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Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians

Installation, Maintenance, and Repair · SOC 49-3011

0.0% AI Exposure — Low
$79,870
Median Annual Salary
Average
O*NET Outlook
11,800
Proj. Annual Openings
138,090
Employment (OEWS 2025)
+0.6%/yr
Empl. growth (2019–2025)
100/100
AI Resiliency Score

AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.

Decision card

Career Evidence Passport

SOC 49-3011 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.

Proxy / seed data labeledDescriptive-only
SOC exposure
0.0%
Low · Anthropic AEI
Automation friction
66/100
High friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
Wages
$79,870
H-1B offered wage $57,200; LCAs are filings.
Projected openings
11,800
BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +4.0%.
Observed/proxy demand
64
FY2025 certified LCAs; 16,311 postings in 2025.

Skill evidence

Equipment MaintenanceRepairingOperations MonitoringTroubleshootingCritical Thinking

Transition context

  • H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
  • Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
  • Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
  • This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.

AI Exposure Analysis

AI Exposure0.0%
AI Resiliency100/100
Exposure BandLow
Sector Avg. Exposure1.6%

Across AI measures

Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.

20.5%
Consensus
Actual adoption · Anthropic0%
AI capability · OpenAI13.4%
AI ability · AIOE48%
Automation baseline (2013) · Frey & Osborne71%

Top Skills

1.Equipment Maintenance
2.Repairing
3.Operations Monitoring
4.Troubleshooting
5.Critical Thinking

H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand

View full H-1B trends →

Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.

229
Decade Total (Certified LCAs)
64
FY2025 Volume
0% of all H-1B filings in FY2025
$57,200
Median Offered Wage (Latest Year)
#273 of 776
Rank by Total Volume
H-1B filing volume, FY2016–FY2025

O*NET occupation profile

What this work involves

Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul aircraft engines and assemblies, such as hydraulic and pneumatic systems.

Common titles: Aircraft Maintainer, Aircraft Maintenance Technician (Aircraft Maintenance Tech), Aircraft Mechanic, Aircraft Restorer, Aircraft Service Technician (Aircraft Service Tech), Aircraft Technician (Aircraft Tech)

Representative Tasks

  • Inspect completed work to certify that maintenance meets standards and that aircraft are ready for operation.
  • Read and interpret maintenance manuals, service bulletins, and other specifications to determine the feasibility and method of repairing or replacing malfunctioning or damaged components.
  • Maintain repair logs, documenting all preventive and corrective aircraft maintenance.
  • Examine and inspect aircraft components, including landing gear, hydraulic systems, and deicers to locate cracks, breaks, leaks, or other problems.
  • Conduct routine and special inspections as required by regulations.

Detailed Work Activities

  • Inspect completed work to ensure proper functioning.
  • Interpret blueprints, specifications, or diagrams to inform installation, development or operation activities.
  • Read technical information needed to perform maintenance or repairs.
  • Maintain repair or maintenance records.
  • Inspect mechanical components of vehicles to identify problems.

Tools & Technologies

Microsoft PowerPoint · hotSAP software · hotAccess Software AIRPAXCaseBank SpotLightEngine analysis softwareMaintenance information databasesMaintenance planning softwareMaintenance record softwareMxi Technologies MaintenixOperational Data Store ODS software

Employment Projections & AI Exposure

15
Occupations Shown
1.9%
Avg AI Exposure
4
Bright Outlook
Horizontal bar chart showing occupations with the highest projected annual openings. Each bar length represents annual projected openings. Color uses a gradient from violet (lower) to cyan (higher). Summary statistics are shown above the chart.

Employment & Wage Trend

BLS OEWS, 2019–2025


Occupation Employment & Wage TrendMulti-year BLS OEWS history for SOC 49-3011: 2019 — employment: 133,310, median wage: $64,090; 2020 — employment: 128,300, median wage: $66,440; 2021 — employment: 125,440, median wage: $65,380; 2022 — employment: 134,070, median wage: $70,010; 2023 — employment: 137,630, median wage: $75,020; 2025 — employment: 138,090, median wage: $79,870.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.

Sector Comparison

MetricThis CareerSector Average
AI Exposure0.0%1.6%
OutlookAverage24% Bright
Median Salary$79,870N/A
AI Resiliency100/100N/A