Trade licensing overview · aircraft mechanic (a&p)
How aircraft mechanic (a&p) licensing works — Virginia
How this trade is regulated in Virginia. federal-license-required The framework below describes the national pathway most aircraft mechanic (a&p)s in Virginia 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 Virginia · 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 Virginia 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 Virginia
Aircraft mechanics in Virginia work in a market shaped by the Washington Dulles airline operations (a United Airlines focus), Reagan National station maintenance, Naval Station Norfolk and Naval Air Station Oceana naval aviation contractor activity, Newport News and Langley AFB military aviation, the Marine Corps Quantico aviation activity, and significant federal and contractor work across the state. The Hampton Roads area is one of the densest US naval aviation markets.
Where they work
Washington Dulles (IAD United Airlines focus city station maintenance, FedEx and UPS cargo), Reagan National (DCA station maintenance, FAA), Norfolk (NAS Norfolk, Naval Station Norfolk contractor aviation, ORF airline station), Virginia Beach (NAS Oceana F/A-18 contractor support), Newport News / Langley AFB (Joint Base Langley-Eustis F-22 contractor support, Newport News Shipbuilding aviation), Quantico (Marine Corps Air Facility Quantico VMX-1 and HMX-1 contractor support), Richmond (RIC regional, Virginia ANG 192nd Wing), and Manassas and Leesburg (corporate and charter in the DC metro).
Pay context
Virginia has middle-to-high cost of living, with northern Virginia substantially above and southwest Virginia substantially below. Posted A&P wages at IAD, federal civilian roles in Hampton Roads, and naval contractor lines typically run at or above national median for 49-3011, especially in northern Virginia. Pull the Virginia 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_va.htm.
Training pathway
FAA Part 147 AMTS programs include Aviation Institute of Maintenance Manassas (DC metro), Tidewater Community College (Hampton Roads, Navy adjacency), and Piedmont Virginia Community College. Military aviation-MOS experience from Norfolk, Oceana, Langley, Quantico, and the Virginia ANG qualifies under 14 CFR 65.77 and feeds civilian contractor pipelines. United Airlines and federal contractor employers run direct-hire programs.
Considerations
If you want naval aviation contractor work, federal civilian and contractor roles, or DC-metro airline station maintenance, Virginia is a deep market. If you cannot tolerate northern Virginia cost of living and traffic, look at Hampton Roads or southwest Virginia. State has no separate mechanic license; FAA A&P preempts.
Virginia aircraft mechanic (a&p) snapshot
| MSA | Employed | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 1,700 | $92,210 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 610 | $75,810 |
| Richmond, VA | 140 | $76,480 |
| Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | 100 | $68,160 |
| Lynchburg, VA | 30 | $51,490 |
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).