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Major · Mechanic & Repair Technologies

FAA-licensed the A&P credential is the real diploma

Aircraft Powerplant Technology (CIP 47.0608) prepares you to inspect, service, and overhaul aircraft engines and related systems. About 600 students complete the program across 58 institutions, with five-year tracked earnings near $60,426 — driven by the FAA Powerplant rating (paired with Airframe to earn the full A&P license) rather than the degree itself.

Schools offering
58
Annual completions
600
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$60k

About this major

Aircraft Powerplant Technology (CIP 47.0608) prepares you to inspect, service, overhaul, and maintain aircraft engines and the systems that surround them. Coursework moves between classroom theory and engine-bay labs: reciprocating and turbine engine inspection and overhaul, lubrication and cooling, ignition and electrical systems, fuel metering and induction, and propeller and fan assemblies. Programs structured around FAA Part 147 hours lead to eligibility for the federal Powerplant rating — typically combined with the Airframe rating to earn the full Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) certificate, which is the credential employers actually hire on.

The major fits students who want a hands-on technical career anchored by a federal license. Mechanical aptitude, comfort with tight tolerances and inspection paperwork, willingness to follow FAA-mandated procedures without shortcuts, and tolerance for engine-shop noise and shift work matter more than abstract math ability. The work rewards people who like diagnosing wear, fatigue, and combustion behavior on physical systems, and who don't mind the regulated pace that comes with airworthiness work.

Scale tells the story. About 600 students complete CIP 47.0608 each year across 58 institutions — small output relative to demand from airlines and MROs. The labor-market endpoint is aircraft mechanics and service technicians at a $78,680 median wage with 4% projected growth, alongside the smaller and contracting aircraft structure assembler role at $61,680. Top program sites cluster around aviation labor markets and military bases: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide (173 completions across associate's and bachelor's), Jefferson Community and Technical College in Louisville KY (43), Vincennes University in IN (40), Texas State Technical College in Waco (38), and Tarrant County College in Fort Worth (28). Veteran enrollment is heavy at sites near military aviation hubs, reflecting how directly USAF, USN, USMC, and Army aviation MOSs translate into A&P eligibility.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Aircraft mechanics and service technicians $79k +4.0% Postsecondary nondegree award
Aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers $62k -14.5% High school diploma or equivalent
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$60k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$60k

Bachelor's

$77k

Who this major is for

You may thrive here if you want a hands-on technical career anchored by a federal license, you're comfortable with FAA Part 147 attendance rules and the mandatory drug-and-alcohol testing that comes with airworthiness work, you'd rather earn the $78,680 mechanic median through line or engine-shop shifts than chase a desk track, you're a veteran with USAF, USN, USMC, or Army aviation experience that translates directly into A&P testing eligibility, you're open to relocating toward aviation hubs where Embry-Riddle Worldwide, Texas State Technical, Tarrant County, Jefferson CTC, or Vincennes place graduates, and you understand that the A&P certificate — not the associate's itself — is what opens the first door at airlines like United, Delta, and American.

Think twice if physical demands such as climbing on engine stands, lifting, and working in confined cowlings or run cells are dealbreakers for you, rotating shifts, mandatory overtime, and FAA random drug testing won't fit your life, you're drawn to this major mainly for the bachelor's wage premium ($77,275 versus $59,760 for associate's) without realizing it reflects supervisory and FAA-inspector roles built on years of mechanic experience, you'd be enrolling in a powerplant-only program when most employers post for the combined A&P (verify whether your school covers both), or you're evaluating any campus — nonprofit or for-profit — without checking its FAA Part 147 status and published A&P pass rates. The aircraft structure assembler track, with -14.5% projected growth, also deserves a hard look before you specialize toward manufacturing rather than maintenance.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide Daytona Beach, FL 74 99 173
Jefferson Community and Technical College Louisville, KY 43 0 43
Vincennes University Vincennes, IN 40 0 40
Texas State Technical College Waco, TX 38 0 38
Tarrant County College District Fort Worth, TX 28 0 28
St Philip's College San Antonio, TX 19 0 19
Honolulu Community College Honolulu, HI 19 0 19
Somerset Community College Somerset, KY 17 0 17
State Technical College of Missouri Linn, MO 16 0 16
Pennsylvania College of Technology Williamsport, PA 15 0 15
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician

10,351 completions/yr

Diesel Mechanics Technology/Technician

2,426 completions/yr

Industrial Technology/Technician

1,933 completions/yr

Airframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician

1,506 completions/yr

Chemical Technology/Technician

1,095 completions/yr

Instrumentation Technology/Technician

1,036 completions/yr

Biomedical Technology/Technician

652 completions/yr

Architectural Technology/Technician

647 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What do Aircraft Powerplant majors actually study day-to-day?
Coursework follows the FAA Part 147 powerplant curriculum: reciprocating and turbine engine theory, inspection and overhaul, lubrication and cooling systems, ignition and electrical systems, fuel metering and induction, and propeller and fan assemblies. Hours split between classroom theory and engine-bay lab work on real powerplants, including run-up exercises on test stands. Programs that lead to the FAA Powerplant rating log strict attendance because the FAA mandates curriculum hours for testing eligibility.
Should I take Powerplant alone or pair it with Airframe?
Most graduates pair them. Powerplant alone is CIP 47.0608 (600 yearly completions); airframe alone is CIP 47.0607 (1,506 completions). Hiring shops post jobs for the full Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) certificate, and many programs sell a combined curriculum that takes only modestly longer than either rating alone. A standalone Powerplant rating is enough for some engine-shop and MRO powerplant-only roles, but the combined A&P is what airlines and most line-maintenance employers want.
Do I need an associate's, or is a shorter credential enough?
BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award as the typical entry credential for aircraft mechanics and service technicians, who earn a median wage of $78,680. The 600 yearly completions in this CIP include both associate's and bachelor's students, but the FAA A&P certificate is the hiring gateway, not the diploma. The associate's mainly adds management runway later — bachelor's graduates in this CIP earn $77,275 versus $59,760 for associate's, reflecting supervisory and inspector tracks rather than line-mechanic pay.
What kinds of jobs do graduates end up in?
The two named destinations in the data are aircraft mechanics and service technicians ($78,680 median, 4% projected growth) and aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers ($61,680, -14.5% growth). Powerplant-credentialed mechanics work airline line maintenance for carriers like United, Delta, and American; engine overhaul shops at MROs; corporate and business aviation; rotorcraft operators; and military contractors at depots like Tinker, Hill, and Robins. Engine specialists often slot into turbine overhaul lines or run-and-test cells, where pay typically runs above the $78,680 median once seniority kicks in.
How tight is the labor market and what does pay actually look like?
Aircraft mechanics show 4% projected growth from BLS, but the on-the-ground story is tighter: the AMT workforce is aging out, the pilot shortage doubles for mechanics, and major airlines have been advertising signing bonuses to fill powerplant and engine positions. Entry pay typically lands in the $50,000–$60,000 range at MROs and regional operators, climbing to roughly $65,000–$85,000 at majors once seniority and shift differentials stack up. Trade-offs are real — rotating shifts, FAA random drug-and-alcohol testing, mandatory overtime during heavy-check seasons, and travel for line maintenance.
Does military aviation experience translate?
Strongly, in this major. USAF, USN, USMC, and Army aviation MOSs (engine mechanics, crew chiefs, powerplant specialists) feed directly into civilian Part 147 programs and the FAA written, oral, and practical tests. The FAA accepts qualifying military experience as substitute for shop hours, often letting veterans test for A&P without completing a full Part 147 program. That, combined with GI Bill funding for the schools that do require coursework, makes this one of the cleanest military-to-civilian career bridges in the trades — and it shows up in enrollment at hubs like Tarrant County College, Honolulu CC, and Texas State Technical College.
How do I tell a real Part 147 program from a weak one?
The top institutions list mixes nonprofits like Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide (173 completions across associate's and bachelor's) and Pennsylvania College of Technology (15) with community and technical colleges such as Jefferson Community and Technical College in KY (43), Vincennes University in IN (40), Texas State Technical College in Waco (38), Tarrant County College in Fort Worth (28), St Philip's College in San Antonio (19), Honolulu CC (19), Somerset CC in KY (17), and State Technical College of Missouri (16). Verify FAA Part 147 certification directly on the FAA registry, ask for published A&P first-attempt pass rates, and confirm whether the program teaches Powerplant only or the combined A&P before you sign tuition.