Trade licensing overview · aircraft mechanic (a&p)
How aircraft mechanic (a&p) licensing works — North Carolina
How this trade is regulated in North Carolina. federal-license-required The framework below describes the national pathway most aircraft mechanic (a&p)s in North Carolina 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 North Carolina · 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina
Aircraft mechanics in North Carolina work in a market anchored by American Airlines' Charlotte hub at CLT (the carrier's second-largest hub), Piedmont Airlines maintenance bases, Honda Aircraft's HondaJet final assembly in Greensboro, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point and Marine Corps Air Station New River rotorcraft and contractor activity, and Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg) aviation. The state combines major airline base work, OEM business-jet manufacturing, and substantial military aviation.
Where they work
Charlotte (CLT American Airlines hub line and base maintenance, Piedmont Airlines regional jet base, FedEx and UPS cargo), Raleigh-Durham (RDU Delta and American station maintenance, corporate hangars), Greensboro (PTI HondaJet final assembly and completions, Honda Aircraft customer service center, FedEx Mid-Atlantic hub), Winston-Salem (corporate), Cherry Point (MCAS Cherry Point F-35 and KC-130 contractor support), New River (MCAS New River V-22 and rotorcraft contractor support), Fort Liberty / Pope Field (Army aviation contractor support), and Wilmington and Asheville (regional and seasonal).
Pay context
North Carolina has middle-tier cost of living, with metro Charlotte and the Triangle rising sharply over the past decade. Posted A&P wages at CLT (American Airlines union scales), HondaJet, and FedEx Greensboro typically run above the local market and at or above national median for 49-3011. Pull the North Carolina 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_nc.htm.
Training pathway
FAA Part 147 AMTS programs include Guilford Technical Community College (Greensboro, with a HondaJet pipeline), Lenoir Community College (Kinston), Forsyth Technical Community College, Craven Community College (Cherry Point area), and Fayetteville Technical Community College. American Airlines, Piedmont, and HondaJet run direct-hire and apprentice-style programs. Military aviation-MOS experience from MCAS Cherry Point, MCAS New River, Pope Field, and Seymour Johnson AFB qualifies under 14 CFR 65.77.
Considerations
If you want a major airline hub plus business-jet OEM exposure plus deep Marine Corps and Army aviation contractor pipelines, North Carolina is one of the most well-rounded US markets. If you cannot tolerate Charlotte or Triangle cost-of-living growth, look outside the metros. State has no separate mechanic license; FAA A&P preempts.
North Carolina aircraft mechanic (a&p) snapshot
| MSA | Employed | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 2,020 | $61,630 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | 860 | $62,980 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 610 | $75,810 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | 420 | $80,590 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | 260 | $60,630 |
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).