AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 49-3011.00

Will AI replace Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians?

Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians: AI can already handle 1 of 38 tasks; the work mostly needs an efficient-tier model.

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Every task, scored

The 38 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians, from most to least exposed. 1 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.

Task AI exposure Evidence Model tier Importance
Read and interpret maintenance manuals, service bulletins, and other specifications to determine the feasibility and method of repairing or replacing malfunctioning or damaged components. 65 Estimated Efficient 4.5
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. 50 Estimated Standard 3.9
Communicate with other workers to coordinate fitting and alignment of heavy parts, or to facilitate processing of repair parts. 50 Estimated Standard 3.7
Inspect completed work to certify that maintenance meets standards and that aircraft are ready for operation. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.5
Maintain repair logs, documenting all preventive and corrective aircraft maintenance. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.3
Examine and inspect aircraft components, including landing gear, hydraulic systems, and deicers to locate cracks, breaks, leaks, or other problems. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.3
Conduct routine and special inspections as required by regulations. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.3
Inspect airframes for wear or other defects. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.2
Replace or repair worn, defective, or damaged components, using hand tools, gauges, and testing equipment. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.2
Check for corrosion, distortion, and invisible cracks in the fuselage, wings, and tail, using x-ray and magnetic inspection equipment. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.2
Remove or install aircraft engines, using hoists or forklift trucks. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.1
Service and maintain aircraft and related apparatus by performing activities such as flushing crankcases, cleaning screens, and or moving parts. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.1
Assemble and install electrical, plumbing, mechanical, hydraulic, and structural components and accessories, using hand or power tools. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.1
Reassemble engines following repair or inspection and reinstall engines in aircraft. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.1
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. 20 Estimated Efficient 4.0
Determine repair limits for engine hot section parts. 20 Estimated Standard 3.9
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. 20 Estimated Efficient 3.6
Remove, inspect, repair, and install in-flight refueling stores and external fuel tanks. 20 Estimated Efficient 3.6
Install and align repaired or replacement parts for subsequent riveting or welding, using clamps and wrenches. 20 Estimated Efficient 3.6
Spread plastic film over areas to be repaired to prevent damage to surrounding areas. 20 Estimated Efficient 3.4
Measure parts for wear, using precision instruments. 15 Estimated No tier 4.2
Test operation of engines and other systems, using test equipment, such as ignition analyzers, compression checkers, distributor timers, or ammeters. 15 Estimated No tier 4.1
Measure the tension of control cables. 15 Estimated No tier 4.0
Obtain fuel and oil samples and check them for contamination. 15 Estimated No tier 3.9
Remove or cut out defective parts or drill holes to gain access to internal defects or damage, using drills and punches. 15 Estimated No tier 3.7
Inventory and requisition or order supplies, parts, materials, and equipment. 15 Estimated No tier 3.7
Clean, refuel, and change oil in line service aircraft. 15 Estimated No tier 3.7
Modify aircraft structures, space vehicles, systems, or components, following drawings, schematics, charts, engineering orders, and technical publications. 15 Estimated No tier 3.6
Clean engines, sediment bulk and screens, and carburetors, adjusting carburetor float levels. 15 Estimated No tier 3.6
Accompany aircraft on flights to make in-flight adjustments and corrections. 15 Estimated No tier 3.6
Locate and mark dimensions and reference lines on defective or replacement parts, using templates, scribes, compasses, and steel rules. 15 Estimated No tier 3.4
Fabricate defective sections or parts, using metal fabricating machines, saws, brakes, shears, and grinders. 15 Estimated No tier 3.3
Clean, strip, prime, and sand structural surfaces and materials to prepare them for bonding. 15 Estimated No tier 3.1
Trim and shape replacement body sections to specified sizes and fits and secure sections in place, using adhesives, hand tools, and power tools. 15 Estimated No tier 3.1
Cure bonded structures, using portable or stationary curing equipment. 15 Estimated No tier 3.1
Prepare and paint aircraft surfaces. 15 Estimated No tier 3.0
Read and interpret pilots' descriptions of problems to diagnose causes. 10 Estimated No tier 4.0
Listen to operating engines to detect and diagnose malfunctions, such as sticking or burned valves. 10 Estimated No tier 3.8

Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 38 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 38 of 38. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.

The model tier this role needs

An efficient-tier model or lower covers 48% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 56% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 45% is hands-on.

Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.

Wages, employment and outlook

US employment
138,090
Median annual wage
$79,870
Middle half of earners
$62,630 to $99,130
Projected change, 2024 to 2034
+4.0%

Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.

Adjacent roles

The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.

Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.

Questions about Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians and AI

Will AI replace Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians?

AI already handles 1 of the 38 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 20 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +4.0% from 2024 to 2034.

What is the AI exposure of Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians?

20 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 38 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 38 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.

Which Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians tasks can AI already do?

The tasks with the highest exposure are: Read and interpret maintenance manuals, service bulletins, and other specifications to determine the feasibility and method of repairing or replacing malfunctioning or damaged components. It is the only task that reach 60 or more.

What AI model tier does this role need?

An efficient-tier model or lower covers 48% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 45% is hands-on work that no model tier covers. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.

How many people work as Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians, and what do they earn?

138,090 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $79,870 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +4.0% from 2024 to 2034.

How to cite

Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.

JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/aircraft-mechanics-and-service-technicians

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