How to hire an aircraft maintenance technician

How to hire an aircraft maintenance technician, step by step

Here's a step-by-step aircraft maintenance technician hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an aircraft maintenance technician job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new aircraft maintenance technician
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an aircraft maintenance technician do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an aircraft maintenance technician, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect aircraft maintenance technician also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of aircraft maintenance technicians and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Aircraft Maintenance Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Aircraft Maintenance Technician	Aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and technicians repair and perform scheduled maintenance on aircraft. They also may perform aircraft inspections as required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).	$17-36
   Mechanic Helper	The job of a mechanic helper is to support lead mechanics and perform a variety of duties and responsibilities. You will be assisting in the maintenance of cars, such as changing tires and oils, replacing brakes, and diagnosing vehicle issues... Show more	$11-19
   Mechanic	Mechanics are professionals responsible for assembling, maintaining, and repairing vehicles and types of machinery. They are knowledgeable of various tools and equipment, machinery, electrical systems, and other components... Show more	$16-30

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • FAA
   • Airframe
   • Powerplant
   • Ladders
   • Hand Tools
   • Aircraft Components
   • Aircraft Systems
   • Work Ethic
   • Maintenance Manuals
   • Routine Maintenance
   • Maintenance Procedures
   • Unscheduled Maintenance
   • Landing Gear
   • Preventative Maintenance

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage the FOD prevention program to reduce costly repairs and increase the participation in FOD awareness and FOD walk downs.
   • Work in building maintenance HVAC, plumbing, and electrical systems.
   • Develop lesson plans using ISD utilizing PowerPoint, excel and word documents.
   • Prepare daily lesson plans, handout materials, overhead transparencies, PowerPoint slides, and other training aids.
   • Install, repair, troubleshoot aviation and navigation systems install on military aircraft
   • Maintain all photo and etch equipment.

   More aircraft maintenance technician duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your aircraft maintenance technician job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An aircraft maintenance technician can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, aircraft maintenance technicians' average salary in alaska is 51% less than in nevada.
   • Seniority. Entry-level aircraft maintenance technicians 51% less than senior-level aircraft maintenance technicians.
   • Certifications. An aircraft maintenance technician with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an aircraft maintenance technician's salary.

   Average aircraft maintenance technician salary

   $53,026yearly

   $25.49 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level aircraft maintenance technician salary

   $37,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 18, 2026

   Average aircraft maintenance technician salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$72,903	$35
   2	Nevada	$67,897	$33
   3	Maryland	$66,836	$32
   4	New York	$60,689	$29
   5	Colorado	$58,221	$28
   6	District of Columbia	$56,354	$27
   7	Minnesota	$54,234	$26
   8	Florida	$52,263	$25
   9	Massachusetts	$52,177	$25
   10	Ohio	$50,751	$24
   11	Indiana	$50,522	$24
   12	Tennessee	$50,063	$24
   13	Texas	$49,723	$24
   14	Pennsylvania	$49,639	$24
   15	Mississippi	$49,468	$24
   16	Illinois	$48,996	$24
   17	Washington	$48,257	$23
   18	Iowa	$47,719	$23
   19	Montana	$46,955	$23
   20	Georgia	$46,193	$22

   Average aircraft maintenance technician salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Citi	$101,688	$48.89
   2	Southern California Edison	$94,657	$45.51
   3	IBM	$85,705	$41.20
   4	Nike	$76,971	$37.01
   5	Boeing	$60,264	$28.97	54
   6	Rich Products	$59,427	$28.57	22
   7	Structure Group	$58,804	$28.27	36
   8	Edison International	$58,627	$28.19
   9	Intermountain Healthcare	$58,381	$28.07	5
   10	Piper Aircraft	$58,380	$28.07
   11	General Dynamics	$57,984	$27.88	81
   12	L3Harris	$57,948	$27.86	10
   13	Signature Technicair	$57,394	$27.59
   14	Koch Industries	$55,988	$26.92	3
   15	Gulfstream Aerospace	$55,683	$26.77	45
   16	Stratolaunch	$55,416	$26.64	1
   17	NANA	$54,823	$26.36	19
   18	Banyan Air Service	$54,350	$26.13
   19	Woods Services	$54,133	$26.03
   20	City of Billings	$53,759	$25.85	2

4. Writing an aircraft maintenance technician job description

   A good aircraft maintenance technician job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an aircraft maintenance technician job description:

   Aircraft maintenance technician job description example

   United States, Georgia, Atlanta
   
   TechOps
   
   25-Jan-2022
   
   Ref #: 12283
   
   How you'll help us Keep Climbing (overview & key responsibilities)
   
   The Aircraft Maintenance Technician (AMT) is a critical TechOps role at Delta. In this role, you will maintain the proper and safe functioning of Delta's fleet, ensuring customers have an exceptional travel experience.
   
   Summary of responsibilities (not comprehensive of all tasks):
   
   • Performs maintenance including but not limited to inspection, test, and repair of aircraft avionic/electronic components in an avionics bench repair environment in accordance with Delta-approved manuals and methods.
   
   • Performs repairs to the component level (e.g., transistor, resistor, capacitor, etc.) replacement.
   
   • Performs appropriate computer functions and provides documentation to ensure that maintenance records, parts tracking and costs may be accurately recorded.
   
   • Must adhere to all Delta policies and standards.
   
   • Ensures a safe, clean and compliant work environment is maintained.
   
   • Practices safety-conscious behaviors in all operational processes and procedures.
   
   The minimum starting hourly rate for this position is $28.31 with a potential maximum hourly rate of $42.59. The ability to reach the maximum hourly rate is dependent upon several other offered premiums (Examples would include but not limited to - Airframe and Powerplant license, Shift differential, Station location differential, Line Maintenance differential, Skill differential).
   
   What you need to succeed (minimum qualifications)
   
   + Must be able to read and write English and be able to comprehend and apply information contained in technical manuals.
   
   + Must have a high school diploma or equivalent.
   
   + Must be willing to work rotating or fixed shifts.
   
   + Must achieve a satisfactory score on the mechanical aptitude test which is structured to determine the ability to perform essential job functions.
   
   + As required by the FAA for all persons in safety-sensitive positions, candidates selected for this position are subject to a drug test.
   
   + Should be able to meet the physical requirements which qualify a person to perform essential job functions, including the ability to lift up to 70 pounds.
   
   + Must have at least two years of bench avionics/electronics component repair experience or a minimum of 21 months of academic training specializing in avionics/electronics component repair.
   
   + Must pass Avionics Evaluation Test administered by Avionics management that measures the ability to read electronic schematics, identify electronic components, discuss electronic circuit operation and operate analog and digital meters.
   
   + Must be able to obtain IPC-7711/7721 soldering certification through Module 5 within 12 months of assignment.
   
   + Where permitted by applicable law, must have received or be willing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine by date of hire to be considered for U.S.-based job, if not currently employed by Delta Air Lines, Inc.
   
   What will give you a competitive edge (preferred qualifications)
   
   • FCC license is preferred.
   
   Delta Air Lines, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer and provides reasonable accommodation in its application process for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans. If you are a qualified individual, you may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to access job openings through this site, apply for jobs through Delta's online system, or at any point in the selection process. To request a reasonable accommodation, please click here

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find aircraft maintenance technicians for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any aircraft maintenance technicians they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level aircraft maintenance technicians with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your aircraft maintenance technician job on Zippia to find and recruit aircraft maintenance technician candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit aircraft maintenance technicians, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new aircraft maintenance technician

   Once you've found the aircraft maintenance technician candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new aircraft maintenance technician. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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