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Avionics Technician

Aviation

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

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

AviationElectrical Engineering

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Test and troubleshoot instruments, components, and assemblies, using circuit testers, oscilloscopes, or voltmeters.
  2. 2Keep records of maintenance and repair work.
  3. 3Adjust, repair, or replace malfunctioning components or assemblies, using hand tools or soldering irons.
  4. 4Install electrical and electronic components, assemblies, and systems in aircraft, using hand tools, power tools, or soldering irons.
  5. 5Set up and operate ground support and test equipment to perform functional flight tests of electrical and electronic systems.
  6. 6Assemble components such as switches, electrical controls, and junction boxes, using hand tools or soldering irons.
  7. 7Connect components to assemblies such as radio systems, instruments, magnetos, inverters, and in-flight refueling systems, using hand tools and soldering irons.
  8. 8Lay out installation of aircraft assemblies and systems, following documentation such as blueprints, manuals, and wiring diagrams.
  9. 9Interpret flight test data to diagnose malfunctions and systemic performance problems.
  10. 10Coordinate work with that of engineers, technicians, and other aircraft maintenance personnel.
  11. 11Fabricate parts and test aids as required.
  12. 12Assemble prototypes or models of circuits, instruments, and systems for use in testing.
  13. 13Operate computer-aided drafting and design applications to design avionics system modifications.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • Wirer
  • Wiring Tech
  • Avionics Tech
  • Test Technician
  • Engineering Tech
  • Instrument Tester
  • Repair Technician
  • Avionics Installer
  • Aircraft Technician
  • Airplane Technician

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. Typical entry

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationPost-secondary certificate

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

Computer Science / ICTDraws directly on Computers and Electronics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Electrical & Electronic Eng. StudiesDraws directly on Computers and Electronics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Mechanical Engineering StudiesDraws directly on Mechanical — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
PhysicsDraws directly on Mechanical — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Design & Technology (RBT)Draws directly on Mechanical — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Computers and Electronics87%

    Computer Science / ICTElectrical & Electronic Eng. Studies

  • Mechanical84%

    Mechanical Engineering StudiesPhysicsDesign & Technology (RBT)

  • English Language84%

    English

  • Engineering and Technology75%

    PhysicsAdditional MathematicsDesign & Technology (RBT)

  • Customer and Personal Service70%
  • Telecommunications69%

    Electrical & Electronic Eng. StudiesComputer Science / ICT

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Leading or coordinating othersHigh
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
  • Noisy environmentEvery day
  • Time spent sittingA little
  • Time walking or movingA little

Where this job is heading

Newer tasks O*NET has flagged for this occupation, a hint at how the role is changing.

  • Perform installation, testing, adjustment, and repair of avionics equipment in uncrewed aerial vehicles, such as drones.

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

8%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Growing role in the US

US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, not Malaysian. Shown because it's the only forward-looking demand estimate we have for this job.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Diploma

Skill-first qualification. Work after, or enter degree Year 2. Polytechnics keep it affordable.

2.5–3 years

TVET

Hands-on trades with strong employability: ILP, ADTEC, kolej vokasional, GiatMARA.

1–3 years

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Avionics Technicians

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org