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Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians

SOC 49-3011.00Job Zone 3 · Medium Preparationv.26.05

Context coveredThis framework covers aircraft maintenance and inspection competencies from supervised entry-level hangar tasks through enterprise-level fleet management and workforce development in FAA-certificated commercial, regional, and MRO aviation maintenance environments.

Sources:O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.SkillsCrosswalkSkillsCrosswalk — O*NET enrichment + adjacency index. Opens in new tab.
Emerging
Entry / Apprentice
  1. Airframe visual inspection — perform under direct supervision to identify obvious wear, cracks, and surface defects on assigned aircraft sections in a certified maintenance facility.
  2. Maintenance manuals and service bulletins — read and interpret basic procedural steps under technician guidance to determine approved repair methods in a hangar environment.
  3. Hand tools and basic gauges — select and use under direct supervision to replace worn or damaged aircraft components on scheduled maintenance tasks.
  4. Preventive maintenance repair logs — complete accurately under supervisor review, documenting routine service actions performed on aircraft in a Part 145 repair station.
  5. Landing gear and hydraulic system components — examine for visible leaks, cracks, and breaks following a checklist under direct oversight in a line maintenance setting.
  6. Routine inspection protocols — follow step-by-step regulatory checklists under supervision to support scheduled airworthiness inspections on general aviation aircraft.
  7. Corrosion indicators and surface distortion — recognize and report on fuselage, wings, and tail sections during walk-around inspections at an entry-level maintenance position.
  8. Testing and diagnostic equipment — operate basic instruments under guidance to verify component function after repair or installation in a supervised shop environment.
  9. Safety rules and personal protective equipment — apply consistently while working around aircraft systems, fuel, and hazardous materials on an active ramp or hangar floor.
  10. Completed maintenance work — assist in verifying against task card requirements under certified technician oversight before aircraft return-to-service certification.
Developing
Mid-level / Established
  1. Aircraft component inspections — conduct independently across landing gear, hydraulic systems, and deicers using approved inspection criteria in a commercial or regional airline maintenance environment.
  2. Service bulletins and airworthiness directives — interpret and apply to determine feasibility and approved repair sequences with minimal supervisor input in a Part 145 facility.
  3. Repair logs and maintenance records — maintain accurately and completely for both preventive and corrective actions, ensuring regulatory compliance in a high-tempo line maintenance operation.
  4. Defective or worn components — repair or replace using hand tools, gauges, and testing equipment with routine proficiency following manufacturer tolerances in a scheduled maintenance setting.
  5. X-ray and magnetic inspection equipment — operate to detect invisible cracks and internal defects in fuselage, wings, and tail structures during periodic heavy maintenance checks.
  6. Routine and special regulatory inspections — execute in accordance with FAA and airline operations specifications, applying critical thinking to resolve minor discrepancies discovered during the process.
  7. Hydraulic, pneumatic, and electrical aircraft systems — monitor operational parameters during ground runs and system tests to identify anomalies in a structured maintenance environment.
  8. Troubleshooting procedures — apply logical diagnostic sequences to isolate malfunctioning components across familiar aircraft systems using manufacturer fault isolation manuals.
  9. Facilities management and maintenance tracking software — use to retrieve work orders, record discrepancies, and update aircraft status in a digitized maintenance operations center.
  10. Airframe structural integrity — assess for corrosion, distortion, and fatigue damage using approved non-destructive testing methods during scheduled inspections at an MRO facility.
Proficient
Senior / Expert IC
  1. Aircraft return-to-service certification — independently inspect completed maintenance work and certify airworthiness in compliance with FAA regulations across a full range of scheduled and unscheduled events.
  2. Complex maintenance manuals and multi-source technical data — analyze and reconcile to determine optimal repair strategies for non-routine structural or systems damage in a heavy maintenance environment.
  3. Comprehensive repair logs and technical records — author and audit to ensure full traceability and regulatory compliance for all corrective and preventive maintenance across an entire aircraft fleet segment.
  4. Non-routine component failures — diagnose and resolve using advanced troubleshooting, systems analysis, and engineering coordination across multiple aircraft systems in an airline or MRO environment.
  5. Full airframe non-destructive inspections — plan and execute independently using x-ray, magnetic particle, eddy current, and ultrasonic methods to detect hidden structural defects during major maintenance checks.
  6. Special and out-of-phase regulatory inspections — manage end-to-end, coordinating with quality assurance and planning to meet airworthiness authority requirements in a certificated repair station.
  7. Critical system anomalies — evaluate and make airworthiness judgment calls by applying deductive and inductive reasoning to ambiguous maintenance findings during active fleet operations.
  8. Cross-functional technical discrepancies — resolve by interpreting engineering orders, coordinating with manufacturers, and applying systems evaluation skills in a complex, multi-discipline maintenance event.
  9. CAM and analytical diagnostic software — utilize proficiently to model repair solutions, analyze system performance data, and support complex maintenance decisions in a technology-enabled MRO.
  10. Aircraft structural and system condition trends — monitor and analyze longitudinally to anticipate maintenance needs and prevent unscheduled removals across a high-utilization commercial fleet.
Advanced
Lead / Principal / Executive
  1. Maintenance quality standards and certification criteria — establish and enforce organization-wide, setting the benchmark for airworthiness compliance across all aircraft types in a certificated repair station or airline.
  2. Technical training programs — design and deliver for apprentice and mid-level mechanics, translating regulatory requirements and best practices into structured on-the-job development curricula.
  3. Maintenance department policies and standard operating procedures — author and implement to drive safety, efficiency, and regulatory compliance across an enterprise-level aviation maintenance operation.
  4. Fleet-wide maintenance strategies — develop and lead by integrating reliability data, regulatory intelligence, and engineering analysis to optimize aircraft availability and cost of ownership.
  5. Organizational safety management systems — champion by embedding a culture of cautiousness, dependability, and integrity throughout all maintenance disciplines and shift operations.
  6. Regulatory audits and airworthiness authority engagements — lead and represent the organization, coordinating responses to FAA or EASA findings and negotiating compliance timelines at an executive level.
  7. Cross-departmental maintenance initiatives — direct by aligning engineering, supply chain, planning, and line maintenance teams to resolve systemic aircraft reliability issues at scale.
  8. Emerging aircraft technologies and evolving regulatory requirements — assess and integrate into organizational maintenance capabilities, ensuring technician readiness for new type certifications and advanced systems.
  9. Maintenance operations performance metrics — define, track, and present to senior leadership using spreadsheet, presentation, and enterprise software tools to drive continuous improvement decisions.
  10. Senior technician and supervisor talent pipelines — mentor and develop, applying active listening and instructional expertise to build the next generation of certified mechanics within the organization.

AI-at-Work Competency Framework

Sources:Anthropic Economic IndexAnthropic Economic Index — release_2026_03_24. Opens in new tab.Jadhav & Danve, 2026Skill Automation Feasibility Index — Jadhav & Danve, 2026 (arXiv:2604.06906). Opens in new tab.WEF Skills TaxonomyWEF Skills Taxonomy 2021 — Building a Common Language for Skills at Work. Opens in new tab.

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Sources:Pathsmith™ Durable SkillsPathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework — America Succeeds + CompTIA. Opens in new tab.O*NET v30.2O*NET Resource Center — Occupational Information Network, v30.2 (Sept 2025). Opens in new tab.
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O*NET enrichment · skillscrosswalk.com

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Source anchors that ground each statement

Related titles
Aircraft Mechanic · Aerospace Propulsion Jet Engine Mechanic · Aircraft AC Mechanic (Aircraft Air Conditioning Mechanic) · Aircraft Accessories Mechanic · Aircraft Avionics Technician (Aircraft Avionics Tech) · Aircraft Body and Bonded Structure Repairer · Aircraft Cylinder Mechanic · Aircraft Electrician · Aircraft Engine Mechanic · Aircraft Engine Specialist · Aircraft Engine Technician (Aircraft Engine Tech) · Aircraft Equipment Repairer
RAPIDS apprenticeships
0255 · Aircraft Mechanic
O*NET skills
Equipment MaintenanceRepairingTroubleshootingOperations MonitoringReading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingComplex Problem SolvingQuality Control AnalysisOperation and ControlMonitoringJudgment and Decision MakingActive ListeningEquipment SelectionSystems AnalysisSystems EvaluationSpeakingActive LearningWritingTime Management
Knowledge domains
MechanicalPublic Safety and SecurityEngineering and TechnologyEnglish LanguageTransportationEducation and TrainingMathematicsComputers and ElectronicsPhysicsDesign
Abilities
Problem SensitivityWritten ComprehensionNear VisionFinger DexterityControl PrecisionManual DexterityInformation OrderingDeductive ReasoningInductive ReasoningMultilimb Coordination
Work styles
Attention to DetailDependabilityCautiousnessIntegrityStress TolerancePerseverance
Technology
Facilities management softwareAnalytical or scientific softwareComputer aided manufacturing CAM softwareInformation retrieval or search softwareAccounting softwareCompiler and decompiler softwareSpreadsheet softwareOffice suite softwareElectronic mail softwarePresentation software
Tasks · seed anchors for statements
  1. Inspect completed work to certify that maintenance meets standards and that aircraft are ready for operation.
  2. Read and interpret maintenance manuals, service bulletins, and other specifications to determine the feasibility and method of repairing or replacing malfunctioning or damaged components.
  3. Maintain repair logs, documenting all preventive and corrective aircraft maintenance.
  4. Examine and inspect aircraft components, including landing gear, hydraulic systems, and deicers to locate cracks, breaks, leaks, or other problems.
  5. Conduct routine and special inspections as required by regulations.
  6. Replace or repair worn, defective, or damaged components, using hand tools, gauges, and testing equipment.
  7. Inspect airframes for wear or other defects.
  8. Check for corrosion, distortion, and invisible cracks in the fuselage, wings, and tail, using x-ray and magnetic inspection equipment.
CIP education codes
01.020547.060747.0608

Sources: O*NET v30.2 (CC BY 4.0), SkillsCrosswalk.com, LER.me®, Anthropic Economic Index, SAFI (Jadhav & Danve, 2026), WEF Skills Taxonomy 2021, Pathsmith™ Durable Skills Framework. © 2026 EBSCOed.