Win· Before you ask
How much do aircraft mechanics and service technicians make?
- Median
- $79,870/year
- Mean
- $84,740/year
Not one number. Five.
What aircraft mechanics and service technicians in the U.S. earn, from low to high.
Best-paying cities.
The same job pays more in some places.
- 1Seattle, WA$104k
- 2Chicago, IL$101k
- 3San Jose, CA$99k
- 4Atlanta, GA$98k
- 5Denver, CO$87k
- 6Austin, TX$84k
- 7Miami, FL$78k
- 8Phoenix, AZ$77k
- 9Pittsburgh, PA$72k
- 10Kansas City, MO$71k
Thinking of moving?
Put two places side by side for this job.
Three ways to use it.
Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians wage guide
Use the published range, job count, place pattern, and survey limits as separate facts. The guide stays tied to SOC 49-3011 and the May 2025 BLS release.
What the national Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians median says
The May 2025 BLS OEWS estimate puts the U.S. median for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians at $79,870 per year. Median means the middle. Half of the wage values used for this estimate fall below that point. Half fall above it. The median is not one worker's pay. It is not a job offer. It is one clear mark for the middle of a broad national pay range.
BLS also lists 138,090 wage and salary jobs for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians. That count covers jobs in the survey's scope. It does not count open job ads. It also leaves out people who work for themselves. The wage and job counts share the same May 2025 reference point, so they can be read together without mixing time periods.
The Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians mean of $84,740 per year is 6.1% above the $79,870 median on the same published median. Mean means BLS adds the wage values and divides the total by the number of jobs behind the estimate. A gap between mean and median shows that the shape is not even. It does not explain the cause of the gap.
The fields that make SOC 49-3011 its own page
BLS names this record Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians and gives it SOC 49-3011. The two-part code is the stable key for this page. A role with a close name keeps a different code, wage row, job count, and area pattern. WageScope never joins two SOC records because their words sound alike.
For SOC 49-3011, the U.S. row reports 138,090 wage and salary jobs. Its annual median is $79,870 per year. Its matching mean is $84,740 per year. These facts come from one national row and one May 2025 release.
SOC 49-3011 appears in 52 state or territory rows. It also has 212 metro rows and 58 nonmetro rows. A missing local row stays missing. We do not fill it with U.S. data or data for a similar job code.
- SOC 49-3011 10th percentile: $48,780 per year.
- SOC 49-3011 25th percentile: $62,630 per year.
- SOC 49-3011 median: $79,870 per year.
- SOC 49-3011 75th percentile: $99,130 per year.
- SOC 49-3011 90th percentile: $128,890 per year.
- SOC 49-3011 employment RSE: 1.3%. Mean-wage RSE: 0.7%.
- SOC 49-3011 has no national suppression mark in the fields shown on this page.
Read the Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians wage ladder from low to high
The 10th percentile is $48,780 per year. The 25th percentile is $62,630 per year. The median is $79,870 per year. The 75th percentile is $99,130 per year. The 90th percentile is $128,890 per year. Each point marks a place in the same national wage spread.
A percentile is a rank point. It is not a career step. For example, the 10th percentile means 10% of wage values are at or below that mark. It does not mean a new worker starts there. The 90th percentile means 90% are at or below that mark. It does not mean a worker can reach it after a set number of years.
The middle half runs from $62,630 to $99,130 per year. That span is $36,500. The full 10th-to-90th span is $80,110. These spans show why one median cannot stand in for every Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians job.
What the gaps around the Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians median show
The median is 63.7% above the 10th percentile. The 90th percentile is 61.4% above the median. The two sides do not have to match. A wider upper side can pull the mean up. A wider lower side can pull it down. The data shows the shape, but not the reason for that shape.
The 25th-to-median step is $17,240 per year. The median-to-75th step is $19,260 per year. These two steps give a closer look at the middle half. They are often more useful than a single top-to-bottom gap because they keep the center in view.
Use this ladder as a fact check when you read a job post. A posted range can sit below, near, or above these BLS marks. That does not make the post wrong. A job may differ by place, hours, level, field, employer, or work rules. Keep the posted range tied to that listing. Keep the BLS range tied to the whole occupation.
Metro areas with the highest published Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians medians
WageScope found 208 metro rows with the same published annual median for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians. It sorts only those rows. It does not fill a blank row. It does not turn a blank into zero. The first six rows below have the highest published medians in this release. The list is a wage rank, not a rank of places to live or work.
The first row is New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, at $127,140 per year. The middle metro row by published pay is Richmond, VA, at $75,100 per year. That middle metro mark gives one more check on how far the top rows sit from a common place in the set.
These are nominal wages. Nominal means the dollar amount shown in the source. This list does not adjust for local price levels. It also does not tell us how many openings an area has now. Use a local page to see price-level context when an exact BEA row exists. Use the separate job block to inspect current employer-title matches.
- 1. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ has a Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians median of $127,140 per year, or $47,270 above the U.S. Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians median. BLS lists 5,110 jobs there, against 138,090 across the U.S. The local location quotient is 0.61.
- 2. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA has a Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians median of $103,900 per year, or $24,030 above the U.S. Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians median. BLS lists 3,950 jobs there, against 138,090 across the U.S. The local location quotient is 2.13.
- 3. Waterbury-Shelton, CT has a Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians median of $101,660 per year, or $21,790 above the U.S. Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians median. BLS lists 70 jobs there, against 138,090 across the U.S. The local location quotient is 0.51.
- 4. Trenton-Princeton, NJ has a Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians median of $101,590 per year, or $21,720 above the U.S. Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians median. BLS lists 120 jobs there, against 138,090 across the U.S. The local location quotient is 0.54.
- 5. Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD has a Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians median of $100,940 per year, or $21,070 above the U.S. Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians median. BLS lists 580 jobs there, against 138,090 across the U.S. The local location quotient is 0.48.
- 6. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN has a Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians median of $100,610 per year, or $20,740 above the U.S. Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians median. BLS lists 2,090 jobs there, against 138,090 across the U.S. The local location quotient is 0.52.
Metro areas with the largest Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians job estimates
A large wage can appear in a small job market. A large job market can have a lower wage. That is why WageScope keeps pay and job count in separate views. The six rows below have the largest published employment estimates for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians among metro rows in this release. Employment means the number of wage and salary jobs in scope. It does not mean open roles.
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX has the largest listed metro estimate in this set, at 8,000 jobs. Its median is $94,920 per year. Compare that with New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, which leads the published median list. The leaders may match, or they may not. Each list answers a different question.
Job count can help you see the scale of a local labor market. It cannot show churn, new hiring, job quality, remote work, or the chance that one person will get hired. Current listings add a second view, but they are a dated sample of posts. WageScope never turns the listing count into a demand score.
- 1. Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX has 8,000 estimated Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians jobs. That is 5.8% of the U.S. estimate of 138,090 jobs. Its median is $94,920 per year, or $15,050 above the U.S. Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians median. Its location quotient is 2.23.
- 2. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL has 6,460 estimated Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians jobs. That is 4.7% of the U.S. estimate of 138,090 jobs. Its median is $78,260 per year, or $1,610 below the U.S. Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians median. Its location quotient is 2.58.
- 3. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ has 5,110 estimated Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians jobs. That is 3.7% of the U.S. estimate of 138,090 jobs. Its median is $127,140 per year, or $47,270 above the U.S. Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians median. Its location quotient is 0.61.
- 4. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA has 5,020 estimated Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians jobs. That is 3.6% of the U.S. estimate of 138,090 jobs. Its median is $83,250 per year, or $3,380 above the U.S. Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians median. Its location quotient is 0.9.
- 5. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA has 3,950 estimated Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians jobs. That is 2.9% of the U.S. estimate of 138,090 jobs. Its median is $103,900 per year, or $24,030 above the U.S. Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians median. Its location quotient is 2.13.
- 6. Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ has 3,810 estimated Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians jobs. That is 2.8% of the U.S. estimate of 138,090 jobs. Its median is $76,610 per year, or $3,260 below the U.S. Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians median. Its location quotient is 1.81.
Where Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians has a larger share of local jobs
Location quotient is a share check. A value of 1 means the role has the same share of local jobs as it has across the nation. A value above 1 means the local share is larger. A value below 1 means the local share is smaller. It is not a count. It is not a wage. It does not say that a place is growing.
Warner Robins, GA has the highest published location quotient in this bounded metro set, at 12.56. The same row lists 850 jobs and a median of $69,330 per year. Reading all three values keeps a high share from being mistaken for a large market or high pay.
A small area can have a high location quotient because the role makes up a large part of a small local job base. A large area can have many workers and a lower quotient. Use the quotient to ask where the role is common in the mix. Use employment to ask how many jobs BLS estimated. Use the wage fields to ask what the published pay range looks like.
- 1. Warner Robins, GA has a Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians location quotient of 12.56. BLS lists 850 jobs and a median of $69,330 per year, or $10,540 below the U.S. Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians median. The U.S. job estimate is 138,090.
- 2. Anchorage, AK has a Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians location quotient of 6.39. BLS lists 1,010 jobs and a median of $94,120 per year, or $14,250 above the U.S. Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians median. The U.S. job estimate is 138,090.
- 3. Wichita Falls, TX has a Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians location quotient of 5.82. BLS lists 290 jobs and a median of $67,270 per year, or $12,600 below the U.S. Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians median. The U.S. job estimate is 138,090.
- 4. Oklahoma City, OK has a Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians location quotient of 5.49. BLS lists 3,310 jobs and a median of $68,140 per year, or $11,730 below the U.S. Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians median. The U.S. job estimate is 138,090.
- 5. Mobile, AL has a Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians location quotient of 5.47. BLS lists 840 jobs and a median of $82,260 per year, or $2,390 above the U.S. Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians median. The U.S. job estimate is 138,090.
- 6. Tucson, AZ has a Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians location quotient of 4.02. BLS lists 1,390 jobs and a median of $73,340 per year, or $6,530 below the U.S. Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians median. The U.S. job estimate is 138,090.
How Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians sits in Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians is SOC 49-3011. BLS places it in the Installation, Maintenance, and Repair major group. Among 51 detailed roles in that group with a published annual median, Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians ranks 6 of 51 by median. This is a pay rank inside one source family. It is not a rank of skill, value, status, or career fit.
The closest same-family medians help set a fair peer frame. They do not claim that the work is the same. Official SOC titles can cover different tasks and settings. WageScope uses the family only because BLS publishes that link. It does not infer a career move, a skill match, or a hiring path from the wage gap.
Use these peer rows to spot whether the $79,870 median sits near many family roles or far from them. Then open a role's own page before using its number. Each role has a different code, job count, wage spread, and place pattern. One family label does not erase those facts.
- 1. First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers, SOC 49-1011, has a U.S. median of $79,860 per year. Its gap from Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians is $10 per year.
- 2. Avionics Technicians, SOC 49-2091, has a U.S. median of $82,280 per year. Its gap from Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians is $2,410 per year.
- 3. Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment, SOC 49-2093, has a U.S. median of $84,890 per year. Its gap from Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians is $5,020 per year.
- 4. Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door, SOC 49-9012, has a U.S. median of $74,340 per year. Its gap from Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians is $5,530 per year.
- 5. Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers, SOC 49-9052, has a U.S. median of $74,330 per year. Its gap from Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians is $5,540 per year.
- 6. Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment, SOC 49-2094, has a U.S. median of $74,090 per year. Its gap from Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians is $5,780 per year.
How much care to use with the Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians estimate
The relative standard error for the job count is 1.3%. For the mean wage it is 0.7%. This measure, called RSE, shows survey precision. A smaller RSE often means less uncertainty from the sample. It does not tell you whether one person's pay is right or wrong.
The employment RSE applies to the 138,090 job estimate. The mean-wage RSE applies to the published mean of $84,740 per year. These fields do not give a matching RSE for the median or each percentile. WageScope shows the fields BLS published and does not move one RSE to another measure.
Survey values can change when BLS changes its methods, sample, models, or source year. That is why we show May 2025 on this page. Before we use a new release, we check its files, rows, and pages. A changed number is only a correction if the source calls it one.
A simple way to compare Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians across places
First, compare the same wage metric. Use annual with annual or hourly with hourly. Next, check the source date. Keep May 2025 BLS rows together. Then read employment and location quotient beside pay. This stops a high median from standing in for market size or local share. Last, add BEA price-level context only when the exact place has an approved row.
A state, metro, and nonmetro area are not the same kind of map. Do not rank them in one list without saying so. WageScope groups like with like. It also keeps a national row as a broad bench mark. A local page can show the local row, its state row when that link is exact, and the U.S. row without blending them.
If a value is blank, keep it blank. If BLS marks a top code, read it as a lower bound. Do not fill a blank from a nearby place. Do not turn a wage gap into a claim about taxes, hours, benefits, work rules, or a household budget. Those facts are not in the OEWS row.
Move from Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians wage data to one real listing
The job block on this page uses a strict employer-title match for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians. It may show fewer rows than the full MeritLog job search. That is on purpose. A false negative is safer here than a job card for a different role. Each card keeps its employer, place, source, and seen date. The cards do not change the BLS wage data.
Open one listing and read its own pay, work place, level, and needs. Compare its posted range with the BLS spread only as context. A posted range is set by an employer for one role. The BLS range is a survey view across many jobs. Neither source proves that a person is fit for the work.
When you tailor a résumé, use work facts you can back up. Do not turn $79,870 into a skill or result. Do not copy a BLS job count into your work history. MeritLog can help shape confirmed experience for a chosen listing. The wage page stays public and read only. It does not save a job or create a résumé on page load.
What this Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians page does not claim
This page does not say what one Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians worker earns. It does not promise that a job pays the median. It does not state a starting wage. It does not explain why the mean and median differ. It does not add benefits, tips, stock, bonus pay, taxes, or work hours unless BLS includes them in the published wage measure.
The page does not count people who work for themselves. It does not turn 138,090 into current openings. It does not read private MeritLog jobs or Career Memory. MeritLog does not use the page to build a private career profile. While public analytics are on, GA4, Ahrefs, and Meta may get this page's URL. Use Your Privacy Choices or Global Privacy Control to turn that off. The page does not send its text to a model.
The best use is narrow and clear. Read the May 2025 BLS wage range. Check how the role changes by place. Add the separate 2024 BEA price level when an exact row exists. Inspect a dated employer-title match. Then make a résumé choice from facts you have confirmed. Keep each source tied to the question it can answer.