How to become an aircraft maintenance engineer in Australia
Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (Mechanical) inspect, test, repair and install aircraft hydromechanical and flight system components and aircraft engines, subassemblies and components.
Pay and growth are for the wider aircraft maintenance engineers group, which is as fine as the data goes. The all-jobs median is $1,852 a week. Jobs in the aircraft maintenance engineers group are projected to grow 6.9% between May 2025 and May 2035, slower than the 13.3% projected for all jobs. Projections are indicative, not forecasts, and JSA says they don't yet reflect generative AI.
What the job involves
- Dismantles, inspects, tests, repairs and reassembles aircraft engines, ancillary motors and engine accessories, electrical systems and sub-assemblies of aircraft frames.
- Installs electrical circuits and equipment.
- Tests aircraft communication equipment, aircraft instrumentation and electronic systems using electronic testing equipment and specialised apparatus.
- Replaces and tests aircraft oxygen system components.
- Assembles parts and sub-assemblies of aircraft frames.
- Conducts routine pre-flight inspections of engines, aircraft frames and mechanical systems.
How to get there
What it usually takes. A Certificate III or IV, including at least two years of on-the-job training where it is a Certificate III. This is the skill level Jobs and Skills Australia gives the aircraft maintenance engineers group, and some roles differ.
What people in the job have. Highest qualification held: 7% a degree or higher, 12% a diploma, 64% a Certificate III or IV.
Apprenticeship or traineeship. Aircraft Maintenance Technician is on the Australian Apprenticeships Priority List (1 April 2026), with qualifications including Diploma of Aviation Maintenance Management, Advanced Diploma of Aviation Maintenance Management, Certificate III in Aeroskills (Mechatronics). Find a provider at Your Career or your state's TAFE.
Many jobs also need registration, a licence or a specific accredited course. Check the professional body or regulator before you choose.
Courses that can lead here
Estimate your ATAR and this page shows the gap to each course. Your marks stay on your device.
Victoria0 matches
VTAC lowest selection ranks, December 2025 offer round.
No match in VTAC's list. Some courses, medicine especially, don't publish a cutoff or use their own admissions.
NSW and ACT0 matches
UAC lowest selection ranks, December Round 2, 2025-26 admissions.
No match in UAC's list. Some courses, medicine especially, don't publish a cutoff or use their own admissions.
Queensland1 match
QTAC course pages, ATAR/Selection Rank profile for semester 1, 2026.
Western Australia0 matches
TISC Course Search: lowest ATAR offered for 2026 entry and guaranteed offer ATARs.
No match in TISC's list. Some courses, medicine especially, don't publish a cutoff or use their own admissions.
Matched on course names, 1 across four admissions centres. A lowest selection rank includes adjustment points and moves every year. Check prerequisites and whether the course is accredited for this job.
Does it fit your interests?
Strongest interest areas for this kind of work: Realistic, Conventional, Investigative.
From O*NET ratings for "Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians", the closest US occupation in JSA's correspondence (a good match). US ratings are a guide to Australian jobs, not a measurement of them.
Careers with similar interests
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Share your storyJob data: © Commonwealth of Australia, Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profiles, February 2026 and Employment Projections, May 2025 to May 2035 (Victoria University), CC BY 4.0. Jobs and Skills Australia, ANZSCO 2013 Version 1.2 to O*NET-SOC 2019 Taxonomy correspondence.
Apprenticeships: Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Australian Apprenticeships Priority List, 1 April 2026.
This page 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. Curve ATAR has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.