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Transportation machinery maintenance and repair workers (except automobiles)

How to become an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer

Also called: Line Maintenance Engineer, Aircraft Engine Mechanic, Aircraft Mechanic, Aircraft Maintenance Technician

Inspects and maintains the airframe, engines and equipment that make up an aircraft so they keep the required strength and precision and work properly.

Workers in this job say vocational college (senmon gakko), university, or high school is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

People are usually hired by an airline after graduating from a science or engineering university, a koto senmon gakko (college of technology) or an aircraft maintenance senmon gakko (vocational college). After joining, they are assigned to daily line maintenance, engine maintenance or equipment (such as navigation systems) maintenance. You must gain the national aircraft maintenance engineer qualification set out in the Civil Aeronautics Act. You can get the second-class qualification before joining, but the first-class qualification requires at least four years of work experience, so you get it after joining. Under company rules, certifying engineers are chosen from first-class engineers. Certifying engineers are authorised to sign the flight log, a legal record, and the official documents for final sign-off of aircraft maintenance. Engine and equipment maintenance each need specialised skills, and some engineers build careers as specialists in one of these areas.

Ways in

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Questions people ask

How do I become an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer?

People are usually hired by an airline after graduating from a science or engineering university, a koto senmon gakko (college of technology) or an aircraft maintenance senmon gakko (vocational college). After joining, they are assigned to daily line maintenance, engine maintenance or equipment (such as navigation systems) maintenance. You must gain the national aircraft maintenance engineer qualification set out in the Civil Aeronautics Act. You can get the second-class qualification before joining, but the first-class qualification requires at least four years of work experience, so you get it after joining. Under company rules, certifying engineers are chosen from first-class engineers. Certifying engineers are authorised to sign the flight log, a legal record, and the official documents for final sign-off of aircraft maintenance. Engine and equipment maintenance each need specialised skills, and some engineers build careers as specialists in one of these areas.

How much does an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥5,979,900 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare).

Do you need a degree to become an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer?

Usually not. In this job's census occupation group, only 18% of workers are university graduates. Ways in include: College of technology (高等専門学校, kosen).

Will AI change the work of an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026