Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians build equipment maintenance, repairing and troubleshooting skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Avionics Technicians (92%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avionics Technicians | 92% | $82,280 | +3% | None |
| 2 | Ship Engineers | 85% | $109,530 | +37% | None |
| 3 | Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door | 85% | $74,340 | −7% | None |
| 4 | Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment | 85% | $74,090 | −7% | None |
| 5 | Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians | 83% | $73,900 | −7% | None |
| 6 | Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators | 83% | $78,620 | −2% | None |
| 7 | Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians | 83% | $82,890 | +4% | None |
| 8 | Hydroelectric Plant Technicians | 82% | $102,040Pay for the broader BLS group “Power Plant Operators” | Not compared | None |
| 9 | Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment | 81% | $84,890 | +6% | None |
| 10 | Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay | 81% | $103,020 | +29% | None |
Compared with Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians, median $79,870. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as aircraft mechanics and service technicians (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
92% skill match · $82,280 · +3% pay
Negotiation
85% skill match · $109,530 · +37% pay
Management of Personnel Resources
85% skill match · $74,340 · −7% pay
Management of Financial Resources
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Avionics Technicians (92% skill match, median $82,280), Ship Engineers (85% skill match, median $109,530) and Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door (85% skill match, median $74,340), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 8 pay more than aircraft mechanics and service technicians at the median. The biggest increases: Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers (+38%, $109,910), Ship Engineers (+37%, $109,530) and Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay (+29%, $103,020).
25 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.