Aircraft Maintenance Technology
Types of Degrees Aircraft Maintenance Technology Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.
| Education Level | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate Certificate | 4,562 |
| Associate Degree | 1,598 |
| Basic Certificate | 967 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 16 |
What Aircraft Maintenance Technology Majors Need to Know
In an O*NET survey, airframe mechanics and aircraft maintenance technology/technician majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.
Knowledge Areas for Airframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician Majors
This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:
- Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
- Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
Skills for Airframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician Majors
When studying airframe mechanics and aircraft maintenance technology/technician, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:
- Quality Control Analysis - Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Equipment Maintenance - Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Repairing - Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Abilities for Airframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician Majors
Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a airframe mechanics and aircraft maintenance technology/technician student include the following:
- Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
- Finger Dexterity - The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
- Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
- Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
What Can You Do With a Aircraft Maintenance Technology Major?
People with a airframe mechanics and aircraft maintenance technology/technician degree often go into the following careers:
| Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | 4.9% | $62,920 |
Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Aircraft Maintenance Technology?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of airframe mechanics and aircraft maintenance technology/technician majors is as follows:
| Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
|---|---|
| Asian | 120 |
| Black or African American | 116 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 382 |
| White | 734 |
| International Students | 81 |
| Other Races/Ethnicities | 165 |
Geographic Diversity
Students from other countries are interested in Airframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician, too. About 5.1% of those with this major are international students.
How Much Do Aircraft Maintenance Technology Majors Make?
Salaries According to BLS
Average salaries range from $55,530 to $65,230 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to airframe mechanics and aircraft maintenance technology/technician. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.
To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Aircraft Maintenance Technology
Some degrees associated with airframe mechanics and aircraft maintenance technology/technician may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.
How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to airframe mechanics and aircraft maintenance technology/technician have obtained the following education levels.
| Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Less than a High School Diploma | 1.7% |
| High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) | 34.5% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) | 37.6% |
| Some College Courses | 0.3% |
| Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 17.3% |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 9.3% |
Online Aircraft Maintenance Technology Programs
The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.
| Degree Level | Colleges Offering Programs | Colleges Offering Online Classes |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) | 0 | 0 |
| Certificate (1-2 years) | 86 | 0 |
| Certificate (2-4 Years) | 51 | 0 |
| Associate’s Degree | 90 | 0 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 0 | 0 |
| Post-Baccalaureate | 0 | 0 |
| Master’s Degree | 0 | 0 |
| Post-Master’s | 0 | 0 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 0 | 0 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 0 | 0 |
| Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 0 | 0 |
Is a Degree in Aircraft Maintenance Technology Worth It?
The median salary for a airframe mechanics and aircraft maintenance technology/technician grad is $55,530 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.
This is 39% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $312,600 after 20 years!
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Trades Related to Aircraft Maintenance Technology
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to airframe mechanics and aircraft maintenance technology/technician.
References
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
- College Factual
- College Scorecard
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
- Image Credit: By Airman 1st Class Nigel Sandridge under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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