Aircraft Maintenance Technician (Structures)

An Aircraft Maintenance Technician (Structures) performs scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, inspection, and repair of aircraft structural components including fuselage, wings, landing gear, and control surfaces in accordance with Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) regulations and manufacturer maintenance manuals. They diagnose structural damage, corrosion, and fatigue issues, then execute repairs using specialised welding, riveting, bonding, and composite repair techniques. This role operates within heavily regulated aerospace environments where work must be certified and documented to maintain aircraft airworthiness.

Inspect aircraft structures for defects, cracks, corrosion, and fatigue damage using visual inspection, borescope examination, and non-destructive testing methods (dye penetrant, ultrasonic, eddy current) in compliance with CASA maintenance schedules. Perform structural repairs including metal patching, rivet installation, fastener replacement, and control surface realignment using aircraft-grade materials and hand tools. Conduct welding and brazing repairs on aluminium, steel, and titanium components using TIG and MIG welding equipment according to aerospace specification standards. Execute composite repair procedures on carbon fibre and fibreglass structures including layup, curing, and surface finishing to restore structural integrity. Disassemble and reassemble aircraft panels, doors, access covers, and structural assemblies using torque wrenches, removing fasteners, and documenting component condition. Troubleshoot and repair hydraulic line leaks, damaged tubing, and structural fittings by replacing components and pressure testing systems. Perform bonded joint repairs and sealant application on fuselage skin and structural interfaces to restore environmental sealing and load transfer capability. Document all maintenance and repair work on aircraft technical logs and maintenance records in compliance with CASA Part 145 maintenance organisation requirements.

The standard entry pathway requires a Certificate IV or Certificate III with at least two years of on-the-job training (ABS skill level 3). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

Getting your CASA Part 66 aircraft maintenance licence is a serious grind: it takes years of hands-on training and exams, and you'll start as an apprentice on lower wages. The work is repetitive inspection and fixing the same structural problems, and you're locked into shifts around aircraft schedules, often early mornings or nights. Safety mistakes here aren't abstract: they matter.

A few regional airports have work, but it's limited. Remote work isn't an option: you're hands-on with physical aircraft.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 3231, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Attention to Detailcore
• Chemical technologies in metal manufacturecore
• Clip sheet metal objects togethercore
• Incident Reportingcore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Problem Solvingcore
• Process Documentationcore
• Quality Assurance and Checkingcore
• Record Managementcore
• Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
• Risk Identificationcore
• Team Collaborationcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Written Communicationcore
• Active Listening
• Adaptability and Flexibility
• Cast metal
• Continuous Learning and Upskilling
• Digital Literacy
• Process Improvement Identification
• Report Writing
• Workload Self-Management

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

Last updated: 30 October 2026