How to hire a structures mechanic

How to hire a structures mechanic, step by step

Here's a step-by-step structures mechanic hiring guide:

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

What does a structures mechanic do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the structures mechanic you need to hire. Certain structures mechanic roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   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 structures mechanic 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.

   Here's a comparison of structures mechanic salaries for various roles:

   Type of Structures Mechanic	Description	Hourly rate
   Structures Mechanic	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).	$21-40
   Aircraft Fueler	Aircraft fuelers' primary role is to ensure the proper refueling of aircraft before and after a flight. The position is essential, as proper refueling determines the safety of an aircraft... Show more	$12-21
   Aircraft Electrician	An aircraft electrician specializes in installing and repairing electrical systems in an aircraft, ensuring quality and efficiency. Their responsibilities typically include running diagnostic tests and examinations, troubleshooting problems, replacing and fixing components, understanding diagrams, and keeping records... Show more	$18-37

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Safety Regulations
   • Jigs
   • Ladders
   • Math
   • Structural Repairs
   • Operation Sheets
   • Reamers
   • Hand Tools
   • Airframe
   • FAA
   • Pneumatic Drills
   • Structural Assembly
   • Technical Manuals
   • Engineering Drawings

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Effect honeycomb and composite repairs on regional aircraft nose cones per manufacturer SRM and AMM.
   • Operate air tools, rivet guns, sanders, angle grinders, and other miscellaneous tools require.
   • Work with materials such as graphite, fiberglass and corefil.
   • Move locomotives and equipment throughout yard and into maintenance areas.
   • Perform all facets of structural repair and maintenance on F/A-18 aircraft.
   • Work with Polysulfide and epoxy bonds, adhesives, and sealants.

   More structures mechanic duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your structures mechanic job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A structures mechanic salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, structures mechanics' average salary in utah is 42% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level structures mechanics earn 46% less than senior-level structures mechanics.
   • Certifications. A structures mechanic with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a structures mechanic's salary.

   Average structures mechanic salary

   $61,579yearly

   $29.61 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level structures mechanic salary

   $45,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average structures mechanic salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Alaska	$79,435	$38
   2	California	$78,733	$38
   3	Texas	$67,761	$33
   4	Rhode Island	$64,508	$31
   5	Washington	$64,037	$31
   6	Louisiana	$61,291	$29
   7	South Carolina	$61,090	$29
   8	Arizona	$60,564	$29
   9	Florida	$59,332	$29
   10	Colorado	$59,245	$28
   11	Montana	$58,677	$28
   12	Idaho	$57,992	$28
   13	Kentucky	$57,494	$28
   14	Alabama	$57,099	$27
   15	Tennessee	$56,903	$27
   16	Oregon	$56,782	$27
   17	Missouri	$55,686	$27
   18	Illinois	$54,891	$26
   19	Oklahoma	$54,670	$26
   20	North Carolina	$52,383	$25

   Average structures mechanic salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Aviation Technology Group	$86,260	$41.47
   2	Erickson	$75,231	$36.17	4
   3	Bell Flight	$71,402	$34.33
   4	Exponent	$65,865	$31.67	3
   5	Spirit AeroSystems	$65,067	$31.28
   6	Northrop Grumman	$65,016	$31.26	33
   7	Dassault Systèmes	$64,745	$31.13
   8	Airborne Maintenance & Engineering Services	$64,515	$31.02	10
   9	Structure Group	$63,869	$30.71	6
   10	Idaho National Lab	$63,735	$30.64
   11	Aerotek	$63,410	$30.49	189
   12	General Dynamics	$63,276	$30.42	30
   13	Boeing	$62,666	$30.13	93
   14	Textron	$62,583	$30.09	98
   15	The Aerospace Corporation	$62,542	$30.07
   16	Lockheed Martin	$62,402	$30.00	76
   17	ICONMA	$62,308	$29.96
   18	W. L. Gore & Associates	$62,206	$29.91
   19	Gulfstream Aerospace	$61,605	$29.62	26
   20	Butler America Inc	$60,937	$29.30

4. Writing a structures mechanic job description

   A job description for a structures mechanic role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a structures mechanic job description:

   Structures mechanic job description example

   Structural Mechanics repair aircraft primary and secondary structure in accordance with OEM repair data or engineering drawings. Installs structural modifications in accordance with engineering drawings and written instructions. Must be willing/able to work any shift or schedule. Must be willing to travel as required.
   
   Fabricates, assembles, installs, and repairs production sheet metal products and equipment such as control boxes, drainpipes, antenna mounts, and avionics racks in accordance with blueprints, drawings, and specifications. Makes sheet metal layouts; sets up and operates fabricating machinery; shapes metal over anvils, blocks, or forms; and inspects assemblies and installations for conformance to specifications. May monitor and verify quality in accordance with statistical process or other control procedures.
   
   • Lays out, locates, fits, trims, assembles, and installs parts assemblies and skins where dimensions are critical, and fitting is to exacting tolerance.• Drill, countersink, and rivet exterior skin panels where skin quality is critical. Works from all types of complex blueprints, E.O.'s and production illustrations; is often required to work without adequate tooling or on jobs where engineering and tooling information is incomplete. • Completes any or all structural rework/repair, squawks, and E.O.s. • Perform work of the level described herein, interpret complex blueprints and use arithmetic involving decimals and fractions. • Must be able to utilize computer-based systems to perform duties. • May be required to work in a confined space. • Use arithmetic involving decimals and fractions. May monitor and verify quality in accordance with statistical processes or other control procedures. • Must be able to utilize computer-based systems to perform duties.• Fabricate detailed parts from a blueprint or engineering instructions
   
   Basic Qualifications:• High School Diploma/GED and 5 years of aircraft mechanical experience.• Ability to utilize computer-based systems to perform duties.• Must be willing/able to work any shift or schedule.
   #VETS #MAINT
   
   Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
   
   The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right structures mechanic for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit structures mechanics, 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 structures mechanic

   Once you've found the structures mechanic 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 also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new structures mechanic first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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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How much does it cost to hire a structures mechanic?