Do you love airplanes and helicopters? Many people are fascinated by the way they work, by the technology which keeps them in the air when the rest of us are stuck on the ground. Maybe you’re drawn by their aerodynamic shapes or by the sheer power they create. Perhaps you’ve always wanted to know more about how they really work. What if you could get close to these amazing machines without having to spend a fortune on a pilot’s license? Believe it or not, you don’t have to be wealthy to spend time around airplanes and helicopters. As a matter of fact, you can get paid to do it.
Below are five reasons you should consider a career as an aviation maintenance technician.
Reason # 1: It’s Easier Than You Think
Most people assume that a career in aviation is outside their reach. After all, pilots have to spend a fortune on their education, not to mention logging several hundred hours of flight time before they can actually earn a salary. Then again, some people think that only veterans of the armed services really have a shot at working in aviation. These notions keep a lot of people from discovering one of the best-kept secrets in technical careers: the aviation maintenance technician (AMT).
Believe it or not, you can become a certified aviation maintenance technician in as little as 17 months. Not only that, you don’t have to have ANY prior training or experience. If you choose to build on your AMT certificate with a four-year program or additional FAA certification, you can. However, you can enter the job market as soon as you complete your AMT 147 program and start earning a living doing something that you love.
Reason #2: Sky-High ROI
A career in aviation maintenance offers a phenomenal return on investment. According to a press release from the Aviation Technician Education Council (ATEC), the average airframe & powerplant technician spends 21 months in school and $16,321 on tuition. Compare this to the average starting salary of $45,000 for a certified technician, and you can see that an education in aviation maintenance pays for itself almost immediately. Few other technical careers offer such a low barrier to entry with such a quick return on your investment.
Reason # 3: It’s Just Plain Cool
Not only is it affordable to enter, a career as an aviation maintenance technician is exciting. All of us have looked up at majestic airliners soaring overhead or stopped to watch a police or news helicopter thunder past on some unknown mission. Only a comparatively small number of people will ever get to fly those aircraft. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t be a part of this amazing industry! With an accessible career in aviation maintenance, you’ll be getting your hands on aircraft every day. In fact, you’ll know more about those aircraft than the pilots who fly them, and those pilots will be depending on you to keep them safe. Pilots make air travel glamorous, but aviation maintenance technicians make air travel happen.
Think about it: how many years have you been stuck in your current job? In less than two years from the time you read this article, you could be overhauling helicopter engines, making good money, and being part of the most exciting thing mankind has ever achieved – powered flight. Just imagine meeting someone new and being asked what you do for a living. You get to say, “Oh, me? I’m an aircraft mechanic.”
Reason #4: High Demand
Right now, there is a global shortage of aircraft maintenance technicians. The problem has been getting worse for years, and it’s projected to reach a crisis within the next two decades. What does this mean for you? In some technical careers, you get your degree or certificate and start going to job fairs and hoping someone hires you. If you’re a certified aviation maintenance technician, however, you’re likely to be snapped up as soon as you walk out the door with your certificate. The odds are that you’ll be able to take your pick of where to live and work. The three regions most in need of technicians over the next 20 years are going to be Asia, the United States and Europe. You could settle down close to home, of course, but how about a job fixing crop dusters in France? Europe’s got 137,000 AMT jobs to fill by 2038, and one of those could easily be yours if you want it. Aviation maintenance can take you anywhere you want to go.
Reason #5: Job Security
Unlike so many other sectors, air travel is a constantly growing industry. What’s more, this growth shows no signs of slowing down. Even a mature economy such as the United States is adding close to 4% per year, while China is exploding at closer to 10%. Because air travel is growing, so is the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) industry. Airplanes need to be constantly overhauled and maintained to be safe, and governmental regulations mean that nobody can skimp on these services. In other words, if a company wants to get planes off the ground, they have to hire technicians. Everyone knows that a job which is required by law is a stable job over the long term. It’s like having the security of a government job without all the bureaucracy.
Many factors are responsible for the constant increase in air travel around the world. While advances in technology play a role, there are many economic reasons as well. Countries are gaining GDP, individuals have more disposable income, the middle class is expanding, and healthy retirees are choosing air travel more than ever before. The bottom line is that flying is becoming more comfortable and affordable. Because air travel is constantly expanding, so is aviation maintenance. Since the rate of attrition and retirement is significantly higher than the graduation rate for new technicians, there’s virtually no competition for jobs in this industry. Therefore, you can basically choose the career you want and keep it for as long as you want. Compared to other industries, the future for aviation maintenance technicians is as bright as the sun in a clear sky.
Get Started Today
There has never been a better time to get started in a career as an aviation maintenance technician. You don’t need any prior knowledge or experience, you don’t have to be rich, and you don’t need to spend years in school. All you have to do is contact North Central Institute today. Before you know it, you’ll be heading down the runway to an amazing future.
“Oh, me? I’m an aircraft mechanic.”
