Avionics Technicians
Also called: Aircraft Electrical Systems Specialist, Avionics Electronics Technician (Avionics Electronics Tech), Avionics Installer, Avionics Repair Technician (Avionics Repair Tech)Install, inspect, test, adjust, or repair avionics equipment, such as radar, radio, navigation, and missile control systems in aircraft or space vehicles.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 3 of its 13 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 9.4% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 3.6% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 5.4 hires for every 10 job openings in durable goods manufacturing, which employs about 40% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.5.4 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $95,920 | $77,910 to $96,310 | 910 |
| Alaska | $94,810 | $83,900 to $110,360 | 50 |
| Arizona | $79,770 | $70,780 to $89,970 | 600 |
| Arkansas | $54,160 | $47,170 to $78,280 | 100 |
| California | $92,480 | $77,660 to $106,950 | 1,220 |
| Colorado | $79,000 | $67,390 to $107,380 | 220 |
| Florida | $83,800 | $62,900 to $102,910 | 2,400 |
| Georgia | $79,060 | $60,360 to $89,180 | 1,820 |
| Hawaii | $86,260 | $76,530 to $97,340 | 90 |
| Idaho | $80,620 | $63,990 to $81,070 | 80 |
| Illinois | $81,170 | $46,270 to $82,200 | 300 |
| Indiana | $76,770 | $65,310 to $77,240 | 60 |
| Kansas | $59,810 | $57,910 to $72,540 | 170 |
| Kentucky | $42,440 | $42,430 to $43,640 | not published |
| Louisiana | $80,250 | $58,950 to $98,270 | 200 |
| Maryland | $97,490 | $90,770 to $101,850 | 160 |
| Massachusetts | $89,340 | $82,930 to $89,640 | 40 |
| Michigan | $58,280 | $50,900 to $75,120 | 300 |
| Minnesota | $55,660 | $45,500 to $60,130 | not published |
| Mississippi | $65,830 | $60,250 to $88,440 | 160 |
| Missouri | $71,520 | $60,600 to $80,730 | 90 |
| Montana | $57,420 | $49,250 to $64,810 | not published |
| Nevada | $80,040 | $61,910 to $95,700 | 50 |
| New Hampshire | $86,830 | $66,660 to $86,830 | 30 |
| New Jersey | $100,250 | $43,940 to $108,350 | 260 |
| New Mexico | $94,020 | $75,980 to $95,320 | not published |
| New York | $83,150 | $79,120 to $94,060 | 130 |
| North Carolina | $78,710 | $63,570 to $97,240 | 520 |
| North Dakota | $59,900 | $45,860 to $81,680 | 80 |
| Ohio | $60,080 | $56,180 to $81,680 | 160 |
| Oklahoma | $70,640 | $57,630 to $83,030 | 530 |
| Oregon | $83,830 | $68,800 to $107,370 | 140 |
| Pennsylvania | $117,470 | $85,490 to $117,470 | 70 |
| Puerto Rico | $37,660 | $28,670 to $49,070 | not published |
| South Carolina | $81,720 | $72,000 to $88,100 | 270 |
| South Dakota | $83,220 | $75,980 to $84,710 | 40 |
| Tennessee | $60,820 | $47,540 to $78,300 | 480 |
| Texas | $81,950 | $63,950 to $98,600 | 1,710 |
| Utah | $65,270 | $62,650 to $74,670 | 180 |
| Virginia | $85,660 | $74,250 to $97,830 | 250 |
| Washington | $91,380 | $80,520 to $111,690 | 3,400 |
| Wisconsin | $65,230 | $51,530 to $78,660 | 130 |
| Wyoming | $84,360 | $83,560 to $96,890 | not published |
Nationally: $82,280. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 3 of its 13 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Adjust, repair, or replace malfunctioning components or assemblies, using hand tools or soldering irons. | Not published |
| Not much | Test and troubleshoot instruments, components, and assemblies, using circuit testers, oscilloscopes, or voltmeters. | Not published |
| AI alone | Keep records of maintenance and repair work. | Not published |
| Not much | Connect components to assemblies such as radio systems, instruments, magnetos, inverters, and in-flight refueling systems, using hand tools and soldering irons. | Not published |
| Not much | Install electrical and electronic components, assemblies, and systems in aircraft, using hand tools, power tools, or soldering irons. | Not published |
| Not much | Assemble components such as switches, electrical controls, and junction boxes, using hand tools or soldering irons. | Not published |
See all 13 tasks
| Not much | Lay out installation of aircraft assemblies and systems, following documentation such as blueprints, manuals, and wiring diagrams. | Not published |
| AI + software | Coordinate work with that of engineers, technicians, and other aircraft maintenance personnel. | Not published |
| Not much | Set up and operate ground support and test equipment to perform functional flight tests of electrical and electronic systems. | Not published |
| Not much | Fabricate parts and test aids as required. | Not published |
| Not much | Interpret flight test data to diagnose malfunctions and systemic performance problems. | Not published |
| Not much | Assemble prototypes or models of circuits, instruments, and systems for use in testing. | Not published |
| AI + software | Operate computer-aided drafting and design applications to design avionics system modifications. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 0 of the 13 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 13 tasks fall under 12 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #42 Diagnose system or equipment problems
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assemble equipment or components | |||
| Test performance of equipment or systems | |||
| Install commercial or production equipment | |||
| Diagnose system or equipment problems | |||
| Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Analyze performance of systems or equipment | |||
| Communicate with others about operational plans or activities | |||
| Maintain operational records |
Show all 12 activities
| Repair tools or equipment | |||
| Position materials or components for assembly | |||
| Fabricate devices or components | |||
| Design industrial systems or equipment |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- An explanation or answer59%
- Advice or a recommendation13%
- Code fixes or debugging7%
- A plan or strategy5%
- A script or snippet5%
How they worked with Claude
31% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for avionics technicians specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 11,869 moves out
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
- 2 Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians High +2.4% 5%
- 3 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Low +4.2% 5%
- 4 Computer User Support Specialists Very high -3.5% 3%
- 5 Engineers, All Other Very high +3.7% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 9,271 moves in
- 1 Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians High +2.4% 5%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 3 Computer User Support Specialists Very high -3.5% 5%
- 4 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Low +4.2% 4%
- 5 Engineering Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 18% high school
- 50% postsecondary certificate
- 12% some college
- 16% associate's
- 3% bachelor's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 28 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 4% less than high school
- 31% high school
- 35% some college
- 18% associate's
- 9% bachelor's
- 2% master's
- 1% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 157 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
2 programs: Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, Other and Avionics Maintenance Technology/Technician.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
28.5% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | 26.9% | 19.1% |
| a certification | <0.5% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | <0.5% | 2.8% |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 3 registered apprenticeships in this occupation (Aircraft Mechanic, Electrical; Avionics Technician; ELECTRICIAN, AIRCRAFT). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Avionics Technicians” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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