Also called: Air Force 2A3/2A5X2, Navy AT rating, Army 15N
Maintains aircraft electronics: radar, radios, navigation, and flight computers.
Avionics techs troubleshoot wiring, plug test sets into aircraft, and swap out faulty electronic boxes on the flight line. It mixes hands-on work with detective skills. Civilian avionics techs work for airlines and aerospace firms.
Regular military compensation (RMC = base pay + housing and food allowances + their tax advantage) for typical E-1 to E-6 ranks, 2026 estimate. Cash in hand is lower early on because junior troops often live in free barracks and eat in dining halls. Enlistment bonuses can add thousands.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0.5 years after high school. High school diploma and good electronics ASVAB score, then ~4-6 months of technical training. Free-college benefits: Tuition Assistance (up to $4,500/yr) while serving, the Post-9/11 GI Bill (36 months of tuition + housing stipend) afterward, and SkillBridge internships before separating.
Ways in: Military, On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Avionics Technology, Electronics Engineering Technology.
Growing about average. Military specialties are not in BLS projections. The services recruit for this job every year and openings track force size and retention rather than market growth.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Built-in diagnostics pinpoint faults; tracing wires and swapping boxes stay hands-on.
Classes: Electronics CTE, Physics, Algebra.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.