Aircraft Mechanics vs Heavy Equipment Mechanics
Median pay is about $14k higher for Aircraft Mechanics. The usual entry education is postsecondary plus cert for Aircraft Mechanics and high school for Heavy Equipment Mechanics.
marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.
| Measure | Aircraft Mechanics | Heavy Equipment Mechanics |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $79,870, higher | $65,510 |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $62,630, higher | $56,970 |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $99,130, higher | $79,270 |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | +5.4% Growing fast | +6.7% Growing fast, higher |
| Openings a year | 11,400 | 15,000 |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | Postsecondary plus cert | High school |
| Difficulty modeled | 2.8 / 5 | 2 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | Low | Low |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 15th pct | 7th pct |
Where the skills differ
Only Aircraft Mechanics
- Monitoring
Only Heavy Equipment Mechanics
- Writing
Both lean on reading comprehension, critical thinking, active listening, speaking, active learning.
More comparisons
Compare Aircraft Mechanics with
Pay and outlook: BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills: O*NET 30.3. Difficulty, displacement risk and AI exposure are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.