Salary Survey

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Aviation Maintenance U. S. Salary Survey

This year, the survey shows that maintenance personnel are earning a little more money, but among maintainers, there is a lot more worry about job security, career opportunities, and issues such as outsourcing.

The bottom line is: our annual salary survey of aviation maintenance technicians (AMTs) is producing a very mixed picture. The salary data indicates that the overall average salary is 7.2 percent higher than last year’s amount. However, a closer look at salaries for each job title and at each category of employer reveals that some AMTs made excellent gains, while others lost ground not only since 2004, but even since 2003.

To analyze this mixed picture, let’s begin by looking at the overall average salary. This year’s amount is $62,600 compared to $58,400 (see Graphs 1 and 2 above) reported last year. That sounds great, but we need to add a few grains of salt, and when we do, the picture isn’t as rosy.

The first grain: before celebrating a 7.2 percent boost in overall average salary, we must look back to our surveys in 2004 and 2003. In 2003, the overall average salary was $60,900; in 2004, the amount was $58,400—a 4.1 percent drop. If you compare the overall average salary this year to that in 2003, you’ll see that the real gain since 2003 is only 2.8 percent.

The second grain: even the 2.3 percent boost might be a little “fat,” because this year’s survey experienced increased responses from corporate flight departments and from directors of maintenance. These two categories historically have the highest salaries; these categories also saw the biggest salary gains since 2003. Corporate flight department average salaries jumped 9 percent, while director of maintenance average salaries popped up 13 percent. These factors are no doubt influencing the boost between this year’s overall salary average and those of 2004 and 2003.

And that influence is probably helping shroud our third grain of salt. According to survey data, some AMTs suffered reductions in salaries since 2003. Hardest hit are A&Ps (lead and line mechanics), a group that comprises 39 percent of our respondents. A&P overall average salaries declined 7 percent since 2003; the employers showing declines in salaries were major airlines (-7 percent), FBOs (-9 percent), air-taxi/charter operators (-2 percent) and government agencies (-11 percent).

In conclusion, some salaries are up, and some salaries are down. Rather than focus on the overall survey average of $62,400, readers will get a better picture of current AMT compensation by studying the overall average salary numbers for each job and each employer category. It’s very clear which industry sectors are doing well and which are struggling.

Although the salary picture is mixed, what’s on the minds of our responders is very clear. We asked which issues are most affecting their job (see Chart 15), and 92 percent of respondents gave us plenty to ponder. We’ll report on their thoughts after we flesh out who our respondents are.

Respondent profile

Our survey reflects feedback from 567 respondents, and this is comparable to response totals from previous years. They all work in the United States and all but 10 respondents are men. Our respondents’ ages range from 21 to 89; the median age is 47. As with last year’s salary survey, the 40-to-49-year-old respondents comprise the largest group (38 percent), with 50-to-59-year-old respondents the second largest group (29 percent).

As to where respondents live, a significant influx occurred in responses from the FAA’s Great Lakes Region, while responses from the Eastern and Northwest Region were fewer than last year. As usual, the majority of our respondents work for large companies—60 percent work at companies having more than 500 employees. Nearly a third of our respondents have been at the same company for one to five years (Chart 3), and 12 percent have been at their current employer for less than one year. The latter figure increased 4 percent over last year’s survey and is at the highest level since our survey in 1998. This is no doubt a reflection of the industry’s current economic instability and associated layoffs.

Looking at industry experience and education, 58 percent of our respondents have more than 20 years of experience, and 28 percent have four-year or post-college degrees (Charts 4 and 5). We asked this year where respondents obtained their Airframe & Powerplant certificates. Of the 547 who answered the question, 46 percent were trained at technical schools or colleges, 24 percent received training at technical schools or colleges and in the military, 17 percent received military training alone, and 13 percent received on-the-job training.

We also asked them to name which school they attended. Most of the respondents attended public institutes of learning, such as community colleges or state universities. However, of the 360 answers, more than a third of our respondents attended aviation-specific institutions. The top eight mentioned are: Spartan Academy of Aeronautics (32), Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (22), Westwood College of Aviation Technology (20), Wyo Tech (20—formerly East Coast Aero Tech), Northrop Rice Aviation Institute of Technology (18), Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics (13), George T. Baker (13), and Teterboro School of Aeronautics (12).

Respondent issues

Regarding issues on their minds, 92 percent of our respondents sounded out. It is no surprise that the number one issue is compensation, which was mentioned by 37 percent of those providing feedback. An oft-repeated complaint is the level of pay contrasted against the responsibility and personal liability that goes with the job. Also obvious is the resentment that pilots are paid more than AMTs.

One respondent, a lead mechanic at a corporate flight department, added a logical angle to the age-old argument: “The maintenance technician’s system knowledge and workload has increased substantially, because of the more complex systems on aircraft, yet the pay has not. And as those technical advances increase our workload, the pilot’s workload is decreasing. Yet pilots salaries increase more than technicians salaries. A skilled technician should be at least at the same pay.”

More succinctly, another corporate lead mechanic stated: “Thirty years ago, it was much harder to fly and much easier to work on airplanes. That role has reversed.”

Another lead mechanic at a corporate flight department had a similar point: “For the hours worked to hours paid with respect to a flight crew’s ratio, our pay is substandard. Maintenance is always at work, with or without aircraft at base.”

Tying for number 2 in the concerns department are worries about outsourcing and complaints about management. Outsourcing fueled many comments about job security and safety. Concerns about management included lack of communication, aircraft or market knowledge, and respect for maintenance work performed.

Wrote a lead mechanic at a major airline: “Outsourcing is a big issue for me. After 16 years with my current employer, I am worried about losing my job to an unskilled, unlicensed person.”

Addressing outsourcing and management issues, a lead mechanic at a major airline penned: “We are outsourcing to overseas maintenance facilities and third-party maintenance facilities that have no background checks, no drug testing, no licenses, and no FAA. These farmouts are also costing us more. Meanwhile, we lost 3,000 technicians and are overstaffed with high-level, highly compensated executives, but we’re hiring more managers. We never got paid back our last concessions and now management wants more pay cuts so they can show profits.”

An avionics technician at a major airline also addressed both topics in one swoop: “We are losing A&P work to overseas companies and unskilled repair stations. Airlines are cutting their own throats by this, and their managers are without a clue!”

And from another major airline lead mechanic: “I’m concerned about the lack of safety due to outsourcing. The public will never find out the problems being discovered.”

Third in the ranking is a call for more mechanics. Respondents are looking for more technically oriented people to enter the industry and for help to alleviate higher workloads. With projection for future aircraft deliveries continuing to grow, the mumber of mechanics needed will naturally also grow. This is going to happen despite newer aircraft becoming increasingly reliable and easy to maintain.

A large number of respondents don’t just want more mechanics, but higher quality ones who are more motivated. In the same vein, many respondents complained about work ethics and attitudes of some mechanics.

Writes a director of maintenance with a government contractor: “There is a shortage of an available, motivated, trained (or trainable) workforce. Now and in the near future.”

From a repair shop inspector: “My biggest job issue is finding qualified people to hire. I’m the chief inspector and I spend time on the floor fixing airplanes because we are so short-handed.”

Another repair station inspector said: “The biggest issue my company faces is that of keeping our experienced A&P mechanics. They are being lost to other industries due to the low wages in aviation compared to other industries, like computer technology.”

From a line mechanic at a major airline: “This profession has lost its pay, benefits, and appeal to the next generation. We are in trouble and it’s going to get ugly.”

Speaking to the need for quality help, a repair station director of maintenance wrote: “There are not enough skilled people that really want to work. I can find a lot of people with A&Ps that want to collect a paycheck, but they do not have a good work ethic.”

The fourth largest issue is job security. This issue has gained significant momentum since our 2003 survey.

“ My job is fine as long as it lasts,” quipped a corporate aviation lead mechanic.

From a line mechanic at a major airline: “I’m waiting for the iron fist to drop on my job and pension. In a way I’ll be glad when it’s over. I enjoy working on aircraft and I’m good at it, but it doesn’t mean anything to bean counters.”

In an opinion shared by several respondents, a major airline’s director of maintenance writes: “The biggest airline industry issue is job security due to high fuel costs and too many seats chasing too few passengers.”

Ranking fifth in our survey is the traditional issue of training. It’s something AMTs can’t seem to get enough of.

On training, “I think the fact the FAA does not require training is the industry’s biggest issue,” according to a training manager at a maintenance school.

“It is too easy to get an A&P,” wrote a government agency lead mechanic. “The FAA needs to mandate a recurrent training program.”

From a repair station training manager: “The costs associated with training is not an expense this company wants to dive into. So with that, meeting the minimum requirements without resources is very difficult.”

“Training new A&Ps is our biggest issue,” explained a regional airline lead mechanic. “It seems that the new A&Ps that we get are not knowledgeable about basic maintenance and aircraft knowledge, so we have to spend more time training many of them.”

“Our biggest issues are a shortage of manufacturer or operator support of maintenance schools to allow use of up-to-date equipment,” wrote a training school director. “We also lack the budget to improve our training aids.”

Ranking sixth by respondents is the issue of respect, an old issue that revolves around the perception that AMTs are unskilled labor. The most constructive comment is that the term “mechanic” should be replaced with “technician.” Interestingly enough, the Department of Labor’s Standard Occupation Classifications lists aircraft mechanics under the classification titled “Aircraft Mechanics & Service Technicians,” and states the job duties as: “Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul aircraft engines and assemblies, such as hydraulic and pneumatic systems. Include helicopter and aircraft engine specialists.” This classification is grouped under the broad group of “Installation, Maintenance and Repair Occupations.” Read the list and it is obvious occupations are highly skilled (see the Department of Labor’s website at www.bls.gov/soc/soc_t0a0.htm).

The final issue that was mentioned by at least 10 percent of commenting respondents is regulation. The opinions are short and to the point.

“They are regulating us out of business,” said a corporate flight department Director of maintenance.

“We are regulating the industry to the point of complete demise,” said a major airline director of maintenance.

“We have too many regulations that make no sense. The FAA writes ADs [airworthiness directives] because they don’t know what they are doing,” wrote an FBO line mechanic.

As we conclude our 2005 Annual Salary Survey, we’ll end on a positive note, provided by a director of maintenance at a corporate aviation department: “I work for a great company with an open friendly environment. The aviation manager is fair and allows me the freedom to do my job as necessary.“

Let’s hope for a few more comments like that one next time around.

Job Resources

Maintenance Employment Resources:

AvCrew.com
Phone: 513-753-8905

www.avcrew.com
Jsfirm
Phone: 817-560-0300

www.jsfirm.com
AviationEmployment.com
Phone: 239-479-5000

www.aviationemployment.com
Professional Aviation Maintenance Association
Phone: 703-683-3171

www.pama.org
PlaneTechs
Phone: 800-669-5627

www.planetechs.com
Aviation Recruiting
Phone: 904-264-0097

www.aviationrecruiting.net
Maintenance Staffing Services:
Reliance Aerotech
Phone: 416-203-8493

www.relianceaerotech.com
STS Holdings
Phone: 800-832-8834

www.stsholdings.com
Aerotek
Phone: 410-694-5100

www.aerotek.com
L-3 Vertex
Phone: 601-607-6320

www.l-3vertex.com
Structural Modification and Repair Technicians
Phone: 800-932-7627

www.smart-inc.com
Strom Aviation
Phone: 800-743-8988

www.stromaviation.com