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Avionics Technician

$81,390
median pay per year
full range coming in the next data update

What the job actually is

Install, test, and repair the navigation, radio, and radar systems aboard aircraft.

Where you work

Airports, hangars, and repair stations

The hours

Full-time, some shift work and travel

By the numbers

May 2024–25 BLS wage data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$81,390
per year
What most earn
range coming soon
Openings a year
~1,800
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+8%
Faster than average
Working in the U.S.
21,400
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

How you get in

Typical starting education

Certificate program

Training path: Technical training + FAA certificate.

License or certification

Often holds an FAA repairman certificate or an FCC license, depending on the work.

You can earn while you train. This field has a genuinely paid pathway in — an apprenticeship, a paid academy, or employer-funded training — so you draw a paycheck instead of taking on debt to learn it.

What it takes

Electronics repairDiagnosticsBlueprint readingPrecision

The honest take

Maintains the electronics that keep aircraft flying safely, precise work with strong pay for a two-year path.

Standard Occupational Classification 49-2091. Pay, employment, and outlook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wage survey and 2024–34 employment projections). See something off? Tell us.