What would surprise most people about A&P mechanics?

Let’s delve a little deeper into the world of aircraft maintenance technicians (AMTs). 

You might be surprised to know:

They still don’t get paid enough.

Their skills vary considerably, even though they get roughly the same initial training.

Mechanics make great flight department managers.

Pay and benefits

This is improving mostly due to the shortage of AMTs. It used to be that if you wanted a new job as an AMT, you would have to pack up your belongings and your toolbox and pay all of your expenses to move to a new location. The idea of paying moving expenses when hiring an AMT was laughable and just not done. And unless you worked for an airline or large corporate flight department, benefits were lacking if not entirely missing. There was no such thing as matching funds for a 401K or medical benefits. You were on your own. 

Now even the smaller shops have found that they simply can’t attract AMTs unless they not only pay well, offer benefits, but also provide a decent quality of life and a workplace that appreciates them and has growth opportunities.

Salaries have improved quite a bit, and fresh A&P graduates can start out around $30/hour. Stratification in the industry remains, however, and it’s the light general aviation ATMs that get paid the lowest, while corporate flight department and airline AMTs do quite well. 

Baker Aviation is an example of a charter company that understands how to recruit hard-to-find employees. It starts AOG apprentice AMTs at $30 per hour, and an experienced AOG overnight lead at $75 an hour. That’s better than nurses with a four-year degree! Baker also pays 3% as a direct 401K contribution and full medical/dental/vision benefits.

Jets MRO in Dallas has been on a campaign to educate the business aviation industry about why it’s so hard to attract AMTs. The company publishes its pay scale and career ladder so prospective employees know what to expect and that there are definite opportunities for growth. Jets MRO starts fresh AMTs at $28/hour, and a 5-year lead technician makes $50-$56/hour. The company also works hard to retain AMTs because it is so costly to replace people.

Pilot salaries at the top end (corporate aviation and airlines) still are far higher than AMTs, but AMTs take on a huge responsibility when they sign their name to their work, and they deserve a more remunerative career and better recognition for their valuable skills. 

Skills

Speaking of skills, AMTs are not all the same. Some come out of A&P school with a particular affinity for hands-on skills such as welding or sheetmental work, and they gravitate towards jobs that require those skills. For example, every time you see on the news that two jets clipped wings at an airport somewhere while taxiing, a team of highly skilled mechanics is going to get sent to perform the complicated repairs. This is where the hands-on skills are essential, and you better believe that these people are artists when it comes to this kind of work.

Other AMTs become specialists in component repair, working at a company that specializes in things like wheels, brakes, fuel pumps, hydraulic pumps, etc.; and for those in the watchmaker realm, aircraft instruments. Still others are extremely good at troubleshooting problems, especially electrical systems and avionics, and their skills are in huge demand. Some might decide to work on helicopters, others as installers at avionics shops. There is no extra licensing required for this.

The point here is that A&P mechanics can find many avenues to pursue in their careers, and if one AMT isn’t good at sheetmetal, he or she may be great at troubleshooting or non-destructive testing or inspection. This means that AMT careers offer a great many opportunities, and you don’t have to be someone who is necessarily a talented wrench turner.

Managers

This brings up the final aspect of today’s discussion: many (not all) mechanics make great managers, and there are a lot of corporate flight department managers who have a maintenance background. Maintaining an aircraft is much more than the physical work, it also involves a lot of paperwork, research, sourcing hard-to-find parts, and other non-wrenching tasks. Traditionally, pilots have moved up into flight department management positions—but a lot of them do so with the proviso that they can continue to fly. Most mechanics don’t suffer from that disease and they are perfectly happy to hold down the fort while the pilots go do their thing. So smart companies have promoted mechanics into flight department manager positions with great success.