A&P hourly wage.

Checkout_my_Six said:
$500 oil change .....cheap? lol
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I guess its how you look at things. Good on them for trying to charge more than what the local Porche dealer charges for an oil change which is usually around $350-$400 with no signature required.

Never ceases to amaze... people whine when they can't find an A&P or shop to perform their work. And then once they do find one, whine about how expensive it is.

As been said before, the only thing cheap in aviation are the owners. :rolleyes:
 
Getting your A& P need not be the End of the line.

About 8 yrs ago I met a kid that was working on swimming pool and pursuing the PPL.

Now he has his A & P ( IA) , and became an Inspector on Flight Controls at MOOG.

He was hired directly rather than the typical temp route.

Currently he has a 180 hp PA22-20 and flies bizjets for a living.


Another person used the A&P (IA) to have a career with Dept of Defense.

He was extensively involved with the F-22, F-35 , Space Shuttle and projects that

were so “black“ he couldn’t discuss them with his boss.


Yet another is the Chief Maintenance Test Pilot on the 757 with FedEx.

And the list goes on.


Not everyone going after the A & P winds up with a career in Aviation.

It IS a credential that identifies the holder as possessing skills that are in

demand in many industries.

Even those that do not get the ticket still acquire many skills.
 
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Kesk said:
You're better off getting a bachelor's degree or higher, or just going into a more unionized trade like electrical, plumbing, etc.

Yes, airline mechanics and those at cargo companies can make a ton of money, but you are effectively working overnights for your whole career. Highest paid hourly GA mechanics I know of are at the USAFA and make over $50 an hour. That's about as good as it gets and it's likely less than 30 guys. I went to A&P school and also got an AS that transfers to computer science, still trying to get a promotion where I could finish that up. Point is I've seen a bit of both worlds. If you don't go the training or military route an A&P will cost you almost as much as a BA/BS. The latter gives you a much better career outlook.

I make good money as a GA mechanic, but there's very few of us. We also can't find good people right now even though we had like 6 very good employees join a few years ago. The fact that people are truly retiring (people have been saying boomers are retiring and jobs are abundant for decades) is exactly why mechanic pay is finally going up. You're likely only going to see the trend continue. I believe in a mechanic shortage as much as I believe in a pilot shortage. Keep hearing it, seems like it's more of a pay shortage for those qualified and a money shortage for would-be pilots getting reamed by hourly rates.
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One of my unionized mechanics has been with the airline 5 years. Holds weekend dayshift quite comfortably. Picked up a temporary assignment while on holiday pay and made $18,000 last week.

Most of my mechanics, including myself, got A&P’s at technical schools. Our school bill wasn’t anywhere near the cost of a BS.

I don’t know what the answer is for GA. But I think recent trends on the airlines side of things have to be really hurting.
 
I did notice the “$18,000 last WEEK”.

In some states Aviation credentials can be 25% of a BS degree.

There is at least 1 A & P that is now an anesthesiologist too!
 
Kesk said:
. If you don't go the training or military route an A&P will cost you almost as much as a BA/BS. The latter gives you a much better career outlook.
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I recently got done paying for 2 kids to get a BS and one to get an MS and I can tell you that A&P school is certainly nowhere near the cost of a BS. I looked into A&P school as a retirement gig and it's an 18 month program at a local tech school for about the cost of 2 semesters at a state University. I agree that a BS may give you more options but I know several recent A&P grads that are doing very well. Two work for different turbine engine manufacturers - one in training and one in logistics. Both making north of $100k after 3 years out of A&P school.
 
IMHO what is often missing today is an introduction into the “ World of Work”..​
​
This should be done by the family and begun in the pre-teen years.​
​
Relying on schools alone to determine a career path can be disastrous.​
​
Too often teachers and guidance counselor’s work experience was delivering​
​
pizza while in college. Admins put a Legally Blind kid in my welding class!​
 
Punkinhead said:
I recently got done paying for 2 kids to get a BS and one to get an MS and I can tell you that A&P school is certainly nowhere near the cost of a BS. I looked into A&P school as a retirement gig and it's an 18 month program at a local tech school for about the cost of 2 semesters at a state University. I agree that a BS may give you more options but I know several recent A&P grads that are doing very well. Two work for different turbine engine manufacturers - one in training and one in logistics. Both making north of $100k after 3 years out of A&P school.
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All I can offer is what I did. A&P school cost me ~$30k. Going the community college 2 + 2 route would cost me about ~$30k. I didn't pay a dime for my first 2 years that got me my AS, still have not finished the BS but it's roughly $15k a semester at a state university(and yes, every credit actually transfers, did my homework on that). I got Pell and also went to a CC because my state has a great CC system. So if you go 4 years to a university it will be about double the cost of an A&P. However it's more if you pay for dorming.

I think if you are smart and have good options in your state a BS/BA is not expensive. Of course, there are cheaper ways to get an A&P. I would never go to A&P school for the value if I could go back in time. Stuff did work out for me, though, so I'm not unhappy about how events transpired.
 
Very few of my A&P class stayed in aviation. Most went on to other more lucrative and less liability jobs. But the overall training makes you quickly able to gain proficiency in many different fields.
 
Oldmanb777 said:
Very few of my A&P class stayed in aviation. Most went on to other more lucrative and less liability jobs. But the overall training makes you quickly able to gain proficiency in many different fields.
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There's still a steady stream of A&Ps that get offers from the non-aviation side. Its one of the few training/certification programs that offers a solid foundation in all the major disciplines. Years ago there was a dental equipment mfgr in the PNW that offered the top 10% A&P class at the local CC a job and when directional oil drilling 1st started to gain traction several local companies only hired A&Ps. And about 1/3 of the people I helped move toward an A&P in the last 10 years have taken similar non-aviation paths. I was tempted to follow but realized I was on this path because of the aircraft side and not only the money side.
 
Oldmanb777 said:
Very few of my A&P class stayed in aviation. Most went on to other more lucrative and less liability jobs. But the overall training makes you quickly able to gain proficiency in many different fields.
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very common....same with my class. ;)
 
I am in the SF Bay Area and the wage depends on the need. It's hard to find people for General Aviation piston aircraft. A&P schools are pushing the students to the airlines. I find my experienced colleagues to be in an older age group. You can get an idea of the range from jobs advertised online through the hiring agencies. Some companies are so desperate they offer hiring bonuses, unheard of 10-15 years ago. A friend who has connections throughout different industries says it's hard to find anyone, just like aviation. So my answer to the original post is just go online and google aircraft mechanic jobs in your area.
 
brien23 said:
With UAW wage demand, seems like everyone except GA A&P wages are going up. With McDonald's paying $15hr what are A&P in your area making per hour for GA work.
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A new $20/hour minimum wage for California fast food workers goes into effect in April 2024.
 
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