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Avionics Technicians

Install, inspect, test, adjust, or repair avionics equipment, such as radar, radio, navigation, and missile control systems in aircraft or space vehicles.
  • Summary

  • Details

  • Work Activities

    • Adjust, repair, or replace malfunctioning components or assemblies, using hand tools or soldering irons.
    • Operate computer-aided drafting and design applications to design avionics system modifications.
    • Interpret flight test data to diagnose malfunctions and systemic performance problems.
    • Lay out installation of aircraft assemblies and systems, following documentation such as blueprints, manuals, and wiring diagrams.
    • Install electrical and electronic components, assemblies, and systems in aircraft, using hand tools, power tools, or soldering irons.
    • Keep records of maintenance and repair work.
    • Connect components to assemblies such as radio systems, instruments, magnetos, inverters, and in-flight refueling systems, using hand tools and soldering irons.
    • Adjust, repair, or replace malfunctioning components or assemblies, using hand tools or soldering irons.
    • Set up and operate ground support and test equipment to perform functional flight tests of electrical and electronic systems.
    • Coordinate work with that of engineers, technicians, and other aircraft maintenance personnel.
    • Test and troubleshoot instruments, components, and assemblies, using circuit testers, oscilloscopes, or voltmeters.
    • Adjust, repair, or replace malfunctioning components or assemblies, using hand tools or soldering irons.
    • Fabricate parts and test aids as required.
    • Test and troubleshoot instruments, components, and assemblies, using circuit testers, oscilloscopes, or voltmeters.
    • Assemble components such as switches, electrical controls, and junction boxes, using hand tools or soldering irons.
    • Assemble prototypes or models of circuits, instruments, and systems for use in testing.

    Skills

    • Operation and Control
      • Using equipment or systems.
    • Time Management
      • Managing your time and the time of other people.
    • Persuasion
      • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
    • Technology Design
      • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
    • Speaking
      • Talking to others.
    • Quality Control Analysis
      • Testing how well a product or service works.
    • Active Listening
      • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
    • Writing
      • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
    • Negotiation
      • Bringing people together to solve differences.
    • Coordination
      • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
    • Reading Comprehension
      • Reading work-related information.
    • Management of Financial Resources
      • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
    • Social Perceptiveness
      • Understanding people's reactions.
    • Active Learning
      • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
    • Judgment and Decision Making
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
    • Instructing
      • Teaching people how to do something.
    • Installation
      • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
    • Equipment Maintenance
      • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
    • Operations Monitoring
      • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
    • Repairing
      • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
    • Learning Strategies
      • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
    • Service Orientation
      • Looking for ways to help people.
    • Science
      • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
    • Systems Analysis
      • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
    • Complex Problem Solving
      • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
    • Operations Analysis
      • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
    • Monitoring
      • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
    • Programming
      • Writing computer programs.
    • Critical Thinking
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
    • Systems Evaluation
      • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
    • Equipment Selection
      • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
    • Mathematics
      • Using math to solve problems.
    • Troubleshooting
      • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
    • Management of Material Resources
      • Managing equipment and materials.
    • Management of Personnel Resources
      • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    Abilities

    • Oral Expression
      • Communicating by speaking.
    • Category Flexibility
      • Grouping things in different ways.
    • Glare Sensitivity
      • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
    • Multilimb Coordination
      • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
    • Dynamic Flexibility
      • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Peripheral Vision
      • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
    • Night Vision
      • Seeing at night or under low light.
    • Problem Sensitivity
      • Noticing when problems happen.
    • Inductive Reasoning
      • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
    • Memorization
      • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
    • Depth Perception
      • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
    • Number Facility
      • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
    • Response Orientation
      • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
    • Dynamic Strength
      • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
    • Hearing Sensitivity
      • Telling the difference between sounds.
    • Stamina
      • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
    • Visual Color Discrimination
      • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
    • Spatial Orientation
      • Knowing where things are around you.
    • Oral Comprehension
      • Listening and understanding what people say.
    • Perceptual Speed
      • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
    • Information Ordering
      • Ordering or arranging things.
    • Static Strength
      • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
    • Trunk Strength
      • Using your lower back and stomach.
    • Auditory Attention
      • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
    • Explosive Strength
      • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
    • Flexibility of Closure
      • Seeing hidden patterns.
    • Near Vision
      • Seeing details up close.
    • Control Precision
      • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
    • Speed of Limb Movement
      • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
    • Speech Clarity
      • Speaking clearly.
    • Fluency of Ideas
      • Coming up with lots of ideas.
    • Wrist-Finger Speed
      • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
    • Speech Recognition
      • Recognizing spoken words.
    • Speed of Closure
      • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
    • Gross Body Equilibrium
      • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
    • Finger Dexterity
      • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
    • Selective Attention
      • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
    • Manual Dexterity
      • Holding or moving items with your hands.
    • Extent Flexibility
      • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Written Comprehension
      • Reading and understanding what is written.
    • Written Expression
      • Communicating by writing.
    • Deductive Reasoning
      • Using rules to solve problems.
    • Gross Body Coordination
      • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
    • Originality
      • Creating new and original ideas.
    • Time Sharing
      • Doing two or more things at the same time.
    • Rate Control
      • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
    • Far Vision
      • Seeing details that are far away.
    • Mathematical Reasoning
      • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
    • Visualization
      • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
      • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
    • Reaction Time
      • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
    • Sound Localization
      • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    Knowledge

    • Geography
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
    • Education and Training
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • Administrative
      • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • Engineering and Technology
      • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
    • Biology
      • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
    • Transportation
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • Medicine and Dentistry
      • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
    • Food Production
      • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
    • Physics
      • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
    • Building and Construction
      • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
    • Sales and Marketing
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • Philosophy and Theology
      • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Communications and Media
      • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
    • Therapy and Counseling
      • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
    • English Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
    • Foreign Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
    • History and Archeology
      • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
    • Public Safety and Security
      • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • Administration and Management
      • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
    • Customer and Personal Service
      • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
    • Personnel and Human Resources
      • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
    • Psychology
      • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
    • Chemistry
      • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    Education

    Education
    Postsecondary certificate
    Work Experience
    No work experience
    Training
    No on-the-job training

    Pay

    Washington Annual Salary
    107640/yr
    Washington Hourly Wage
    51.75/hr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    3,850
    Yearly Projected Openings
    400

    Personality

    Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:
    • Attention to Detail
    • Integrity
    • Dependability
    • Analytical Thinking
    • Achievement/Effort
    • Independence

    Tools

    • Acoustic ear muffs or defenders
    • Adjustable wrenches
    • Alignment jig
    • Ball peen hammer
    • Binocular light compound microscopes
    • Calibrated resistance measuring equipment
    • Calipers
    • Circuit tester
    • Cold chisels
    • Combination wrenches
    • Desktop computers
    • Diagonal cut pliers
    • End cut pliers
    • Flat nose pliers
    • Frequency analyzers
    • Frequency calibrator or simulator
    • Frequency counters or timer or dividers
    • Goggles
    • Grounding hardware
    • Hacksaw
    • Hammers
    • Hex keys
    • Inspection mirror
    • Integrated circuit testers
    • Ladders
    • Lifts
    • Longnose pliers
    • Magnifiers
    • Megohmmeters
    • Multimeters
    • Needlenose pliers
    • Notebook computers
    • Nut drivers
    • Ohmmeters
    • Open end wrenches
    • Oscilloscopes
    • Personal computers
    • Power drills
    • Power meters
    • Protocol analyzers
    • Punches or nail sets or drifts
    • Reflectometers
    • Respirators
    • Rivet tools
    • Rulers
    • Screwdrivers
    • Signal generators
    • Slip or groove joint pliers
    • Socket sets
    • Sockets
    • Soldering iron
    • Stripping tools
    • Tension testers
    • Torque wrenches
    • Tweezers
    • Utility knives
    • Voltage or current meters
    • Wattmeters
    • Wire lug crimping tool

    Technology

    • Analytical or scientific software
    • Computer aided design CAD software
    • Development environment software
    • Document management software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
    • Facilities management software
    • Object or component oriented development software
    • Office suite software
    • Operating system software
    • Portal server software
    • Presentation software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software