Aircraft maintenance engineer to avionics technician
An aircraft maintenance engineer already meets 57% of what the avionics technician role asks for. The move turns on 6 required skills not yet in the profile.
45.3/ 100
1 How much of what an avionics technician is expected to do is already part of an aircraft maintenance engineer’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the avionics technician role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
An avionics technician role treats 13 of its required skills as things an aircraft maintenance engineer already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- aircraft flight control systems
- assemble electrical components
- electrical engineering
- electrical systems used in transportation
- electrical wiring plans
- electricity
What stands in the way is 6 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 16 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. An avionics technician role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of an aircraft maintenance engineer background worth leading with.
- already held electrical systems used in transportation engineering, manufacturing and construction
- already held assemble electrical components handling and moving
- already held aircraft flight control systems services
- already held test electronic units constructing
- already held install electrical and electronic equipment working with machinery and specialised equipment
- already held electrical wiring plans engineering, manufacturing and construction
All 16 carried skills, including the 13 the avionics technician role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 19 missing skills fall into 10 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn apply soldering techniques required
- still to learn solder electronics required
- optional, not held conduct performance tests optional
- still to learn troubleshoot required
- optional, not held adjust engineering designs optional
- optional, not held liaise with engineers optional
- still to learn apply health and safety standards required
- still to learn common aviation safety regulations required
- still to learn electronics principles required
- optional, not held CAD software optional
- optional, not held CADD software optional
- optional, not held CAE software optional
4 further areas in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries an avionics technician role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 common aviation safety regulations study this
- 02 electronics principles study this
- 03 apply health and safety standards practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 16 skills that carry over
- already held aircraft flight control systems knowledge
- already held assemble electrical components skill
- already held electrical engineering knowledge
- already held electrical systems used in transportation knowledge
- already held electrical wiring plans knowledge
- already held electricity knowledge
- already held electronics knowledge
- already held install electrical and electronic equipment skill
- already held operate soldering equipment skill
- already held read engineering drawings skill
- already held read standard blueprints skill
- already held test electronic units skill
- already held wear appropriate protective gear skill
- already held engineering principles knowledge
- already held engineering processes knowledge
- already held use testing equipment skill
The 4 learning areas not shown above
- optional, not held calibrate electronic instruments optional
- optional, not held maintain electrical equipment optional
- optional, not held maintain electronic equipment optional
- optional, not held use CAD software optional
- optional, not held use CADD software optional
- optional, not held follow procedures to control substances hazardous to health optional
- optional, not held keep records of work progress optional
13 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held follow procedures to control substances hazardous to health optional
- optional, not held CAD software optional
- optional, not held CADD software optional
- optional, not held CAE software optional
- optional, not held adjust engineering designs optional
- optional, not held calibrate electronic instruments optional
- optional, not held conduct performance tests optional
- optional, not held keep records of work progress optional
- optional, not held liaise with engineers optional
- optional, not held maintain electrical equipment optional
- optional, not held maintain electronic equipment optional
- optional, not held use CAD software optional
- optional, not held use CADD software optional
22 held skills the avionics technician role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role aircraft mechanics knowledge
- not needed by the target role airport planning knowledge
- not needed by the target role apply technical communication skills skill
- not needed by the target role diagnose defective engines skill
- not needed by the target role disassemble engines skill
- not needed by the target role electromechanics knowledge
- not needed by the target role engine components knowledge
- not needed by the target role ensure compliance with airport security measures skill
- not needed by the target role evaluate engine performance skill
- not needed by the target role follow manufacturer guidelines in use of airport equipment skill
- not needed by the target role inspect aircraft for airworthiness skill
- not needed by the target role manage airport development resources skill
- not needed by the target role manage airport workshops skill
- not needed by the target role manage health and safety standards skill
- not needed by the target role mechanical engineering knowledge
- not needed by the target role mechanics knowledge
- not needed by the target role operate precision measuring equipment skill
- not needed by the target role repair engines skill
- not needed by the target role technical drawings knowledge
- not needed by the target role use computerised maintenance management systems skill
- not needed by the target role use power tools skill
- not needed by the target role use technical documentation skill
5 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- still to learn common aviation safety regulations required
- still to learn electronics principles required
- optional, not held CAD software optional
- optional, not held CADD software optional
- optional, not held CAE software optional
Other moves recorded from aircraft maintenance engineer
Common questions about this move
Can an aircraft maintenance engineer become an avionics technician?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. An aircraft maintenance engineer already covers 57% of what an avionics technician is expected to do: 16 skills carry over, 13 of which the avionics technician role treats as required.
What skills does an aircraft maintenance engineer need to become an avionics technician?
6 required skills are missing, plus 13 optional ones. They fall into 10 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by constructing. The single most important is common aviation safety regulations.
How hard is the move from aircraft maintenance engineer to avionics technician?
Its learning distance is 45.3 out of 100, which is the moderate band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
How this record was compiled
Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.