Why Are A&P Mechanics in Such High Demand?
Posted: August 10, 2020 | Author: Jaidyn Crookston | Read Time: 5 minutes
According to Boeing’s pilot and technician outlook report, the aviation industry is facing a demand of 769,000 A&P mechanics by 2038. This number is worldwide, but North America alone will have a demand for 193,000 mechanics. This is an extremely high number!
Why are A&P Mechanics in such high demand?
- A&P Mechanics are needed to maintain aircraft and make sure they’re safe
- More jobs are available than ever before
- More people are retiring than are entering the field
- As the aviation industry grows, so does the demand for mechanics
If you want to become an airframe & power plant (A&P) mechanic, then you’ve probably heard that mechanics in this industry are in high demand.
A&P Mechanics are needed to maintain aircraft and make sure they’re safe
A&P Mechanics, also known as aircraft maintenance technicians (AMT), are the ones making sure an aircraft is safe to fly. Before every flight, an A&P mechanic must sign the aircraft off and take on responsibility for the safety of the pilots and passengers. Because every flight and every airplane needs a team of A&P mechanics to look it over and fix any problems before it can take off, they are in high demand. Without A&P mechanics, the aviation industry would grind to a halt.
For every aircraft that is flown—airplane or helicopter—a team of mechanics is needed to ensure that it’s safe. So more mechanics are needed than there are aircraft or even pilots.
More jobs are available than ever before
As the aviation industry grows, so does the demand for A&P mechanics. The more pilots, planes, and helicopters there are, the more A&P mechanics are needed to check and maintain the aircraft for safety. The aviation industry has been growing consistently for years now, and it doesn’t look like this progress will stop anytime soon. This means that the demand for A&P mechanics is likely to continue to grow for years to come.
Because mechanics are in such high demand and the aviation industry is continuing to grow at a high rate, jobs for mechanics are almost guaranteed to be secure. That doesn’t mean mechanics work for the same company their entire career, but it does mean that mechanics with experience shouldn’t have too much trouble finding another job.
More people are retiring than are entering the field
The average age of A&P mechanics in the field right now is 30-50 years old, and over 20% of technicians are over 64 years old, according to the Aviation Technician Education Council (ATEC) report. This means that about 35% of the industry will be eligible for retirement in the next 2-5 years.
Annually, new mechanics only make up about 2% of the AMT population, according to the 2019-2020 ATEC Pipeline Report. Because more mechanics retire each year than are entering the field, A&P mechanics are in high demand.
As the aviation industry grows, so does the demand for mechanics
For every single pilot that flies an aircraft, there’s a team of A&P mechanics needed to maintain it and ensure everyone’s safety. Because the aviation industry is growing at a fast rate, so is the technician industry. The demand for mechanics will continue to grow as long as the aviation industry is expanding and more pilots are being trained.
Over the last few years, the aviation industry has expanded a lot, and it’s expected to continue to expand for the foreseeable future. Maintenance technicians are in very high demand, and when you become an A&P mechanic, you’ll be in high demand.
Good news for those entering the industry
If you want to become a maintenance technician, then the high demand in this industry is a good thing. Because there’s such a high demand for A&P mechanics, you can rest assured knowing that your job is most likely secure and will be available for years to come.
Right now, the salaries of A&P mechanics are higher than ever before and it’s likely that these numbers will continue to grow as the demand for A&P mechanics grow.
How to become an A&P Mechanic
If becoming an A&P mechanic sounds right for you, then you’ll need to attend one of the many FAA-approved maintenance technician schools. There are maintenance technician schools across the country, but finding the right one for you may take some time and extensive research. Something to look for when searching for the right school is their training methods. Every school is different, and some methods will be better for your learning style than others.
At some schools, training for A&P mechanics has taken giant leaps in recent months. Previously, AMT schools were required by the FAA to train students on old technology and materials that are no longer used in modern aircraft. This hurt A&P mechanics because after they earned their license, their employers had to retrain them in modern technology and materials. This took time and money from the employer that could have been avoided if the new mechanics had been trained on the proper technology and materials while still in school.
After noticing this problem, Southern Utah University Aviation wrote new policies for the FAA and went to Washington D.C. to fight for the authorization to train maintenance technicians on new technology and materials. In January of 2020, SUU Aviation was authorized to open a maintenance technician school using new, updated training methods. Currently, SUU Aviation is the only maintenance school with this approval.
If you want to become an A&P mechanic, SUU Aviation is one of the best places to train. To learn more about the program or to ask any questions, contact SUU Aviation or take a tour. Meet the maintenance technicians and talk to current students about their experience in the program. It’s time to turn your dream of working on aircraft for a living into a reality by applying to SUU Aviation.
Produced by SUU Aviation
Do you dream of a career as a pilot? Are you fascinated with the prospect of flying for a living? Southern Utah University is a comprehensive regional university that provides a high-quality education. Flight training at SUU will uniquely prepare you for a career flying aircraft anywhere in the world.
Tags: Aviation
