Airframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician

Types of Degrees Airframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many airframe mechanics & aircraft maintenance technology/technician graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Undergraduate Certificate	4,441
Associate Degree	1,547
Basic Certificate	1,115
Bachelor’s Degree	18

What Airframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, airframe mechanics and aircraft maintenance technology/technician majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Airframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician Majors

Airframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• 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 Airframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician Majors

A major in airframe mechanics and aircraft maintenance technology/technician prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• 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 Airframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a airframe mechanics and aircraft maintenance technology/technician student include the following:

• 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 Airframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician Major?

People with a airframe mechanics and aircraft maintenance 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 a Bachelor’s Degree in Airframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician?

This major tends to be male dominated. About 83% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of airframe mechanics and aircraft maintenance technology/technician majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	2
Black or African American	0
Hispanic or Latino	12
White	2
International Students	0
Other Races/Ethnicities	2

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Airframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician

Some careers associated with airframe mechanics and aircraft maintenance 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 airframe mechanics and aircraft maintenance technology/technician have obtained the following education levels.

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 Airframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance 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)	88	1
Certificate (2-4 Years)	57	0
Associate’s Degree	91	0
Bachelor’s Degree	0	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	0	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Airframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to airframe mechanics and aircraft maintenance technology/technician.

Major	Number of Grads
Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician	37,616
Diesel Mechanics Technology/Technician	9,296
Autobody/Collision & Repair Technology/Technician	4,783
Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician	2,964
Medium/Heavy Vehicle & Truck Technology/Technician	2,030
Motorcycle Maintenance & Repair Technology/Technician	1,146
Marine Maintenance/Fitter & Ship Repair Technology/Technician	892
Avionics Maintenance Technology/Technician	735
General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Technologies	716
High Performance & Custom Engine Technician/Mechanic	435
Small Engine Mechanics & Repair Technology/Technician	172
Other Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Technologies	148
Alternative Fuel Vehicle Technology/Technician	143
Engine Machinist	91
Recreation Vehicle (RV) Service Technician	43
Bicycle Mechanics & Repair Technology/Technician	16

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.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Airman 1st Class Nigel Sandridge under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.