Aviation Inspectors
Transportation and Material Moving
Reviews mechanics' work on aircraft systems and checks maintenance records and flight logs to see that service and overhauls happened on schedule. Goes over new, repaired, or modified aircraft with checklists, hand tools, and test instruments, looking for damage, corrosion, or defects on landing gear, tires, fuselage, wings, and engines. Starts the aircraft and watches gauges for signs of trouble, then decides whether to issue or deny an airworthiness certificate. Keeps detailed inspection and certification records and recommends repair or replacement when equipment falls short. Suits people who like methodical checks against written standards and decisions that rest on evidence, not guesswork.
Typical education: Associate’s Degree (2-year)
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$92'100
Median Wage Market Position
$92'100
What you might do
- Inspect aircraft for damage, defects, and airworthiness
- Review mechanics' repair work against required standards
- Check flight logs for timely maintenance and overhauls
- Approve or deny certificates of airworthiness
- Examine landing gear, wings, and engines for damage
- Start aircraft and watch instruments for faults
Skills that matter
- Reviewing maintenance records and flight logs
- Inspecting landing gear, wings, and engines
- Approving or denying airworthiness certificates
- Overseeing mechanics' repair and overhaul work
- Writing inspection and certification reports
- Reading gauges to detect malfunctions
AI & the future of this role
Aircraft compliance checks involve federal rules, liability, and judgment about airworthiness that machines alone are unlikely to own. Imaging and records tools may speed reviews, but licensed inspectors and in-person verification are likely to stay essential.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details