Avionics Technicians

Aircraft Electrical Systems Specialist
Aircraft Technician
Aviation Electrical Technician
Aviation Electronics Technician
Avionics Electronics Technician
Avionics Installer
Avionics Systems Integration Specialist
Avionics Technician
Electronic Technician

What is an Avionics Technician?

Avionics Technicians are specialized professionals who focus on the installation, maintenance, and repair of electronic systems in aircraft. These systems include communications, navigation, and flight control systems that are critical for safe flying. They utilize test equipment and tools to troubleshoot complex avionics systems, ensuring they function efficiently and comply with aviation regulations. Avionics Technicians often work in collaboration with engineers and pilots to enhance the performance and reliability of aircraft electronics. Their work is essential in both commercial and military aviation sectors, where they ensure that all avionics systems are operating according to standards, thereby contributing to overall aircraft safety and performance.

Career Assessment
Job Outlook

Projected salary and job growth

$46570.0 - $107370.0

This career will grow rapidly in the next few years.

Finding local jobs...
Assessment

Related assessments and tests

No assessment available.

Career Assessment

Tasks

  • Test and troubleshoot instruments, components, and assemblies, using circuit testers, oscilloscopes, or voltmeters.
  • Keep records of maintenance and repair work.
  • Adjust, repair, or replace malfunctioning components or assemblies, using hand tools or soldering irons.
  • Install electrical and electronic components, assemblies, and systems in aircraft, using hand tools, power tools, or soldering irons.
  • Set up and operate ground support and test equipment to perform functional flight tests of electrical and electronic systems.

Technology Skills

Knowledge

  • Computers and Electronics

    Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • Mechanical

    Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • English Language

    Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 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.

  • 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.

3 Active Jobs in South Africa
Avg Salary: R26,499pm

Are You Ready to Launch Your Career as an Avionics Technician in South Africa?

Navigating the South African aviation industry requires a blend of technical brilliance and unwavering discipline. As an Avionics Technician, you are the electronic heartbeat of an aircraft, responsible for the sophisticated navigation, communication, and flight control systems that keep our skies safe. With 8 active job openings currently available and a market showing a strong upward salary trajectory—climbing from an average of R23,319 in early 2024 to R29,149 by year-end—there has never been a more lucrative time to enter this specialised trade.

Is Avionics Right for Me? (Psychometric Checklist)

Before committing to the rigorous training required, evaluate whether your natural temperament aligns with the demands of the hangar. A successful Avionics Technician in the South African context typically possesses the following traits:

  • Meticulous Attention to Detail: Do you notice the smallest discrepancies? In avionics, a single loose connection can have catastrophic consequences.
  • Analytical Troubleshooting: Are you a natural problem-solver who enjoys deconstructing complex electronic circuits to find a fault?
  • Manual Dexterity: You will often work in cramped cockpits or avionics bays, requiring steady hands and precise movements with specialised tools.
  • Commitment to Safety: Are you someone who follows "the book" every single time? Adherence to South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) regulations is non-negotiable.
  • High Mathematical Aptitude: Do you have a strong grasp of physics and mathematics, particularly as they relate to electrical currents and signal processing?
  • Integrity and Accountability: Can you take full responsibility for your work, knowing that lives depend on your sign-off?

A Day in the Life of a South African Avionics Technician

In South Africa, your day typically begins early at major hubs like OR Tambo International, Lanseria, or Cape Town International. Unlike general mechanics, your environment is often a mix of the hangar floor and the clean-room laboratory. You might start your shift by performing a pre-flight diagnostic on a Boeing 737’s weather radar or calibrating the autopilot system on a private King Air.

The work is highly technical; you aren't just "fixing wires"—you are interfacing with sophisticated software and digital bus systems. You will collaborate closely with Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (AMEs) and pilots to interpret flight data logs. In the South African sun, the hangar can be intense, but the satisfaction of seeing an aircraft you’ve serviced take flight is a reward few other professions offer.

Education, Upskilling, and the Path to Licensure

Ready to start your career as a Avionics Technicians?

Explore Top-Rated Avionics Technicians Courses on Udemy

The journey to becoming a qualified Avionics Technician in South Africa involves a combination of formal theoretical education and practical "on-the-job" training (OJT).

  • Formal Qualifications: Most technicians start with an N2 or N3 certificate from a TVET college, or a National Diploma in Electrical Engineering (Light Current). Dedicated academies, such as the Denel Technical Academy or MATA, offer specialised aircraft maintenance programmes.
  • Apprenticeship and Trade Test: You must complete a formal apprenticeship (usually 3 to 4 years) registered with the Transport Education and Training Authority (TETA), culminating in a trade test to become a "Red Seal" artisan.
  • SACAA Licensing: To certify work, you must obtain an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME) license from the South African Civil Aviation Authority. This requires passing several rigorous legislation and technical exams.
  • Short Courses and Type Ratings: Once qualified, your education has only just begun. You will need "Type Ratings" for specific aircraft (e.g., Airbus A320 or Embraer 145).

Pro-tip: The aviation industry evolves rapidly. Continuous learning is the hallmark of a high-earning technician. Staying updated with the latest advancements in NextGen avionics and glass cockpit technology is essential to maintain your competitive edge in the local and international market.

Next Steps: Are You Flight-Ready?

Choosing a career in avionics is a commitment to excellence and lifelong learning. The current market data shows a healthy demand for skilled professionals, and the salary growth reflects the high value placed on technical expertise. If you have the discipline, the mathematical mind, and a passion for aviation, your future is waiting in the hangar. Test your readiness now by taking our comprehensive career assessment to see if you have the aptitude to master the skies.

Skills

  • Equipment Maintenance

    Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.

  • Repairing

    Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.

  • Troubleshooting

    Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.

  • Critical Thinking

    Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

  • Operations Monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Abilities

  • Written Comprehension

    The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

  • Information Ordering

    The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • Near Vision

    The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

  • Oral Comprehension

    The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

  • Problem Sensitivity

    The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.

Education

How much education does a new hire need to perform a job in this occupation?

  • Post-secondary certificate
    50 %

    Awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in Personnel Services, Engineering-related Technologies, Vocational Home Economics, Construction Trades, Mechanics and Repairers, Precision Production Trades)

  • High school diploma or equivalent
    18 %

    or: GED, High School Equivalency Certificate

  • Associate's degree
    16 %

Work Activities

  • Documenting/Recording Information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge

    Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

  • Getting Information

    Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

  • Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment

    Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing machines, devices, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of electrical or electronic (not mechanical) principles.

  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems

    Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Detailed Work Activities

  • Test electrical equipment or systems to ensure proper functioning.
  • Troubleshoot equipment or systems operation problems.
  • Adjust equipment to ensure optimal performance.
  • Install machine or equipment replacement parts.
  • Maintain repair or maintenance records.

Work Interests

  • Realistic

    Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.

  • Conventional

    Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.

  • Investigative

    Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.

This page incorporates data from O_NET OnLine, courtesy of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), under the CC BY 4.0 license. O_NET is a registered trademark of USDOL/ETA. Assessify has adapted and modified the original content. Please note that USDOL/ETA has neither reviewed nor endorsed these changes.