jobfacts

Aircraft maintenance and related trades

SOC 2020 5234

Aircraft maintenance and related trades fit, service, repair and overhaul aircraft engines and assemblies. Licensed aircraft engineers are coded to Unit Group 3113.

Also calledHelicopter engineerHelicopter technicianAviation engineerAircraft engineerAerospace engineerAeronautical engineerand 29 more titles
Typical full-time pay£45,8002025 Provisional
People in the job18,000across the UK
Demand for workersNot high
New adverts a month165↑ 14%on last year · 360th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
What full-time aircraft maintenance and related trades earn, 2025
£45,800 typical£34,300lowest 20%£36,40025%n/ptop 10%
n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less thanNot published
Lowest 20% earn less than£34,300
25%£36,400
Median£45,800
75%Not published
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £45,800
London!£58,800
South West!£50,800
Wales!£44,500
North West!£42,000
North EastNot published by ONS–
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS–
East MidlandsNot published by ONS–
West MidlandsNot published by ONS–
East of EnglandNot published by ONS–
South EastNot published by ONS–
ScotlandNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £45,800
London£58,800 (small sample)
South West£50,800 (small sample)
Wales£44,500 (small sample)
North West£42,000 (small sample)
North EastNot published by ONS
Yorkshire and The HumberNot published by ONS
East MidlandsNot published by ONS
West MidlandsNot published by ONS
East of EnglandNot published by ONS
South EastNot published by ONS
ScotlandNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £44,100
  • 2024 £45,000
  • 2025 Provisional£45,800
↑ 3.8% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 165 jobs for aircraft maintenance and related trades are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as not high.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (3 in all)
Show as table
Aug 2026163
Jul 2026141
Jun 2026156
May 2026147
Apr 2026142
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026182
Jan 2026174
Dec 2025140
Nov 2025172
Oct 2025192
Sept 2025202
Aug 2025162
Jul 2025Not published
Jun 2025Not published
May 2025212
Apr 2025137
Mar 2025231
Feb 2025206
Jan 2025144
Dec 202489
Nov 2024131
Oct 2024121
Sept 2024130
Aug 2024119
Jul 2024130
Jun 2024126
May 2024148
Apr 2024165
Mar 2024119
Feb 2024135
Jan 2024184
Dec 2023133
Nov 2023139
Oct 2023153
Sept 2023138
Aug 2023155
Jul 2023182
Jun 2023176
May 2023164
Apr 2023155
Mar 2023215
Feb 2023214
Jan 2023228
Dec 2022174
Nov 2022227
Oct 2022234
Sept 2022192
Aug 2022193
Jul 2022203
Jun 2022201
May 2022202
Apr 2022136
Mar 2022201
Feb 2022161
Jan 2022193
Dec 2021154
Nov 2021152
Oct 2021163
Sept 2021127
Aug 2021110
Jul 2021139
Jun 2021121
May 2021110
Apr 2021148
Mar 2021139
Feb 202173
Jan 202178
Dec 202097
Nov 2020106
Oct 202081
Sept 202071
Aug 202058
Jul 202086
Jun 202059
May 202056
Apr 2020100
Mar 2020157
Feb 2020214
Jan 2020197
Dec 2019168
Nov 2019201
Oct 2019228
Sept 2019202
Aug 2019181
Jul 2019269
Jun 2019206
May 2019196
Apr 2019167
Mar 2019199
Feb 2019151
Jan 2019200
Dec 2018119
Nov 2018162
Oct 2018175
Sept 2018161
Aug 2018140
Jul 2018186
Jun 2018192
May 2018198
Apr 2018203
Mar 2018185
Feb 2018176
Jan 2018193
Dec 2017175
Nov 2017169
Oct 2017172
Sept 2017184
Aug 2017179
Jul 2017156
Jun 2017172
May 2017219
Apr 2017228
Mar 2017224
Feb 2017182
Jan 2017243
Is there a shortage of aircraft maintenance and related trades?
Not high

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment.

  • Visas grantedAbove usual
  • Online job advertsUsual
  • Wage growthUsual
  • Pay against similar jobsAbove usual
  • Hours workedUsual
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
44%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for vehicle trades, which includes aircraft maintenance and related trades. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London62
West Oxfordshire20
Oxford16
Manchester14
Uttlesford14
Rushmoor14
Birmingham13
Bristol, City of13
South Gloucestershire11
Vale of Glamorgan9
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where aircraft maintenance and related trades are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. Fewer than 10 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
WomenToo few in the survey to give a reliable figure
Age of aircraft maintenance and related trades
n/p
35%!
29%!
17%!
20%!
n/p
!Small sample: treat with cautionn/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–24Not published
25–3435% (small sample)
35–4429% (small sample)
45–5417% (small sample)
55–6420% (small sample)
65+Not published
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent!33%
Higher education below degree!11%
A levels or equivalent55%
GCSEs or equivalent!12%
Other qualifications–
Not published
No qualifications–
Not published
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent33% (small sample)
Higher education below degree11% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent55%
GCSEs or equivalent12% (small sample)
Other qualificationsNot published
No qualificationsNot published

Main employers: manufacture of air and spacecraft and related machinery (46%), repair and maintenance of aircraft and spacecraft (18%), defence activities (9.9%), passenger air transport (6.6%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
33%
as their highest qualification
Most common qualification
A levels or equivalent
held by 55%
Registration
CAA
required for some roles: Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) or European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Only Part 147 training providers must be approved by the regulator body.
Apprenticeships
5
from level 2
Apprenticeships take
18 months to 3½ years
typically

Routes in

Helicopter engineer

You can get into this job through:

University

You'll need an engineering qualification and maintenance experience to apply for a licence to become a helicopter engineer.

You'll usually need a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in aerospace engineering, avionics, or a related subject like:

  • aeronautical engineering
  • electrical or electronic engineering
  • mechanical engineering
  • manufacturing or product engineering
  • physics or mathematics
  • software engineering
Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • at least 1 A level, or equivalent, for a foundation degree
  • between 1 and 3 A levels, or equivalent, for a higher national diploma or degree

College

You could do a college course, which would teach you some of the skills and knowledge you need to join an apprenticeship training programme with a company.

Courses include:

  • aerospace and aviation engineering
  • maths, physics or design and technology
  • mechanical and electrical engineering
Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

Apprenticeship

You can apply to do an apprenticeship with an aircraft manufacturer or specialist aviation servicing company.

These include:

  • Aircraft Maintenance Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
  • Aerospace Engineering Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
  • Engineering Manufacturing Technician Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship

With experience, you may move on to complete an Aircraft Certifying Technician Level 4 Higher Apprenticeship.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, maths and science
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Other routes

You may be able to join a graduate training scheme with an aircraft engineering company, if you have a relevant university degree.

You could also get into this career after training and working as an aircraft engineer in the armed forces:

  • Royal Air Force
  • Royal Navy
  • Army

Flight engineering experience gained in the armed forces may count towards your engineering licence application.

What you’ll need

  • B1 mechanical for work on an aircraft's structure and electrical systems
  • B2 avionics for work on navigation, communication and electronic instruments

You'll need a Part-66 engineering licence issued through the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

There are different categories to the licence, depending on the type of work you want to do, but common ones are:

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

As a qualified engineer, you could work for:

  • engineering support companies
  • commercial helicopter charter companies
  • aerial emergency services
  • aircraft manufacturers
  • offshore energy support services
Further information

You can learn more about becoming a helicopter engineer from:

  • The British Helicopter Association
  • Careers in Aerospace

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for helicopter engineer. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Aerospace engineer

You can get into this job through:

University

You could do a degree or postgraduate course in aerospace engineering, avionics, or a subject like:

  • electrical or electronic engineering
  • mechanical engineering
  • manufacturing or product engineering
  • physics or applied physics
  • astronautics and space engineering
  • software engineering or mathematics
Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 or 3 A levels, or equivalent, including maths and physics
  • a degree in a relevant subject for postgraduate study

College

You could do A levels, a higher national certificate (HNC) or diploma (HND) in engineering before applying for a trainee technician job with an aerospace company.

Subjects include:

  • maths, physics and design and technology
  • mechanical engineering
  • aeronautical engineering
  • electrical engineering

You would then take further training to become a fully qualified engineer.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do a Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship to begin your career in the aerospace industry. Apprenticeships include:

  • Aerospace Engineer
  • Space Systems Engineer
  • Aerospace Software Engineer
  • Electro-Mechanical Engineer
  • Materials Science Technologist

You'll combine workplace learning with study for a degree at university.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship

Other ways in

Work your way up

You might be able to join a company as an aerospace engineering technician and do training on the job to qualify as an engineer.

Apply directly

You can apply for aerospace engineering jobs if you've got relevant qualifications and experience. For example, you might have worked in mechanical, electrical or electronics engineering.

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

You can try out virtual work experiences in different aviation industry jobs, including aircraft maintenance.

Professional and industry bodies

You can join the Royal Aeronautical Society for professional development, career resources and to make industry contacts.

Further information

You can find out more about working in aerospace engineering from Careers in Aerospace and Neon.

You can learn about careers in the space industry through SpaceCareers.uk.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for aerospace engineer. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Apprenticeships

5 for this job
Level 3About 3 years

Aircraft maintenance technician

You gain
For the mandated qualification route: Level 2 Diploma in Aerospace and Aviation…; For the mandated qualification route: Level 3 Diploma in Aerospace and Aviation…
Registration
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) or European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Only Part 147 training providers must be approved by the regulator body.
Employers may ask for
Individual employers will set the recruitment and selection criteria for their Apprenticeships. In order to optimise success, candidates will typically have 4…
Details on Skills England
Level 2About 18 months

Aviation maintenance mechanic

Employers may ask for
Entry requirements will be determined by individual employers.
Details on Skills England
Level 4About 3½ years

Aircraft certifying technician

You gain
Diploma in Aerospace and Aviation Engineering (Foundation Competence).; EASA Part 66 B licence Modules or Equivalent Military Authorisation
Leads to
Professional Engineering Insitute (PEI) licensed by the Engineering Council
Employers may ask for
Individual employers will set the recruitment and selection criteria for their Apprenticeships. In order to optimise success, candidates will typically have 4…
Details on Skills England

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • examines drawings, manuals and specifications to determine appropriate methods and sequence of operations
  • fits and assembles parts and/or metal sub-assemblies to fine tolerances to make aircraft engines
  • replaces engine components or complete engines, installs and tests electrical and electronic components and systems in aircraft
  • examines and inspects airframes and aircraft components, including landing gear, hydraulic systems, and de-icers to detect wear, cracks, breaks, leaks, or other problems
  • maintains, repairs and rebuilds aircraft structures, functional components, and parts
  • maintains comprehensive repair logs

Skills

  • use technical documentation
  • wear appropriate protective gear
  • read engineering drawings
  • read standard blueprints
  • use computerised maintenance management systems
  • use power tools
  • conduct performance tests
  • liaise with engineers
  • operate precision measuring equipment
  • use testing equipment
  • align components
  • apply health and safety standards
  • apply technical communication skills
  • assemble electrical components

Knowledge

  • aircraft mechanics
  • common aviation safety regulations
  • electromechanics
  • engineering processes
  • mechanics
  • airport safety regulations
  • engine components
  • engineering principles

Suits people who like

  • Practical, hands-on work
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for skilled metal, electrical and electronic trades, a group of 23 jobs that includes aircraft maintenance and related trades.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↓ 6.5%about 72,000 fewer jobs
Workers needed by 2035338,000including people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.