Aircraft mechanics and service technicians
SOC Code: 49-3011
Aircraft mechanics and service technicians carries a 13% AI exposure score (Low automation risk), with a median annual wage of $78,680 and +4.0% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 139,400 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 13% AI exposure, Aircraft mechanics and service technicians sits 24 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 1% of them. It ranks among the more AI-resilient roles in the dataset.
Career outlook score
79/100
Aircraft mechanics and service technicians, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage B+ $78,680
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth B- +4.0%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) A+ 13% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Aircraft mechanics and service technicians in the Low band.
Credential × growth standing
Associate / award entry with a named growth shelf
Entry credential Associate / award covers 99 of 832 occupations; BLS places this one in Average (378/832). Mid-credential standing - thicker than graduate shelves, thinner than HS-dominated mass.
Where Aircraft mechanics and service technicians sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Aircraft mechanics and service technicians sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
13% Among the lowest lower than 99% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Aircraft mechanics and service technicians vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Aircraft mechanics and service technicians's Low automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 49-3011) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Aircraft mechanics and service technicians be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Aircraft mechanics and service technicians. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Inspect completed work to certify that maintenance meets standards and that aircraft are ready for operation.
- 2. Read and interpret maintenance manuals, service bulletins, and other specifications to determine the feasibility and method of repairing or replacing malfunctioning or damaged components.
- 3. Maintain repair logs, documenting all preventive and corrective aircraft maintenance.
- 4. Examine and inspect aircraft components, including landing gear, hydraulic systems, and deicers to locate cracks, breaks, leaks, or other problems.
- 5. Conduct routine and special inspections as required by regulations.
- 6. Replace or repair worn, defective, or damaged components, using hand tools, gauges, and testing equipment.
- 7. Inspect airframes for wear or other defects.
- 8. Check for corrosion, distortion, and invisible cracks in the fuselage, wings, and tail, using x-ray and magnetic inspection equipment.
- 9. Measure parts for wear, using precision instruments.
- 10. Remove or install aircraft engines, using hoists or forklift trucks.
Key Skills Required
- Equipment Maintenance
- Repairing
- Troubleshooting
- Operations Monitoring
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Complex Problem Solving
- Operation and Control
- Quality Control Analysis
- Monitoring
Knowledge Areas
- Mechanical
- Public Safety and Security
- Engineering and Technology
- English Language
- Transportation
- Education and Training
- Mathematics
- Computers and Electronics
- Physics
- Design
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Aircraft mechanics and service technicians?
Aircraft mechanics and service technicians has an AI exposure score of 13%, indicating a low level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Aircraft mechanics and service technicians?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Aircraft mechanics and service technicians is projected to grow by 4.0% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 139,400 workers.
What skills are needed for Aircraft mechanics and service technicians?
Key skills for Aircraft mechanics and service technicians include Equipment Maintenance, Repairing, Troubleshooting, and others. Typical entry-level education is Postsecondary nondegree award.
How much do Aircraft mechanics and service technicians earn?
The median annual wage for Aircraft mechanics and service technicians is $78,680, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Aircraft mechanics and service technicians?
The typical entry-level education for Aircraft mechanics and service technicians is Postsecondary nondegree award. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves None. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Aircraft mechanics and service technicians?
Aircraft mechanics and service technicians roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Low automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Aircraft mechanics and service technicians: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (13% here).
- Drywall and ceiling tile installers · AI exposure 14%
- Electricians · AI exposure 13%
- Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians · AI exposure 13%
- Landscaping and groundskeeping workers · AI exposure 14%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+4.0% here).
- Environmental science and protection technicians, including health · growth +4.0%
- Film and video editors · growth +4.0%
- Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers · growth +4.0%
- Physicists · growth +4.0%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 10 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Aircraft mechanics and service technicians' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Aircraft mechanics and service technicians side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).