Job Features

• Aviation mechanics perform scheduled maintenance, complete inspections required by the Federal Aviation Association (FAA) and make repairs. Mechanics specializing in preventive maintenance inspect engines, landing gear, instruments, brakes, valves, pumps and all other parts of the aircraft, performing any necessary maintenance and parts replacement. Mechanics focusing on repair work locate and fix problems noted by pilots. Most aviation mechanics train at a school certified by the FAA.
  
  

Comparisons

• The average aviation mechanic salary nationwide in 2010 was about $55,600 per year, according to CBSalary. Average salaries in the southwest have a wide range. Aviation mechanics in Nevada, for instance, were making $62,300 on average in 2010, while those in New Mexico had an average annual salary of $48,700. Aviation mechanics in Arizona had average pay of $49,300, in Texas $52,800, and in California $61,800. Two of the highest-paying metropolitan areas in the country for aviation mechanics in 2009 were the Santa Cruz and Oakland regions in California, where these workers were earning $69,300 to $70,000 on average, according to the BLS.
  
  

Job Concentration

• Oklahoma has the second-highest concentration of aviation mechanics per capita of all the states, where they earned an average salary of $53,000 in 2009. Texas has the fifth-highest concentration, with 15,700 aviation mechanics. Wichita Falls, Texas, is the metropolitan area with the highest concentration of aviation mechanics in the country, and they were earning $51,700 there on average in 2009. Corpus Christi is another Texas city with many aviation mechanics, and their average salary there was $52,300 in 2009. The state with the highest concentration of these workers is Alaska, where they make about $58,500 per year.
  
  

Considerations

• Major airlines offer the best pay rates and benefits for aviation mechanics, and their jobs also have heavy competition. Employment opportunities are better at regional and small commuter airlines, in general aviation and at FAA repair stations, according to the BLS.