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Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician Major

Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician

462 Associates's Degrees Annually
108 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
#70 in Popularity (Associate's)
$55,530 Median Salary

Types of Degrees Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many aircraft powerplant technology/technician graduations there were in 2021-2022 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Undergraduate Certificate 1,610
Associate Degree 526
Basic Certificate 470
Bachelor’s Degree 103

What Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to aircraft powerplant technology/technician and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in aircraft powerplant technology/technician should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

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  • 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 Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to aircraft powerplant technology/technician:

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  • 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 Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician Majors

A major in aircraft powerplant technology/technician will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

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  • 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 Powerplant Technology/Technician Major?

People with a aircraft powerplant 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 Powerplant Technology/Technician?

526 Associate's Degrees Annually
10% Percent Women
34% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
This major attracts more men than women. About 90% of the graduates in this field are male.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of aircraft powerplant technology/technician majors is as follows:

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 25
Black or African American 37
Hispanic or Latino 93
White 329
International Students 12
Other Races/Ethnicities 30

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician. About 2.3% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $55,530 to $65,230 (25th to 75th percentile). 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.

Median Salary for an Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician Major  ( 55530 to 65230 )
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250K
Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
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250K
Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
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250K
Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
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250K

Some careers associated with aircraft powerplant technology/technician require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to aircraft powerplant technology/technician have obtained the following education levels.

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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 Powerplant Technology/Technician 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) 74 0
Certificate (2-4 Years) 28 0
Associate’s Degree 53 1
Bachelor’s Degree 1 1
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 1 1
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 Powerplant Technology/Technician Worth It?

The median salary for a aircraft powerplant 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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You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to aircraft powerplant technology/technician.

Major Number of Grads
Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician 33,827
Diesel Mechanics Technology/Technician 8,686
Airframe Mechanics & Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician 7,143
Autobody/Collision & Repair Technology/Technician 4,725
Medium/Heavy Vehicle & Truck Technology/Technician 2,101
Motorcycle Maintenance & Repair Technology/Technician 1,140
Marine Maintenance/Fitter & Ship Repair Technology/Technician 823
Avionics Maintenance Technology/Technician 724
High Performance & Custom Engine Technician/Mechanic 489
General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Technologies 472
Small Engine Mechanics & Repair Technology/Technician 213
Alternative Fuel Vehicle Technology/Technician 147
Engine Machinist 107
Other Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Technologies 97
Bicycle Mechanics & Repair Technology/Technician 11
Recreation Vehicle (RV) Service Technician 7

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.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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