Are you curious what top employers are paying their A&Ps and AMTs? You can now find out thanks to leaked and extremely detailed compensation information.
Reddit users on the Internet have been collecting anonymous pay and benefits information from aviation employees. They used the data to compile and publish a live spreadsheet that outlines and compares A&P and AMT compensation rates and benefits across the aviation industry.
The Rise of Salary Transparency
In recent years, there has been a push for greater transparency around salaries and total compensation. Rather than simply accepting the compensation that an employer offers, more workers are interested in knowing what their peers are making.
While employers have been slow to embrace salary transparency, employees are taking matters into their own hands by sharing salary information online. They are regularly collecting updated salary and employment package data for specific employers and publishing it on the Internet. Job seekers now have the power to understand industry trends, seek out companies with competitive employment packages, and negotiate for increased pay and benefits.
Detailed Aviation Industry Salary and Benefits Leaked
This push for transparency is also happening in the aviation industry. A recent Reddit thread within r/aviationmaintenance has encouraged employees to share their salaries anonymously. But the available information does not end there. The latest updates include pay scale, 401k details, insurance contributions, allotted time-off, position requirements, and more.
The latest collected data found here includes AMT and A&P compensation details for FedEx, Southwest, United, UPS, Delta, American, Envoy, and Boeing.
It is critical to remember that the published information is not official from the companies. However, it does show a detailed snapshot of what aviation employers are paying technicians.
Total AMT and A&P Compensation
The compensation information reports the maximum pay for AMTs, how many years to achieve max rate, premiums for A&Ps, longevity pay, 401k and retirement contributions, and more. Added together, the authors calculated the theoretical maximum pay for an A&P at each employer.
Scroll right to see all employers.
| Item | FedEx (2021) | Southwest (April 2019) | United (April 2019) | UPS (April 2019) | Delta (May 2022) | American (2021) | Envoy (2021) | Boeing (2021) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum AMT Base | $36.15 (6 years) | $46.31 (6 years) | $42.34 (8 years) | $52.98 (5 years) | $48.59 (6.5 years) | $50.18 (8 years) | $36.00 (12 years) | $46.27 |
| A&P License Premium | $21.60 | $5.00 | $5.25 | $6.40 | $8.00 | $5.25 | $3.00 | $1.12 |
| Longevity Pay | None | $1.75 (15 years) | $1.00 (12 years) | None | N/A | None | N/A | N/A |
| Base, A&P, and Longevity | $57.75 | $53.06 | $48.59 | $59.38 | $56.59 | $56.43 | $36.00 | $47.39 |
| 401k Employer Contribution (Max) | 3.5% | 9.3% | 3% | 3% | 9% | 9% | 5% | 6% (75% of employee 8%) |
| Retirement Plan Employer Contribution | 6% | None | CARP | 13% | N/A | 5% | N/A | N/A |
| Bonus | None | 11.3% (1% - 16% range) | 10% | None | 13% (10% - 16%) | 10% - 20% | None | 1% - 6% |
| Total Max Compensation (2080 hours) | $131,531.40 | $133,099.95 | $114,205.71 | $143,272.06 | $143,602.79 | $139,675.54 | N/A | > $98,571.20 |
Additional Compensation
Employers typically provide additional pay for shift work, leads, inspectors, and flight-line maintenance. The leaked data includes this information as well.
Scroll right to see all employers.
| Item | FedEx (2021) | Southwest (April 2019) | United (April 2019) | UPS (April 2019) | Delta (May 2022) | American (2021) | Envoy (2021) | Boeing (2021) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd Shift Pay | $0.35 | $0.63 | $0.51 | $0.51 | $0.52 | $0.51 | N/A | $1.00 |
| 3rd Shift Pay | $0.50 | $0.71 | $0.58 | $0.58 | $0.59 | $0.58 | N/A | 6.5 hr. nights paid as 8 hrs. (equals $0.35) |
| Lead Pay | $3.19 | $2.78 | $7.76 | $1.75 | $3.04 | $2.20 ($2.40 in 3/2023) | $1.50 | $2.00 |
| Inspector Pay | $5.42 | $2.78 | $7.76 | $1.75 | $3.49 | $2.20 ($2.40 in 3/2023) | $1.00 | AMT Pay |
| Flightline Pay | None | None | $1.00 | None | $3.00 | $1.00 | None | None |
And a Ton More!
The anonymous information includes many more data points for each employer. For example, the authors also collected:
- Paid-time-off days per year
- Overtime availability
- Health insurance contributions
- Dental and vision insurance plans
- 4/10, 3/13, part-time, and double-shift availability
- Tuition assistance
- Avionics work availability
- Any more…
View the entire spreadsheet and all of the data at this link.
Taking Advantage of the Data
As an employer, you can use the data to benchmark your current salaries and benefits against the competition. This will help you ensure that you offer competitive pay and benefits to attract and retain the best talent. You can also proactively build a strategic salary and benefits package that sets you apart from your competition. This is especially important in today’s connected world.
What you paid individual employees was once taboo to share. That is no longer the case. With information like this available, you can assume that A&P and AMT candidates know exactly what other employers may offer them.
Know Your Competition
The way to beat your competition to the best aviation talent is to understand them and react accordingly. As you can imagine, with A&Ps in high demand and leaked salary information readily available, it is more important than ever to use all tools at your disposal. This includes keeping track of online aviation maintenance groups like those found on Reddit. We at Fovea Aero do this for you whenever we recruit a position.
By taking advantage of leaked aviation salary and benefits information, you can be sure that you are in the ballpark for attracting and landing your ideal candidates. You can also improve employee retention and satisfaction to avoid losing your workers to your competitors.
Looking for A&Ps and AMTs?
Fovea Aero can help you find the very best A&Ps, AMTs, and pilots. We’re aviation people that find great aviation people! Call us at 888-623-4623 or browse our website for more information. We’re here to help!