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in aircraft maintenance engineering

Aircraft maintenance engineer job is to design, install, repair and maintain aircraft (airplanes, helicopters) and their systems. Engineers conduct proper scheduled and pre-flight inspection procedures, interpret results and must solve detected problems. This profession requires high competency, skills and knowledge as you will be responsible for technical condition of an aircraft and consequently its safe flights. Also, aviation engineers should have some specific personal qualities to perform their duties in diagnosing and fixing issues on the aircraft.
Ideal aircraft maintenance engineer should be:
  • keen on machinery, experimentation;
  • able to think analytically;
  • attentive to details, accurate and precise;
  • in strong physical health, including excellent vision and hearing;
  • able to concentrate for long periods and have great hand-eye coordination;
  • good at project and time management;
  • able to work both independently and in a team;
  • without fears to work in confined spaces or on high scaffolds;
  • interested in aviation industry.

Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Salaries

The average annual salary for an aircraft maintenance engineer is $68,677 in the United States (according to 115 submissions by anonymous employees to PayScale) but it can vary considerably in the range of $28,906 - $117,729. The median hourly wage is estimated to be around $30. Nevertheless, aircraft maintenance engineer salary depends much on his or her qualification (licenses), years of experience working in the aviation MRO (maintenance, repair, overhaul) environment, possessing type ratings, size of the company and its location. Responsibilities assumed is of great importance, too. For example, senior aviation engineer who manages the whole maintenance team can earn over $125,000 per year. What is more, aircraft maintenance engineer can expect additional bonuses and profit sharing up to $40,000/yr.

Salary ranges and mean salary per year in other countries:

Canada -C$39,781 - C$97,587 (avg. C$65,540)
Italy -€18,863 - €50,813 (avg. €31,307)
India -Rs 200,816 - Rs 2,394,912 (avg. Rs 721,396)
United Kingdom -£24,033 - £54,666 (avg. £38,919)
Australia -AU$47,745 - AU$121,894 (avg. AU$72,238)
United Arab Emirates -AED 53,820 - AED 289,061 (avg. AED 143,259)

Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Job Outlook

The diversity of flying machines today ensures that with aviation engineering you will always have dynamic, challenging and leading forward career. In addition to this, aircraft maintenance engineer job is of paramount importance and specialist demand continuously goes up. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall employment of aircraft maintenance engineers is expected to grow 5% from 2016 to 2026. Furthermore, aircraft manufacturer Boeing forecasts that demand for maintenance personnel is going to be largest in the Asia Pacific region, which will require 268,000 new specialists until 2035. Meanwhile, companies located in other continents will need lesser amount of new engineers/technicians to maintain their fleets.

Technician demand by region (2016-2035)

Asia Pacific
North America
Middle East
Latin America
World Total


Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME) qualification is provided by training schools and organizations. Aircraft engineering has three main directions to specialize in: mechanical, avionics and structures. Mechanical engineers (“M” rating) work with aircraft engines, hydraulics, fuel, electrical flight controls, undercarriage, braking systems, cabin pressurization and more. Engineers in avionics (“E” rating) work on aircraft electrical, navigation, instrument and communication systems. Finally, structures engineers (“S” rating) repair parts of the aircraft body and work with materials, ranging from aluminum and other aircraft-grade metals to carbon fiber reinforced polymers. In the United States of America qualification for aircraft maintenance is referred as Aircraft Maintenance Technician (AMT) and is commonly known as Airframe and Powerplant (A&P).
After completed courses, basic training and acquired certificate, aircraft maintenance engineer can get employed by domestic and international airlines, approved aircraft maintenance organizations, aerospace companies as well as military. Moreover, there is an option to advance further and become a Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (LAME). To qualify and apply for a license, you must gain required technical training, have sufficient experience in aviation MRO environment and successfully pass examinations. There are five aircraft maintenance license categories: A, B1, B2, B3, C, but the major ones include category B1 (mechanical) and category B2 (avionics). An aircraft maintenance engineer (AME) works under the supervision of a licensed aircraft maintenance engineer (LAME). Therefore, LAME not only conducts inspections and troubleshooting of aircraft systems/structures, but also coordinates work of other engineers, makes sure that tasks were carried under required standards and the aircraft is safe to operate.
In addition to previous working experience, certifications and licenses, most employers usually specify some extra requirements for aircraft maintenance engineers with following being the most frequent:
willingness to travel internationally for short-term training;
willingness to work in shift pattern (as well as night shifts and weekends);
valid driving license and passport;
fluent in English (written and spoken),
other foreign languages would be an advantage;
able to obtain a clear Criminal Record Check prior to employment;
preferences for type ratings and experience logbook depend on particular employer;
If you meet the listed requirements and have personal properties necessary for successful aviation engineer career, then it's time to find a job! Choose to check out all the aircraft maintenance engineer job vacancies from international employers, then register, upload your CV and get hired!
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