Avionics technicians
Install, inspect, test, adjust, or repair avionics equipment, such as radar, radio, navigation, and missile control systems in aircraft or space vehicles.
Avionics technicians install, inspect, test, adjust, or repair avionics equipment, such as radar, radio, navigation, and missile control systems in aircraft or space vehicles. The role reports a median annual salary of $81,390 in the US and is projected to grow 8% over the next decade (faster than average). Entry typically requires a Postsecondary nondegree award, and shows low AI exposure (0.37 on a 0-1 scale) — the role's core work resists automation. The most in-demand skills for the role include aircraft flight control systems, electrical engineering, electrical systems used in transportation, electronics principles, electronics.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £41,662 a year for Electrical service and maintenance mechanics and repairers (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
Middle half of full-time jobs: £36,219 to £50,312 a year
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 5246). ONS rates this estimate precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Craft and related trades workers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Avionics technicians, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 7. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
How to get here in India
Recognised Indian credentials for this career:
- Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME) Licence (CAR-66)[1]
Rules change: check the exam body's and regulator's current notice before you apply.
- Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), India (read on 2026-09-26)
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Computers and Electronics
- Mechanical
- English Language
- Engineering and Technology
- Customer and Personal Service
- Telecommunications
- Design
- Mathematics
A day in the life
You start your shift in the hangar reviewing maintenance logs for the aircraft on the schedule, noting a reported fault with a navigation display. Using circuit testers and oscilloscopes, you trace the problem to a loose connector and repair it with a soldering iron. Next you install a new communication unit, routing wires carefully and securing each component to precise specifications. Mid-morning you set up ground test equipment and run a functional check of the electrical systems with the engines off. After lunch you work on a pilot's report of a flickering warning light, replacing a faulty switch. Every task is written up in detail so the aircraft can be certified safe to fly. Later you calibrate test instruments and restock parts. The work demands absolute accuracy and the pressure to return aircraft to service is constant, but knowing your checks keep flights safe is deeply rewarding.
Illustrative: one typical day, written from the O*NET task statements for this occupation. Real days vary by employer and seniority.
What you'd actually do
- Test and troubleshoot instruments, components, and assemblies, using circuit testers, oscilloscopes, or voltmeters.
- Keep records of maintenance and repair work.
- Adjust, repair, or replace malfunctioning components or assemblies, using hand tools or soldering irons.
- Install electrical and electronic components, assemblies, and systems in aircraft, using hand tools, power tools, or soldering irons.
- Set up and operate ground support and test equipment to perform functional flight tests of electrical and electronic systems.
- Assemble components such as switches, electrical controls, and junction boxes, using hand tools or soldering irons.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Avionics technicians do?
Install, inspect, test, adjust, or repair avionics equipment, such as radar, radio, navigation, and missile control systems in aircraft or space vehicles.
What does a typical day look like in Avionics technicians?
You start your shift in the hangar reviewing maintenance logs for the aircraft on the schedule, noting a reported fault with a navigation display. Using circuit testers and oscilloscopes, you trace the problem to a loose connector and repair it with a soldering iron. Next you install a new communication unit, routing wires carefully and securing each component to precise specifications.
How much does Avionics technicians earn?
The median annual salary for Avionics technicians in the US is $81,390.
What is the job outlook for Avionics technicians?
The role is projected to grow 8% over the next decade (faster than average). Current US employment is approximately 21,400 workers.
How do I become avionics technicians?
The typical entry education is a Postsecondary nondegree award. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Avionics technicians need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include aircraft flight control systems, electrical engineering, electrical systems used in transportation, electronics principles, electronics, electricity. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Avionics technicians?
Our AI-durability model gives Avionics technicians a score of 0.37 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at low AI exposure — the role's core work resists current-generation automation. It's a comparatively AI-durable choice within its field.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Avionics technicians has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.