Industrial Machinery Mechanics vs Aircraft Mechanics
Median pay is about $15k higher for Aircraft Mechanics. The usual entry education is high school for Industrial Machinery Mechanics and postsecondary plus cert for Aircraft Mechanics.
marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.
| Measure | Industrial Machinery Mechanics | Aircraft Mechanics |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $64,520 | $79,870, higher |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $55,010 | $62,630, higher |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $78,780 | $99,130, higher |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | +18% Growing fast, higher | +5.4% Growing fast |
| Openings a year | 44,400 | 11,400 |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | High school | Postsecondary plus cert |
| Difficulty modeled | 2.2 / 5 | 2.8 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | Moderate | Low |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 22nd pct | 15th pct |
Skills
Both lean on the same top skills: critical thinking, active listening, active learning, monitoring, speaking, reading comprehension.
More comparisons
Compare Industrial Machinery 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.