Also called: Propeller Overhaul Technician, Prop Shop Technician
Overhauls and balances airplane propellers in special repair shops, from crop dusters to cargo turboprops.
A cargo plane’s propeller arrives in crates after hitting a bird. You take apart its hub, check every blade for cracks with dye and ultraviolet light, file out nicks to an exact shape, and balance the rebuilt propeller so it spins without shaking the plane.
Estimated; repair station pay.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Certificate, about 2 years after high school. FAA-approved A&P school or on-the-job training at a certified propeller shop.
Ways in: Trade school, On-the-job training, Certification, Military. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Aviation Maintenance Technology.
Growing about average. Steady work from regional, cargo, farm and military turboprops.
Low risk for 10 years. Inspection tools improve, but reworking blades by hand stays skilled shop work.
Classes: Physics, Machine shop, Algebra.
Official data: O*NET occupation 49-3011.
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.