A&P mechanic salary centers on a median of $78,680 per year, the figure the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported for aircraft mechanics and service technicians as of May 2024. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $47,790 and the highest 10 percent earned more than $120,080. That range of roughly $72,000 moves on four variables: the industry doing the hiring, the ratings a mechanic holds, accumulated experience, and location.
The Reported Salary Range
BLS publishes aircraft mechanic pay as percentiles rather than a single number, which shows how wide the field actually runs.
| Percentile | Annual wage (May 2024) |
|---|---|
| Lowest 10 percent | Under $47,790 |
| Median | $78,680 |
| Highest 10 percent | Over $120,080 |
The median sits well above the $49,500 median for all U.S. occupations in the same period. BLS lists the typical entry-level education for the occupation as a postsecondary nondegree award, not a bachelor’s degree.
Pay by Industry and Employer Type
Where an Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) mechanic works moves pay more than any other single factor. BLS reported these median wages by industry for aircraft mechanics and service technicians in May 2024:
| Industry | Median annual wage |
|---|---|
| Air transportation | $95,320 |
| Couriers and express delivery services | $89,220 |
| Aerospace product and parts manufacturing | $82,560 |
| Federal government | $72,920 |
| Support activities for air transportation | $66,960 |
The gap between air transportation and support activities runs $28,360. Support activities is also the largest employer of the group at 32 percent of jobs, followed by air transportation at 26 percent and aerospace manufacturing at 16 percent. A mechanic weighing an offer is weighing an industry as much as a wage.
Ratings and Certifications That Change Pay
The FAA issues separate certificates for airframe work and powerplant work. Holding both produces the A&P designation, and BLS notes that employers may prefer candidates carrying both ratings.
Past the A&P, the Inspection Authorization (IA) is the credential that widens what a mechanic can sign. An IA holder can review and approve major repairs and alterations and return an aircraft to service after an annual inspection. The FAA restricts the Inspection Authorization to A&P-certified mechanics who meet its experience requirements, which is why it tends to arrive later in a career.
Repairman certificates work differently. A repair station issues them for specific duties at that employer, and they do not transfer when a mechanic changes jobs.
Avionics Technicians Report Higher Median Pay
Avionics specialists work the electronic side: navigation, communications, radar, and flight instrument systems. BLS reported a median annual wage of $81,390 for avionics technicians as of May 2024, with the lowest 10 percent under $49,770 and the highest 10 percent over $113,580.
The projected growth also differs. BLS projects 8 percent employment growth for avionics technicians from 2024 to 2034 against 4 percent for aircraft mechanics and service technicians. Pay by state varies considerably within the specialty, covered in this breakdown of avionics technician salary by location.
Location and Demand
Aircraft maintenance work concentrates near major airports, hub operations, and manufacturing centers, so regional wage differences follow where aircraft actually sit. BLS publishes state and metropolitan wage estimates through its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program for mechanics comparing markets.
Demand supports the picture. BLS projects about 13,100 annual openings for aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and technicians on average over the 2024 to 2034 decade, with many of those openings tied to workers retiring or moving to other occupations rather than to new positions alone. Mechanics willing to relocate can weigh those openings against the industry medians above, and this look at the best cities for aircraft mechanic jobs covers specific markets.
What It Takes to Hold the Certificate
Pay follows the certificate, and the FAA sets two routes to it.
- Complete an FAA-approved program. Graduating from an aviation maintenance technician school under Part 147 substitutes for the experience requirement and grants the right to sit for the FAA exams.
- Document practical experience. The FAA requires 18 months of experience appropriate to a single rating, or 30 months covering both airframe and powerplant.
Either route ends at the same place: written, oral, and practical examinations for each rating sought. Candidates must also be at least 18 and able to read, write, speak, and understand English.
The aviation maintenance program at the Aviation Institute of Maintenance covers the general, airframe, and powerplant subject areas the FAA tests. AIM is institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC), with FAA-approved aviation maintenance programs where applicable. Mechanics who already hold field experience can look at the Professional Aviation Maintenance Certification instead, offered at 10 campuses.
The testing sequence is covered further in this breakdown of getting an A&P license.
Reading a Salary Figure Honestly
A single national number hides the variables that decide an individual paycheck. Two mechanics holding identical A&P certificates can land $28,000 apart on industry alone, and further apart once ratings, shift differentials, overtime, and location stack on top. The percentile range is the useful frame, not the median by itself.
BLS wage data also excludes self-employed workers, so independent contractors and mechanics running their own shops sit outside these figures entirely.
Ready to work toward the certificate the pay follows? Review the aviation maintenance program curriculum and campus locations, look at tuition and aid options, then request program information to speak with an admissions representative.
