Trade licensing overview · aircraft mechanic (a&p)
How aircraft mechanic (a&p) licensing works — Arizona
How this trade is regulated in Arizona. federal-license-required The framework below describes the national pathway most aircraft mechanic (a&p)s in Arizona follow.
Aircraft mechanics are federally licensed by the FAA, not by states. The Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) certificate is issued under 14 CFR Part 65 and preempts any state mechanic licensing scheme.
Aircraft Mechanic (A&P) wages in Arizona · BLS OES A01 2024
Wages are state-level annual figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program (A01 2024). Specific aircraft mechanic (a&p) earnings in Arizona vary by metro area, employer type, union membership, and years of experience. Verify the current state and metro figures on the BLS OES site (bls.gov/oes).
What this trade actually looks like in Arizona
Aircraft mechanics in Arizona work across one of the country's larger aviation ecosystems, anchored by Phoenix Sky Harbor airline operations, a large MRO and aircraft-storage cluster around Marana, Tucson and Kingman, and significant military aviation at Luke and Davis-Monthan. The state hosts Boneyard preservation work at AMARG, third-party MRO at Pinal Airpark, and a growing eVTOL and drone-development industry. Dry climate makes Arizona a national center for aircraft storage and reactivation.
Where they work
Phoenix (Sky Harbor airline maintenance bases for American, Southwest, and others; Mesa Gateway corporate and training operations), Tucson (Davis-Monthan AFB AMARG, commercial MRO at TUS, Bombardier and Raytheon facilities), Marana / Pinal Airpark (large third-party MRO and storage), Kingman (storage and teardown), Yuma (military), and Prescott (Embry-Riddle adjacency). Phoenix-Mesa Gateway anchors Boeing 737 conversion and pilot-training maintenance.
Pay context
Phoenix-area cost of living has risen sharply in the past five years; Tucson and rural Arizona remain comparatively affordable. Posted A&P wages in major Phoenix airline bases typically run above wages in storage and conversion lines at Marana and Kingman. Arizona has no state income tax preference unique to mechanics. Pull the Arizona row from the BLS OES 49-3011 table at https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes493011.htm for the current annual median figure. See https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_az.htm.
Training pathway
FAA Part 147 AMTS programs operate at Chandler-Gilbert Community College (Williams campus, Mesa Gateway), Pima Community College (Tucson), Cochise College, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Prescott. Military aviation-MOS experience from Luke, Davis-Monthan, and Yuma is a recognized 14 CFR 65.77 path. Direct-hire programs at American Airlines (PHX) and the MRO cluster at Marana also recruit out-of-state Part 147 graduates.
Considerations
If you want airline base maintenance, Phoenix has a deep non-coastal market. If you want exposure to storage, conversion, and end-of-life aircraft work, the Marana / Kingman cluster is one of a few global hubs. Summer heat in hangars without conditioning is a real factor. Arizona has no state mechanic license; FAA A&P preempts.
Arizona aircraft mechanic (a&p) snapshot
| MSA | Employed | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 3,010 | $79,650 |
| Tucson, AZ | 1,150 | $74,230 |
| Yuma, AZ | 110 | $75,650 |
| Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ | 70 | $74,940 |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | 60 | $72,630 |
FEDERAL LICENSE STATUS
The Federal Aviation Administration licenses aircraft mechanics under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 65, Certification: Airmen Other Than Flight Crewmembers (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-65). The Mechanic certificate is issued with Airframe, Powerplant, or both ratings; the combined A&P is the primary credential held by civilian aviation mechanics (https://www.faa.gov/mechanics). State mechanic licenses do not apply to certificated aircraft work. FAA certification preempts state licensing for maintenance performed on type-certificated aircraft (https://www.faa.gov/mechanics/become). A certificated mechanic may exercise privileges anywhere in the United States without state-level registration.
CFR PART 65 REQUIREMENTS
Under 14 CFR §65.77, an applicant must document 18 months of practical experience on the procedures, practices, materials, tools, machine tools, and equipment generally used in airframe OR powerplant work for a single rating, or 30 months of concurrent experience for both ratings (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-65). Alternatively, graduation from an FAA-certificated Part 147 Aviation Maintenance Technician School satisfies the experience requirement (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-H/part-147). Every applicant must pass three FAA written tests, General, Airframe, and Powerplant, followed by an oral and practical examination administered by a Designated Mechanic Examiner (https://www.faa.gov/training_testing/testing). The written tests are delivered through FAA-authorized testing centers.
PART 147 SCHOOLS
FAA-certificated Aviation Maintenance Technician Schools (AMTS) operate under 14 CFR Part 147 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-H/part-147). The legacy curriculum required 1,900 classroom and shop hours (400 general, 750 airframe, and 750 powerplant), and the 2022 rewrite of Part 147 moved the content to an FAA-approved curriculum model tied to the Airman Certification Standards (https://www.faa.gov/mechanics). Programs typically run 18 to 24 months. Completion substitutes for the 18 or 30 months of documented work experience required under §65.77, and graduates still sit for the three written, oral, and practical exams (https://www.faa.gov/mechanics/become). The DOL RAPIDS apprenticeship finder also lists registered aircraft-mechanic programs by ZIP (https://www.apprenticeship.gov/apprenticeship-job-finder).
IA (INSPECTION AUTHORIZATION)
Inspection Authorization is an advanced endorsement available to A&P mechanics under 14 CFR §65.91 (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-65#65.91). To qualify, a mechanic must hold an A&P for at least 3 years, have been actively engaged in maintaining certificated aircraft for the 2 years immediately preceding application, and pass the IA written exam. IA privileges include signing off annual inspections, performing progressive inspections, and approving major repairs and major alterations for return to service using FAA Form 337 (https://www.faa.gov/mechanics). Authorization expires March 31 of each odd-numbered year and is renewed under §65.93 by meeting recent-activity criteria (inspections performed, training completed, or re-examination) every 2 years.
AVIONICS / REPAIRMAN
Avionics technicians who transmit on aircraft radios typically hold the FCC General Radiotelephone Operator License (GROL), Element 3, issued by the Federal Communications Commission (https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-divisions/mobility-division/commercial-radio-operator-license-program). Avionics work on installed equipment is often performed under an FAA-certificated Repair Station (14 CFR Part 145) rather than by an individual A&P. The Repairman Certificate under 14 CFR §65.101 is an employer-specific alternative: it is issued to an individual recommended by a Part 145 repair station, Part 135 operator, or Part 121 air carrier, and its privileges are limited to the employer that requested the certificate (https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-65#65.101). A Repairman Certificate is surrendered when employment ends and is not portable to a new employer. BLS OOH covers aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics and technicians under a shared occupation page (https://www.bls.gov/ooh/installation-maintenance-and-repair/aircraft-and-avionics-equipment-mechanics-and-technicians.htm).