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Aircraft Powerplant Technology

Types of Degrees Aircraft Powerplant Technology Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Aircraft Powerplant Technology may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	1,943
Associate’s Degree	501
Bachelor’s Degree	99
Master’s Degree	784

What Aircraft Powerplant Technology Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Aircraft Powerplant 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 developed in a Aircraft Powerplant 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

Abilities most relevant to Aircraft Powerplant 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.
• Information Ordering — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Manual Dexterity — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Aircraft Powerplant 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 Powerplant Technology professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Enterprise resource planning ERP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Electrical power management system software	Industrial control software	—
Spreadsheet software	Spreadsheet software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Computer aided design CAD software	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Maintenance planning software	Facilities management software	—
Mxi Technologies Maintenix	Data base user interface and query software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Aircraft Powerplant Technology graduates include:

• Aircraft Sheet Metal Mechanic
• Structures Mechanic
• De-Icer Installer
• Skin Fitter
• Metal Fitter
• Armament Aircraft Mechanic
• Hydraulic Assembler
• Aircraft Line Assembler
• Shroudman
• Metal Bonder
• Assembly Riveter
• Erco Machine Operator
• Aircraft Structure Assembler
• Wing Coverer
• Tubing Assembler

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Aircraft Powerplant 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 Powerplant Technology?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 90.7% of Aircraft Powerplant Technology degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	315	9.3%
Men	3,057	90.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,893	56.1%
Asian	138	4.1%
Hispanic or Latino	753	22.3%
Black or African American	220	6.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	27	0.8%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	22	0.7%
Two or More Races	129	3.8%
Race Unknown	146	4.3%
International Students	44	1.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Aircraft Powerplant Technology Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Aircraft Powerplant Technology graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb 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 Powerplant Technology Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for Aircraft Powerplant 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
Associate’s	2	1
Bachelor’s	2	0
Master’s	1	0

^{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 Powerplant Technology Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Aircraft Powerplant 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
Airframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician	7,637
Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician	5,464
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.