Skills & Hobbies

Engineering and manufacturing

Aircraft maintenance engineer

Inspect, service and repair aircraft systems to exacting safety standards - a licensed, highly skilled engineering career.

  • Salary£27,000 – £50,000
  • Hours40 to 42 hours a week, which may include evening and weekend shifts
  • Working for yourselfUsually employed

What the job is like

Aircraft maintenance engineers and technicians inspect, service and repair the mechanical, electrical and avionic systems on aircraft - from engines and landing gear to navigation and flight controls - and record every task in maintenance logs. Accuracy is everything: maintenance has to be certified by a licensed engineer before an aircraft is released back into service.

It suits careful, methodical people who enjoy engineering and don't mind working in hangars on shifts. You can train through a Level 3 aircraft maintenance apprenticeship, college, university or the armed forces. To certify work on civil aircraft you'll need a UK Part 66 Aircraft Maintenance Licence from the Civil Aviation Authority, which requires exams and practical experience.

What you'll do

  • Inspect, service and maintain aircraft electrical, mechanical and electronic systems
  • Fit and work on engines, wings and landing gear
  • Install and test navigation, communication and flight control systems
  • Investigate faults and work with engineers to fix them
  • Use diagnostic software to track down problems
  • Complete safety documentation and maintenance logbooks accurately

Where you'll work

  • Indoors
  • Workshop or studio
  • Outdoors
  • In a team

Skills and hobbies that help

Weighted by how much they matter in this job, from the official job profile's skills and tasks. Tap one to see other careers that use it.

Key skills

Used a lot

Handy to have

Hobbies that give you a head start

How to become an aircraft maintenance engineer

Apprenticeship

Aircraft maintenance technician (Level 3, typically around 36 months) or Aerospace engineering technician (Level 3, typically around 48 months). With experience you could progress to the Aircraft certifying technician (Level 4, typically around 45 months) higher apprenticeship.

College

Courses such as aircraft maintenance, aerospace and aviation engineering, mechanical and electrical engineering, or the T Level in Engineering, Manufacturing, Processing and Control.

University

A foundation degree, HND or degree in aeronautical or aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical or electronic engineering, or avionics.

Other ways in

Train as an aircraft technician in the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy or Army.

Qualifications, licences and cards

  • UK Part 66 Aircraft Maintenance Licence (AML) from the Civil Aviation Authority for certifying roles - it needs exams in set modules plus logged practical experience
  • Licence categories include B1 (mechanical) and B2 (avionics)

Where it can lead

  • Workshop supervisor or senior technician
  • Licensed certifying engineer
  • Aerospace engineer after further training
  • Quality control, design or maintenance management

Good to know

  • Salary figures are the National Careers Service figures for aerospace engineering technicians, a profile that lists "aircraft maintenance technician" as an alternative title.
  • You could work in hangars, on aircraft, at airports or in workshops, sometimes in cramped spaces.
  • The CAA requires years of practical maintenance experience on operating aircraft before some licence categories are issued.

Courses and training

  • Apprenticeship search

    Find an apprenticeship – GOV.UK

    The official GOV.UK service for searching and applying for apprenticeship vacancies in England.

    Visit Find an apprenticeship

  • Course search

    Find a course – National Careers Service

    The National Careers Service search for college and training provider courses in England, including Skills Bootcamps.

    Visit Find a course

See all courses and funding

Sources

We checked these pages in September 2026. Rules, pay and courses change, so always confirm with the official source.

  1. National Careers Service: Aerospace engineering technician job profile nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/aerospace-engineering-technician
  2. National Careers Service: Helicopter engineer job profile nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/helicopter-engineer
  3. Skills England apprenticeship standard: Aircraft maintenance technician skillsengland.education.gov.uk/apprenticeships/st1315-v1-1
  4. Skills England apprenticeship standard: Aerospace engineering technician skillsengland.education.gov.uk/apprenticeships/st1313-v1-1
  5. Skills England apprenticeship standard: Aircraft certifying technician skillsengland.education.gov.uk/apprenticeships/st0019-v1-1
  6. UK Civil Aviation Authority: apply for a UK Part 66 Aircraft Maintenance Licence caa.co.uk/commercial-industry/aircraft/airworthiness/engineer-licences/uk-part-66/apply-for-a-uk-part-66-aircraft-maintenance-licence/

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