Avionics technicians
SOC Code: 49-2091
Avionics technicians carries a 32% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $81,390 and +8.2% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 21,400 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 32% AI exposure, Avionics technicians sits 5 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 38% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
77/100
Avionics 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+ $81,390
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth A +8.2%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) C+ 32% 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 Avionics technicians in the Medium 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 Fast growth (67/832). Mid-credential standing - thicker than graduate shelves, thinner than HS-dominated mass.
Where Avionics 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 Avionics technicians sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
32% Lower than most lower than 62% 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.
Avionics technicians vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Avionics 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
Avionics technicians's Medium 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 49-2091) 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 Avionics 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 Avionics 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. Test and troubleshoot instruments, components, and assemblies, using circuit testers, oscilloscopes, or voltmeters.
- 2. Keep records of maintenance and repair work.
- 3. Adjust, repair, or replace malfunctioning components or assemblies, using hand tools or soldering irons.
- 4. Install electrical and electronic components, assemblies, and systems in aircraft, using hand tools, power tools, or soldering irons.
- 5. Set up and operate ground support and test equipment to perform functional flight tests of electrical and electronic systems.
- 6. Assemble components such as switches, electrical controls, and junction boxes, using hand tools or soldering irons.
- 7. Lay out installation of aircraft assemblies and systems, following documentation such as blueprints, manuals, and wiring diagrams.
- 8. Connect components to assemblies such as radio systems, instruments, magnetos, inverters, and in-flight refueling systems, using hand tools and soldering irons.
- 9. Interpret flight test data to diagnose malfunctions and systemic performance problems.
- 10. Coordinate work with that of engineers, technicians, and other aircraft maintenance personnel.
Key Skills Required
- Equipment Maintenance
- Troubleshooting
- Repairing
- Critical Thinking
- Operations Monitoring
- Quality Control Analysis
- Complex Problem Solving
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Reading Comprehension
Knowledge Areas
- Computers and Electronics
- Mechanical
- English Language
- Engineering and Technology
- Customer and Personal Service
- Telecommunications
- Design
- Mathematics
- Education and Training
- Public Safety and Security
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Avionics technicians?
Avionics technicians has an AI exposure score of 32%, indicating a medium 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 Avionics technicians?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Avionics technicians is projected to grow by 8.2% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 21,400 workers.
What skills are needed for Avionics technicians?
Key skills for Avionics technicians include Equipment Maintenance, Troubleshooting, Repairing, and others. Typical entry-level education is Postsecondary nondegree award.
How much do Avionics technicians earn?
The median annual wage for Avionics technicians is $81,390, 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 Avionics technicians?
The typical entry-level education for Avionics 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 Avionics technicians?
Avionics 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
Medium 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 Avionics 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 (32% here).
- Biological science teachers, postsecondary · AI exposure 32%
- Business teachers, postsecondary · AI exposure 32%
- Education and childcare administrators, preschool and daycare · AI exposure 32%
- First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers · AI exposure 32%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+8.2% here).
- Computer occupations, all other · growth +8.2%
- Couriers and messengers · growth +8.2%
- Engineering teachers, postsecondary · growth +8.1%
- Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers · growth +8.1%
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 35 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Avionics technicians' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Avionics 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).