintenance Technology graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,998	39.3%
Asian	507	6.6%
Hispanic or Latino	2,397	31.4%
Black or African American	846	11.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	77	1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	51	0.7%
Two or More Races	348	4.6%
Race Unknown	344	4.5%
International Students	69	0.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Aircraft Maintenance Technology Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Aircraft Maintenance Technology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$37,744
4 years	$43,612
5 years	$49,558

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $49,558 — roughly 31% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Aircraft Maintenance Technology Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for Aircraft Maintenance Technology. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	1	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Aircraft Maintenance Technology Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Aircraft Maintenance Technology graduates earn a median of $43,612 four years after completion — roughly 15% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technology/Technician, General	74,567
Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician	41,728
Diesel Mechanics Technology/Technician	9,859
Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician	5,464
Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician	3,372
Medium/Heavy Vehicle and Truck Technology/Technician	2,100
Motorcycle Maintenance and Repair Technology/Technician	896
Marine Maintenance/Fitter and Ship Repair Technology/Technician	799
Avionics Maintenance Technology/Technician	719
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technology/Technician, General	630
High Performance and Custom Engine Technician/Mechanic	470
Alternative Fuel Vehicle Technology/Technician	412

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.