BETA
Updated: Feb 6
BETA
Updated: Feb 6
Evolving
Last Update: 11/21/2025
Your role’s AI Resilience Score is
65.6%
Median Score
Changing Fast
Evolving
Stable
What does this resilience result mean?
These roles are shifting as AI becomes part of everyday workflows. Expect new responsibilities and new opportunities.
AI Resilience Report for
Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians
They keep airplanes safe by inspecting, fixing, and maintaining parts to ensure everything works properly before flights.
Summary
This career is labeled as "Stable" because, while AI and drones are improving parts of the inspection process, human mechanics are still essential for tasks that need hands-on expertise, like feeling for wear and making final judgments. AI helps by speeding up routine tasks and paperwork, but strict safety rules mean humans must double-check AI's work.
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View analysisChat with CoachLatest newsMore career infoSummary
This career is labeled as "Stable" because, while AI and drones are improving parts of the inspection process, human mechanics are still essential for tasks that need hands-on expertise, like feeling for wear and making final judgments. AI helps by speeding up routine tasks and paperwork, but strict safety rules mean humans must double-check AI's work.
Read full analysisContributing Sources
AI Resilience
All scores are converted into percentiles showing where this career ranks among U.S. careers. For models that measure impact or risk, we flip the percentile (subtract it from 100) to derive resilience.
CareerVillage.org's AI Resilience Analysis
AI Task Resilience
Evolving66.7%
66.7%
Microsoft's Working with AI
AI Applicability
Stable83.4%
83.4%
Will Robots Take My Job
Automation Resilience
Evolving57.1%
57.1%
Medium Demand
Labor Market Outlook
We use BLS employment projections to complement the AI-focused assessments from other sources.
Learn about this scoreGrowth Rate (2024-34):
4.0%
Growth Percentile:
62.9%
Annual Openings:
11.3
Annual Openings Pct:
56.0%
Analysis of Current AI Resilience
Aircraft Mechanic
Updated Quarterly • Last Update: 11/22/2025
State of Automation & Augmentation
Aircraft inspections are starting to use new tech, but human mechanics still play a big role. For example, airlines now use smart drones to scan planes for dents or cracks [1] [2]. The drone follows a planned route under the wing and takes high-resolution photos.
AI software then compares those images to a digital model of the plane, spots any damage, measures it, and even auto-generates an inspection report [2] [3]. This can cut inspection time from a whole day to just a few hours. At the same time, technicians still do important hands-on checks – like feeling parts for wear or testing cables – because robots and AI aren’t fully trusted for everything.
Behind the scenes, airlines also use AI to help with paperwork and planning. Modern planes collect tons of data on engine performance and fuel use. AI programs analyze this data to predict when a part might fail, so mechanics can fix it before it breaks [4].
Generative AI tools are even being tried out as “digital assistants.” A mechanic could ask a chatbot question like “why is this valve leaking?” and get expert advice, or tell it what happened on a job and the AI would fill out the repair log for them [3] [3]. Right now, however, every drone photo and AI report still has a human double-check it [1]. In short, inspections and reports are getting smarter with AI, but tasks that need fine muscle control or final judgment are still done by people.
Sources
AI Adoption
Several factors affect how fast AI tools spread in aircraft maintenance. On the plus side, airlines are excited about saving money and time. One industry study predicted the AI market in aviation could jump from about $650 million in 2021 to over $9 billion by 2030 [4].
With many mechanics retiring soon, AI can help ease labor shortages by boosting productivity and doing routine tasks faster [3]. For example, letting AI fill out paperwork or schedule repairs would give techs more time on actual maintenance.
On the other hand, safety rules are strict. Regulators and airlines insist AI’s work be as good as a person’s. That means any AI-generated report or image analysis still needs a human review for now [1].
New AI systems also cost money to buy and train staff to use them. In this high-stakes field, trust grows slowly. Overall, experts expect AI to augment mechanics rather than replace them.
By handling repetitive checks and data tasks, AI can free up skilled technicians to focus on hard problems. The human eye, intuition, and experience remain crucial, and many companies see AI as a helpful tool that makes work safer and easier [3] [3].
Sources
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More Career Info
Career: Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians
Parent Careers
Employment & Wage Data
Median Wage
$78,680
Jobs (2024)
139,400
Growth (2024-34)
+4.0%
Annual Openings
11,300
Education
Postsecondary nondegree award
Experience
None
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2024-2034
Task-Level AI Resilience Scores
AI-generated estimates of task resilience over the next 3 years
1
Maintain, repair, and rebuild aircraft structures, functional components, and parts such as wings and fuselage, rigging, hydraulic units, oxygen systems, fuel systems, electrical systems, gaskets, and...
2
Assemble and install electrical, plumbing, mechanical, hydraulic, and structural components and accessories, using hand or power tools.
3
Reassemble engines following repair or inspection and reinstall engines in aircraft.
4
Remove, inspect, repair, and install in-flight refueling stores and external fuel tanks.
5
Read and interpret maintenance manuals, service bulletins, and other specifications to determine the feasibility and method of repairing or replacing malfunctioning or damaged components.
6
Inspect completed work to certify that maintenance meets standards and that aircraft are ready for operation.
7
Examine and inspect aircraft components, including landing gear, hydraulic systems, and deicers to locate cracks, breaks, leaks, or other problems.
Tasks are ranked by their AI resilience, with the most resilient tasks shown first. Core tasks are essential functions of this occupation, while supplemental tasks provide additional context.
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