Aircraft Mechanic

O*NET: Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians·49-3011.00

The Verdict:Aircraft maintenance demands hands-on work with tools on engines, wings, and hydraulics in variable hangar conditions no robot handles. Strict certification rules require human oversight. AI aids diagnostics and logs but cannot perform physical repairs or inspections. The role remains essential amid steady aviation growth.

Resilience Score

/100

Highly Resilient

Score tiers

Highly Resilient81–100

Resilient61–80

Moderate Risk41–60

High Risk21–40

Critical Risk0–20

How is this scored?

Task Resilience

How much of this role's daily work remains beyond AI and robotic automation.

30% of score

Physical Presence

The degree to which this job needs a human present — hands-on, in the field, or in the room.

20% of score

Human Necessity

How important the unique human edge is — for trust, accountability, or judgment.

15% of score

Regulatory Shield

How strong the legal requirement is for a human in this job (by law, licensing, or credentials).

13% of score

Technological Maturity

How far AI remains from performing this role's core functions.

10% of score

Displacement Evidence

The volume of jobs in this field being eliminated by AI or automation right now.

12% of score

Score last updated: February 2026Full methodology

Avg Salary

Median annual wage from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024 release.

$79k

Job Growth (10yr)

Projected change in total number of jobs (not salary) from 2024–2034. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections.

+4%

AI Exposure

Percentage of this role's analyzed tasks that AI can handle autonomously or nearly so. 0 of 38 tasks are classified as AI-exposed.

Low exposure

Task Analysis

This role's core work is hard to automate.
32 of 38 tasks require human judgment, presence, or trust. The 16% that are AI-leverage offer an edge — professionals who learn these tools will outperform those who don't.

0exposed

6AI leverage

32human-essential

View all 38 tasks

AI Can Handle This0 tasks

Tasks AI can do autonomously or nearly so

No exposed tasks identified

AI Leverage6 tasks

Master these tools — humans who do outperform those who don't

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.

Read and interpret pilots' descriptions of problems to diagnose causes.

Inventory and requisition or order supplies, parts, materials, and equipment.

Modify aircraft structures, space vehicles, systems, or components, following drawings, schematics, charts, engineering orders, and technical publications.

Determine repair limits for engine hot section parts.

Human Advantage32 tasks

Tasks requiring trust, presence, or novel judgment

Inspect completed work to certify that maintenance meets standards and that aircraft are ready for operation.

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.

Replace or repair worn, defective, or damaged components, using hand tools, gauges, and testing equipment.

Inspect airframes for wear or other defects.

Check for corrosion, distortion, and invisible cracks in the fuselage, wings, and tail, using x-ray and magnetic inspection equipment.

Measure parts for wear, using precision instruments.

Remove or install aircraft engines, using hoists or forklift trucks.

Service and maintain aircraft and related apparatus by performing activities such as flushing crankcases, cleaning screens, and or moving parts.

Test operation of engines and other systems, using test equipment, such as ignition analyzers, compression checkers, distributor timers, or ammeters.

Assemble and install electrical, plumbing, mechanical, hydraulic, and structural components and accessories, using hand or power tools.

Reassemble engines following repair or inspection and reinstall engines in aircraft.

Maintain, repair, and rebuild aircraft structures, functional components, and parts, such as wings and fuselage, rigging, hydraulic units, oxygen systems, fuel systems, electrical systems, gaskets, or seals.

Measure the tension of control cables.

Obtain fuel and oil samples and check them for contamination.

Examine engines through specially designed openings while working from ladders or scaffolds, or use hoists or lifts to remove the entire engine from an aircraft.

Listen to operating engines to detect and diagnose malfunctions, such as sticking or burned valves.

Remove or cut out defective parts or drill holes to gain access to internal defects or damage, using drills and punches.

Communicate with other workers to coordinate fitting and alignment of heavy parts, or to facilitate processing of repair parts.

Clean, refuel, and change oil in line service aircraft.

Clean engines, sediment bulk and screens, and carburetors, adjusting carburetor float levels.

Install and align repaired or replacement parts for subsequent riveting or welding, using clamps and wrenches.

Accompany aircraft on flights to make in-flight adjustments and corrections.

Locate and mark dimensions and reference lines on defective or replacement parts, using templates, scribes, compasses, and steel rules.

Spread plastic film over areas to be repaired to prevent damage to surrounding areas.

Fabricate defective sections or parts, using metal fabricating machines, saws, brakes, shears, and grinders.

Clean, strip, prime, and sand structural surfaces and materials to prepare them for bonding.

Disassemble engines and inspect parts, such as turbine blades or cylinders, for corrosion, wear, warping, cracks, and leaks, using precision measuring instruments, x-rays, and magnetic inspection equipment.

Remove, inspect, repair, and install in-flight refueling stores and external fuel tanks.

Trim and shape replacement body sections to specified sizes and fits and secure sections in place, using adhesives, hand tools, and power tools.

Cure bonded structures, using portable or stationary curing equipment.

Prepare and paint aircraft surfaces.

Resilience Landscape

Aircraft Mechanic lands in Stable & Well-Paid

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