Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians
Also called: Aircraft Maintenance Technician (Aircraft Maintenance Tech), Aircraft Mechanic, Aircraft Technician (Aircraft Tech), Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic (A and P Mechanic)Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul aircraft engines and assemblies, such as hydraulic and pneumatic systems.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 4 of its 38 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 5.4% 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, 1.7% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 9.0 hires for every 10 job openings in transportation, warehousing, and utilities, which employs about 61% 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.9.0 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 | $82,260 | $67,190 to $94,970 | 4,310 |
| Alaska | $91,150 | $77,620 to $104,810 | 1,470 |
| Arizona | $75,300 | $60,370 to $86,990 | 5,670 |
| Arkansas | $65,420 | $51,210 to $76,400 | 720 |
| California | $86,100 | $68,390 to $99,650 | 12,590 |
| Colorado | $82,080 | $75,270 to $103,300 | 2,690 |
| Connecticut | $96,830 | $78,010 to $118,710 | 1,430 |
| Delaware | $83,550 | $74,610 to $99,900 | 240 |
| Florida | $76,940 | $59,660 to $97,430 | 14,850 |
| Georgia | $75,640 | $58,870 to $98,300 | 6,720 |
| Guam | $62,760 | $55,010 to $80,190 | 80 |
| Hawaii | $90,830 | $78,830 to $104,470 | 1,150 |
| Idaho | $61,250 | $48,810 to $81,830 | 600 |
| Illinois | $81,680 | $57,720 to $126,500 | 3,370 |
| Indiana | $63,400 | $50,810 to $77,670 | 1,500 |
| Iowa | $69,890 | $43,720 to $80,510 | 330 |
| Kansas | $80,270 | $63,680 to $82,720 | 1,440 |
| Kentucky | $67,920 | $61,420 to $94,920 | 1,680 |
| Louisiana | $79,780 | $65,190 to $91,020 | 1,150 |
| Maine | $67,890 | $61,350 to $82,780 | 190 |
| Maryland | $100,500 | $77,280 to $103,900 | 1,070 |
| Massachusetts | $93,040 | $82,930 to $99,290 | 1,410 |
| Michigan | $74,900 | $59,990 to $82,230 | 3,380 |
| Minnesota | $81,980 | $63,530 to $131,840 | 2,390 |
| Mississippi | $74,880 | $60,010 to $84,370 | 1,360 |
| Missouri | $71,470 | $59,900 to $81,110 | 1,700 |
| Montana | $64,170 | $59,150 to $82,240 | 310 |
| Nebraska | $64,020 | $52,800 to $75,440 | 410 |
| Nevada | $94,890 | $77,850 to $103,470 | 2,570 |
| New Hampshire | $79,610 | $69,200 to $91,620 | 190 |
| New Jersey | $105,370 | $82,670 to $130,960 | 1,900 |
| New Mexico | $84,440 | $73,390 to $96,740 | 860 |
| New York | $102,800 | $78,380 to $240,310 | 4,300 |
| North Carolina | $76,980 | $62,720 to $93,670 | 4,700 |
| North Dakota | $77,740 | $62,440 to $87,210 | 200 |
| Ohio | $80,570 | $66,140 to $97,540 | 2,840 |
| Oklahoma | $74,390 | $61,130 to $107,700 | 8,550 |
| Oregon | $82,850 | $66,530 to $97,740 | 1,080 |
| Pennsylvania | $78,000 | $64,890 to $101,260 | 2,080 |
| Puerto Rico | $45,100 | $24,970 to $74,960 | 610 |
| Rhode Island | $70,720 | $49,740 to $87,820 | 120 |
| South Carolina | $75,160 | $59,360 to $81,980 | 1,660 |
| South Dakota | $75,750 | $63,900 to $83,080 | 150 |
| Tennessee | $81,040 | $60,420 to $95,140 | 4,670 |
| Texas | $84,440 | $69,130 to $99,490 | 16,850 |
| Utah | $70,160 | $60,510 to $80,390 | 2,080 |
| Vermont | $76,370 | $62,550 to $86,930 | 160 |
| Virginia | $82,200 | $74,700 to $96,520 | 2,260 |
| Washington | $98,980 | $75,280 to $107,370 | 4,480 |
| West Virginia | $45,470 | $35,370 to $70,950 | 590 |
| Wisconsin | $73,930 | $57,780 to $85,060 | 1,270 |
| Wyoming | $56,680 | $46,390 to $72,950 | 340 |
Nationally: $79,870. 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 4 of its 38 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI + software | Read and interpret maintenance manuals, service bulletins, and other specifications to determine the feasibility and method of repairing or replacing malfunctioning or damaged components. | Not published |
| Not much | Replace or repair worn, defective, or damaged components, using hand tools, gauges, and testing equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Conduct routine and special inspections as required by regulations. | Not published |
| Not much | Maintain repair logs, documenting all preventive and corrective aircraft maintenance. | Not published |
| Not much | Examine and inspect aircraft components, including landing gear, hydraulic systems, and deicers to locate cracks, breaks, leaks, or other problems. | Not published |
| Not much | Inspect completed work to certify that maintenance meets standards and that aircraft are ready for operation. | Not published |
See all 38 tasks
| Not much | Assemble and install electrical, plumbing, mechanical, hydraulic, and structural components and accessories, using hand or power tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Inspect airframes for wear or other defects. | Not published |
| Not much | Measure parts for wear, using precision instruments. | Not published |
| Not much | Maintain, repair, and rebuild aircraft structures, functional components, and parts, such as wings and fuselage, rigging, hydraulic units, oxygen systems, fuel systems, electrical systems, gaskets, or seals. | Not published |
| Not much | Service and maintain aircraft and related apparatus by performing activities such as flushing crankcases, cleaning screens, and or moving parts. | Not published |
| Not much | Inventory and requisition or order supplies, parts, materials, and equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Remove or install aircraft engines, using hoists or forklift trucks. | Not published |
| Not much | Obtain fuel and oil samples and check them for contamination. | Not published |
| Not much | Test operation of engines and other systems, using test equipment, such as ignition analyzers, compression checkers, distributor timers, or ammeters. | Not published |
| Not much | Measure the tension of control cables. | Not published |
| Not much | Examine engines through specially designed openings while working from ladders or scaffolds, or use hoists or lifts to remove the entire engine from an aircraft. | Not published |
| AI + software | Read and interpret pilots' descriptions of problems to diagnose causes. | Not published |
| AI + software | Communicate with other workers to coordinate fitting and alignment of heavy parts, or to facilitate processing of repair parts. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean, refuel, and change oil in line service aircraft. | Not published |
| Not much | Reassemble engines following repair or inspection and reinstall engines in aircraft. | Not published |
| Not much | Locate and mark dimensions and reference lines on defective or replacement parts, using templates, scribes, compasses, and steel rules. | Not published |
| Not much | Check for corrosion, distortion, and invisible cracks in the fuselage, wings, and tail, using x-ray and magnetic inspection equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Listen to operating engines to detect and diagnose malfunctions, such as sticking or burned valves. | Not published |
| Not much | Spread plastic film over areas to be repaired to prevent damage to surrounding areas. | Not published |
| Not much | Modify aircraft structures, space vehicles, systems, or components, following drawings, schematics, charts, engineering orders, and technical publications. | Not published |
| Not much | Install and align repaired or replacement parts for subsequent riveting or welding, using clamps and wrenches. | Not published |
| Not much | Remove or cut out defective parts or drill holes to gain access to internal defects or damage, using drills and punches. | Not published |
| Not much | Accompany aircraft on flights to make in-flight adjustments and corrections. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean engines, sediment bulk and screens, and carburetors, adjusting carburetor float levels. | Not published |
| Not much | Fabricate defective sections or parts, using metal fabricating machines, saws, brakes, shears, and grinders. | Not published |
| AI alone | Determine repair limits for engine hot section parts. | Not published |
| Not much | Prepare and paint aircraft surfaces. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean, strip, prime, and sand structural surfaces and materials to prepare them for bonding. | Not published |
| Not much | Trim and shape replacement body sections to specified sizes and fits and secure sections in place, using adhesives, hand tools, and power tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Disassemble engines and inspect parts, such as turbine blades or cylinders, for corrosion, wear, warping, cracks, and leaks, using precision measuring instruments, x-rays, and magnetic inspection equipment. | Not published |
| Not much | Remove, inspect, repair, and install in-flight refueling stores and external fuel tanks. | Not published |
| Not much | Cure bonded structures, using portable or stationary curing equipment. | 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 38 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 38 tasks fall under 30 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.
- #8 Read documents or materials to inform work processes
- #36 Purchase goods or services
- #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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inspect vehicles | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Read documents or materials to inform work processes | |||
| Disassemble equipment | |||
| Assemble equipment or components | |||
| Repair tools or equipment | |||
| Maintain vehicles in working condition | |||
| Position materials or components for assembly |
Show all 30 activities
| Purchase goods or services | |||
| Diagnose system or equipment problems | |||
| Develop technical specifications for products or operations | |||
| Communicate with others about operational plans or activities | |||
| Test performance of equipment or systems | |||
| Maintain tools or equipment | |||
| Inspect completed work or finished products | |||
| Test characteristics of materials or products | |||
| Apply protective solutions or coatings | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Cut materials | |||
| Monitor equipment operation | |||
| Inspect commercial, industrial, or production systems or equipment | |||
| Fabricate devices or components | |||
| Move materials, equipment, or supplies | |||
| Set up protective structures or coverings near work areas | |||
| Install commercial or production equipment | |||
| Drill holes in earth or materials | |||
| Replenish inventories of materials, equipment, or products | |||
| Install plumbing or piping equipment or systems | |||
| Operate industrial processing or production equipment | |||
| Operate lifting or moving equipment |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- An explanation or answer31%
- Advice or a recommendation25%
- An analysis or summary19%
- Data or a spreadsheet12%
- A chart or visualization6%
How they worked with Claude
50% 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 aircraft mechanics and service 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 25,888 moves out
- 1 Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers Moderate +2.5% 7%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 3 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Low +4.2% 4%
- 4 First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers High +4.1% 4%
- 5 Industrial Machinery Mechanics Moderate +17.8% 4%
Where people moved in from
of 24,403 moves in
- 1 Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers Moderate +2.5% 7%
- 2 Industrial Machinery Mechanics Moderate +17.8% 5%
- 3 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Low +4.2% 4%
- 4 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
- 5 First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers High +4.1% 4%
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
- 10% high school
- 66% postsecondary certificate
- 8% some college
- 15% associate's
- 1% bachelor's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 30 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 3% less than high school
- 30% high school
- 33% some college
- 23% associate's
- 9% bachelor's
- 2% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 1,708 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
3 programs: Agricultural Mechanics and Equipment/Machine Technology/Technician, Airframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician and Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
95.9% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | 83.1% | 19.1% |
| a certification | 8.5% | 5.8% |
| an educational certificate | 7.8% | 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 6 registered apprenticeships in this occupation. Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Aircraft Mechanics and Service 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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