Avionics Technicians
What 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.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- None
- Self-employed
- Not available
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 3 of 5Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
- Education
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
- Job training
- Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Computers and Electronicsimportance 4.4/5
- Mechanicalimportance 4.2/5
- English Languageimportance 4.2/5
- Engineering and Technologyimportance 3.8/5
- Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.5/5
- Telecommunicationsimportance 3.4/5
- Designimportance 3.4/5
- Mathematicsimportance 3.4/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.6/5
- Time Pressure4.5/5
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.4/5
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.2/5
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results4.2/5
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.1/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment94% skill match
- Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers94% skill match
- Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers92% skill match
- Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians92% skill match
- Rail Car Repairers92% skill match
- Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists92% skill match
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians92% skill match
- Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers92% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Equipment Maintenanceimportance 3.9/5
- Troubleshootingimportance 3.9/5
- Repairingimportance 3.9/5
- Operations Monitoringimportance 3.8/5
- Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.8/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.5/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.3/5
- Time Managementimportance 3.1/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Other Software Used
- Apache HTTP Server
- Avionics system testing software
- Computer diagnostic software
- Dassault Systemes CATIA
- Maintenance record software
- Software development tools
- Technical Data Management System TDMS
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Integrity
- Intellectual Curiosity
- Perseverance
- Achievement Orientation
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- InvestigativeMedium
- SocialLow
- ArtisticLow
- EnterprisingLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where avionics technicians make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA11.42× national avg
- 2Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL9.50× national avg
- 3Jacksonville, NC8.75× national avg
- 4Mobile, AL8.07× national avg
- 5Lexington Park, MD6.79× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Aircraft Mechanics and Service TechniciansLateral Move
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial EquipmentLateral Move
- Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation EquipmentLateral Move
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and TechniciansCareer Change
Related Education Programs
Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.
Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician
- Universal Technical Institute of Arizona Inc (Avondale, AZ)grads earn ~$60,060
- WyoTech (Laramie, WY)grads earn ~$52,937
- Mech-Tech College (Caguas, PR)grads earn ~$22,673
- Universal Technical Institute of Texas Inc. (Houston, TX)grads earn ~$54,818
- Universal Technical Institute-Orlando (Orlando, FL)grads earn ~$56,764
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, Other
- Purdue University-Main Campus (West Lafayette, IN)grads earn ~$97,332
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach (Daytona Beach, FL)grads earn ~$95,552
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Blacksburg, VA)grads earn ~$106,633
- Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus (Atlanta, GA)grads earn ~$102,415
- University of Colorado Boulder (Boulder, CO)grads earn ~$116,350