Career Path

Aircraft and Avionics Equipment Mechanic or Technician

Overview

In this career, your responsibilities may include:

Reading technical manuals and using advanced technological equipment to maintain aircraft, including inspection, testing, diagnosis, and repair of mechanical and electrical problems.
Following Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations.
May work on a variety of aircraft, such as jets, light aircraft, and helicopters, or specialize in one type of aircraft, or even one aircraft system, such as electronics or hydraulics.

Job Titles

In your job search, you may find listings for this career under different titles. You can find some examples of these, as well as more information about Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians and Avionics Technicians, at Career One Stop.

Academic Requirements

Typically requires an associate degree. Obtaining a bachelor’s degree would make you eligible for careers with greater responsibility and higher salaries in this pathway, if you do not already have the U.S. equivalent of a bachelor’s degree. Your associate degree might give you advanced standing or transfer credit toward a bachelor’s degree, reducing the time it would take you to graduate.

Certification

FAA certification as an Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) is required, unless working under the supervision of an FAA certified aviation mechanic. Two ratings of certification are available: Airframe (A) and Powerplant (P).

English fluency and 18 months experience required to be eligible for one certification, 30 months experience required to be eligible for both A&P. Completing an FAA approved aviation education program can take the place of work experience.

Additional certifications are not required, but could make employers more likely to hire you or offer you a higher salary.

You may be eligible for the Aircraft Electronics Technician (AET) certification, offered by the National Center for Aerospace & Transportation Technologies (NCATT).
Licensure

No licensure is required to work as an Aircraft and Avionics Equipment Mechanic or Technician.